The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-08-03
ROOSEVELT ON
THE NEGRO
IN POLITICS
DISCUSSES HIS ATTITUDE TO.
WARD COLORED BROTHER
AND LATTER'S POSITION,
(By Associated Press.)

|
written to Julian Harris. of Atlanta.
editor of Uncle Remus' Magazine.
and Il son Of the late Joel Chandler
Harris, Col. Roosevelt expresses his
views on the position of the negro in
national politics and the representa-
ton of negro delegates in the con-
,cntion of the Progressive party in
Chicago.
In part, Col. Roosevelt writes
| In pursuance of our conversation
| write you this letter. There is a
peculiar fitness in writing il to the
sen of the man whose work made all
Americans his debtors. His life and
lis work tended To bring his fellow
,ountrymcn, north and south. into
closer relations OF good will and un-
drrstanding, and surely it should be
needless to say that the author Of
Uncle Rcmus' and of free Joe and
til" rest Of the world felt dcep and
mos, kindly interest in the welfare
ci the negro
Asany letters dealing with the sub
Jct Of which YOU spoke to me have
been sent TO me within the last few
days. Thos" written by men liyina
in the north usually ask me to in
si,t that we set from the south col
Orcd delegates to the National Pro
gressivc convention. Those written
by citizens of the south ask that
declare that the new party shall BE-
n white mans party. am unable
to agree to either proposal.
In this country we cannot per
mancntly succeed except on the basis
OF treating each man on his worth
as a man. We can fulfill our high
mission among the nations of the
earth, We can do lasting good to our
selves aud to all mankind, only il
We so a 4 that the humblest among
us. so long as he behaves in straight
and decent faSiOD. has guaranteed to
him under the law his right to life,
TO liberty, to protection from injus-
lice, his right to enjoy the fruits of
his own honest labor, and his right
% the pursuit Of happiness in his own
way, so long as he does not trcspass
N the rights Of others For us to
,pprcss any class of our fellow citi.
ems is not only wrong to others but
lurtful to ourselves Surely no man
an quarrel with those principles.
II beliey" that the progressive
movement should he made from the
,cginning one in the interest of cv-
ry honest, industrious, abiding
olorcd man. iusi as il is in the in
crest of every honest Industrious,
aw wabiding whit" man further
J, Iieye tdat the Surc.t way 10 render
lc moN' nrni impOt"nt 10 help cith"r
be whit" man or The rolorcd man
! those regions ol the south where
e." 'ppr"d man most numerous.
uuid l." tn try 'o repeat tlnr course
- ha teru followed Z Y, Re-
i ilj, ~ pdaig in iiosr d. ,is for
9fu| ytars "r Ia "ndeaIor in the
;a''a IA question to build mp Il pro
B.. sis" parry by TIE ann methods
tirh in thos" states hagr resulted
a n,lkin. thc Republican party
,"rsc than impolcn'
In ihe south the democratic ma
hinc has sought to keep itself para
lount by encouraging the hatred of
he white man for the black, the Re
ublican machine has sought 10 per
ctuate itself by stirring up the black
nan against the white, and surely
he time has comn when We should
nderstand The mischief in both
curses, and should abandon both.
elieye that wherever the racial is
llc is permitted to become dominant
n our politics. il always works harm
e. rir,s. b,ir immeasurably most
arm - the weaker race. believe
hat III this movement only damagc
Till conlr if We either abandon our
deals on tn. one hand. or, on tha
ther fail resolutely to look facts in
b. iace. however. unpleasant these
acts may be.
In many of the States of the
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