The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1912-08-06
zoosgvELT AND rag NEGROES.


In letter to Dir. Julian Harris Of Alta 1a. Colonel
Roosevelt sets forth his views of the political position
Of the negro and defines his ideas of tho place he
should hold in the scheme Of the new party that is
being constructed by the colonel for the co incl and
chiefly of the colonel In characteristic fashion Col
onel Roosevelt balances swings qualities and mod
fes. He makes rather clever effort to escap, the
dilemma that this question has presented to him and
whether or not he has gotten by remains to be seen
Many letters dealing with the subject (of the posi-
uon the negro IS to hold in the partv)
sent TO me-" he tells Mr. Harris Those written by
men living in the North usually ask me to insist that
we get from the South coored delegates to the national
progressive convention Those written by citizens of
the south ask that declare that the new party shall
be white mans party" a." declares the colonel
am unable to agree TO either proposal What he really
means is that he wants agree both and tries to-
First he pronounces his pet platitude about a man
being worth while only in far he straight and
decent and declares that for us to Cypress any class
OF our fellow citizens is not only wrong to Others but
hurtful to ourselves" Surely he says mo man can
quarrel with those principles" Surely not 1t is not
question OF principles but of their Interpretation and
application Colonel Roosevelt thinks that the surest
way 10 render the movement for the organization Of
new party "impotent to help either the white or
the colored in those regions Of the South where
the colored is most numerous would he to FRY
to repeal the that been followed by the re-
publican party in those districts for SO many years or
to endeavor in the states in question build up pro-
gressiye party by the methods which in those
states have resulted in making the republican party
worse than impotent" He thinks "it would BE- much
worse than useless try build up the progressive
party by appealing the negroes or to the men who in
the past have derived their standing from leading
and manipulating the negroes" He believes that "by
appealing to the best white in the South the men
of Justice and of vision well strength and of
leadership, and by frankly putting the movement in
their hands from the outset shall create situation
by which the colored of the will ultimately
get justice, as not possible for them get JUS
ce If to continue perpetuate the present.
conditions"
These sentiments bear very close resemblance to
those expressed by President Taft in his inaugural adj
dress, which, moreover have been carried into prac
ce faithfully by Mr. Taft in his policy Of ar-
pontments to federal Office in the South They are
utterly contradictory conflict with the sentiments
expressed and the of action followed by Mr.
Roosevelt when he was president Mr. Roosevelts at
ude to the political position negro in the South
set forth very clearly completely in his treat
ment of the question then when he repeatedly named
negroes to places all the South against the pro-
tests of the white people.
Mr. Roosevets toward the negro in politics in
the South ddrng the period his presidency were in
direct and violent contradiction everything he now
declares in his appeal to the white of the South
to accept his guidance in the solution of the prob
lem. He put swift end to the movement for the or
ganization of white republican party in the South,
at the behest of certain negro representatives who
called him the white house. after he had given
encouragement to such movement