Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-08-03

SAYS ColoRID MAN HAS RIGHTS
IN NEW PROGRESSIVE
PARTY.
APPEALS TO WHITES
OF SOUTH FOR SQUARE DEAL
Scores Both Old Parties and says Re.
publ'eans Of South Have Erred in
Building Party on Nseross-Finds
Northern Type Qualified to Partiei-
pate in Political Affairs.

| paw w SVUNS0b VU0n0s
! New York. Aug. 3.-ln letter writ
ten to Julian Harris of Augusta, Ca,
editor Of the Uncle Remus Magazine.
and a son of the late Joel Chandler
Harris, Colonel Roosevelt expressed his
views on the position of the negro in
national politics and the representation
Of negro delegates in the convention OF
the progressive party in Chicago.
In part Colonel Roosevelt writes:
In pursuance Of our conversation
write you this letter. There is a pc
culiar fitness in writing to the son OF
the man who made al Americans his
debtors. His life and work tend to
bring his country1nen north and south
into closer relations Of good will and
understanding, anu surely it should be
needless to say that the author OF
Uncle Remus' and Free Joe and the
Rest of the World felt deep and
most kindly intea est in the welfare of
| the negro.
Many letters dealing with the sub
ject OF which you spoke to me have
! been sent to me within the last few
days Those written by men living in
the north usually insist that we get
from the south colored delegates to the
progressive convention. Those written
from the south ask that / declare that
the new party shall be white mans
party. am not able to agree to either
proposal. In this country We can not
permanently succeed except on the
basis of treating each man on the basis
Of his worth as q man.
Should Act pecently.
1--WE can fulfill our high mission
among the nations Of the earth. we
can do lasting GOOD to ourselves ana
mankind only az we act as II the
humblest among US, If he acts in de-
cent fashion, shall be guaranteed his
right to liberty, to life to protection
from injustice. his right to enjoy the
fruits O. his own honest labor, and his
right to the pursuit OF happiness in his
own way, so long as he does not tres
pass on the right Of others For US 10
Cypress any class Of our fellow citizens
is not only wrong to others but hurt-
full to ourselves. Surely no man can
quarrel with those principles.
| It believe that the progressive move
mont should he made from the begin
ming IL, the interest Of honest, indust-
rious. law abiding colored men, just as
it is in the interest OF every honest.
Industrious law abiding white man.
further believe that the surest way not
to help either white or colored man IN
| the south. where the colored man is
most numerous, would be to try to re-
peat the course that has been followed
by the republican party in those d's-
trjcts for so many years or to endeavor
| in the states in question to build up
progressive party by those methods
which have resulted in making the re-
publican party worse" than imroteht
"In the south the democratic ma
chine has sought to keep Itself para
mount by encouraging the hatred OF
the white man for black. The repunli-
can party has sought to perpetuate IT.
self by stirring the white man against
the black; and surely the time mas
come when the people should recognize
the mischief in both courses ano
abandon both. believe where the
racial issue is permitted TO become
dominant in our politics 1t always
works harm to both races. but I'M
measurably greater harm to the weak
e,
our ideals on the one hand or on the
other fail resolutely to look facts in
the face, however unpleasant these
facts may be.
Best colered Men Wanted.
'In many Of the states where there
! is considerable colored population.
we are able in very fact and at the
present moment to bring the pest COL
! ored men into the movement on the
same terms as the white man. In
Rhode Island and Maryland. In New
York and Indiana. in Ohio and HI
nois, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
to speak only of states OK which l
have personal knowledge. this Is now
being done. and from some or all OF
these states colored delegates viii be
sent to the national progressive con-
vention at Chicago.
I'm the republican national conven-
tons the colored members have been
almost exclusively from the south and
the great majority of them have been
of such character that their politlcaI
activities were mostly source OF harm
and of very grave harm, to their own
race. We. on the contrary. are hoping
to see in the national progressive con-
vention colored delegates from the
very places where we expect to develop
our greatest strength, and we hope. to
see these men Of such character that
their activities shall be Of benent not
only to the people at large. but espe-
cially to their own race.
The Partys Record.
For forty five years the republican
| party has striven to build up In the
southern states in question party
based on the theory that the pyramid
will unsupported stand permanently on
! It's apex instead Of on it, base. For