New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-03
Attsn,pt Would Hurt NEGRO.


no real good could come from such
negro would be hurt and not helped
throughout the Union; the white man
would be hurt in the South; the Progress
sive party would be damaged irreparably
by appealing to the best white men ~
tho South. the men Of justice and OF
vision, as well az Of strength and leader
ship and by frankly putting the move
uput in their hands from the outset we
shall create situation by which the COL
ored men Of the South will ultimately
get justice, as II Is not possible for them
10 get Justice II we are TO continue and
peTpetuate the present conditions.
The men to whom We appeal are the
men who have stood Tor securing the
colored man IN his rights before the law.
and they can do for him what neither
the Northern white men nor the .cOlored
men themselves can do. Our only wise
course from the standpoint OF the colored
man himself IS to follow the course that
We are following toward him In the North
and TO follow the course we are follow
Ing toward him in the South.
Opening his letter, Colonel Roosevelt
says he has received many letters SINH
lar TO that Of Mr. Harris. Those writ
ten by men in the North usually ask
him to insist upon negro delegates from
the Progressive party. Those from the
South ask that he declare the new
party shall be white mans party. He
IS not able 10 agree with either pro-
posal he declares, and adds:
believe that the Progressive move
ment should be made from the beginning
one In the interest Of every honest, in
dustrlous, law-abidlng colored man, Just
as II is in the interest OF every honest,
industrious, law-abiding white man.
further believe that the surest way 10
render the movement impOtent TO help
either the white man or the oolored man
IN those regions Of the South where the
colored man is most numerous would be
20 try 10 repeat the course that has been
followed by the Republican party in
these districts for 20 many years or TO
cndeavor in the states In question TO build
up a Progressive party by the same
methods which in those states have re-
suited in making the Republican party
worse than impotent
Needs Of States Foremost.
] believe that In this movement only
damage will come II We either abandon
our ideals on the one hand, or. on the
other, fajl resolutely to look facts in
the face however unpleasant these Facts
may be- Therefore ] feel that We have
10 adapt our actions to the actual condiss
each community, not abandoning our
PRINCIPLES, but not in one community. en-
deayoring to realize them In ways which
will simply cause disaster in that com
munity. although they may work well IN
another community. Our object must De
the same everywhere, but the methods
hv which we strive to attain II must be
adaptod TO the needs Of the several states
or Il will never be attained at ALL
Mr.. Roosevelt declares that the new
party is trying to act with fuller rec
ognition of the rights of the negro in
Northern states than the Republican
party He says that when he was
President he was unable to get the
consent of the white leaders in Ohio to
the appointment Of negro, and he APP
pointed a negro to high office In New
York against the with of the entire
party organization. In Republican ma
tional conventions the negro delegates
have been largely from the South,
while the new party hopes to see negro
delegates from the North, where they
expect TO develop the most strength.
Colonel Roosevelt goes on to say that
for forty-five years the Republican
party has endeavored in the Southern
states TO build up party in which the
negro should be dominant, a policy re-
eulting in the disruption OF the Re-
publican party. In those states the Re-
publican party, in actual practice and
disregarding individual exceptions, ex-