The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-08-08

editor Of Uncle Remuss, Magazine
Hld son Of the late Joel Chandler Har
rfs, Colonel Roosevelt expresses hi.
views on the position of the Negro ii
national politics, and the representa-
tion Of Negro delegates in the conven.
tion Of the Progressive party in Chi.
Icago In part Colonel Roosevelt
writes:
In pursuance of our conversation
write you this; letter There is a Pc
cul.ar fitness in writing it to the sor
of the man whose work made all
Americans his debtors. His life and
his work tended to bring his fellow
countrymen, North and South, into
closer relations Of good will and un-
derstanding. and surely it should be
needless to say that the author of I'm
Gle Remus' and Free Joe and the Rest
of the World felt deep and most
kindly interest 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 ask me to insist
that we get from the South colored
delegates to the National Progressive
Convention. Those written by citi-
zens' Of the South ask that | declare
that the new party shall be a white
mans party. 1 am not able to agree
to either proposal.
IN this country we cannot perma-
nently succeed except upon the basis
of treating each man On his worth
as a man. We can fulfill our high mis-
sion among the nations of the earth,
we can do lasting g1od to ourselves
and to all mankind only if we so act
that the humblest among us, SO long
as he behaves i'm straight and decent
fashion, has guaranteed to him under
the law his right to life, to liberty. to
protection from injustice, his right to
enjoy the fruits of his own honest la
bors and his right to, the pursuit of
happiness in his own way, SO long as
he does not trespass on the rights Of
others. For us to oppress any class
of our fellow citizens lis not only wrong
to others, but hurtful to ourselves.
Surely no man can quarrel with those
principles.
Il believe that the progre ssive move
ment should be made from the begin
ming one in the interest of every hon
est, industrious, law-abiding colored
man, just as it lis in ;the interest of
every honest, Industrious, 'law-abiding
white man. 1 further believe that the
surest way to render the movement
impotent to help either the white man
or the colored man in those regions
Of the South where the colored man
repeat the course that has been fol-
lowed by the Republican party in those
districts for so many years, or to en-
deavor IN the, states in question to
build up progressive party by the
same methods which in those states
have resulted in making the Republi-
can party worse than impotent.
In the South the Democratic ma
chine has sought to keep itself para
mount by encouraging the hatred of
this white man for the black; the Re-
publican machine has sought to per-
petuate Itself by stirring up the black
man against the white, and surely the
time has come when he should under
stand the mischief in both courses and
should abandon both. I believe that
wherever the racial issue is permitted
to become dominant in our politics #
always works harm to both races, but
immeasurably most harm to the weak
er race. I believe that in this move
ment only damage will come if we
either abandon our ideals on the one
hand, or, on the other, fail resolutely
to look facts in the face, however I'M
pleasant these facts may be.
In many Of the states Of the Union
where there is considerable colored
population we are able in very fact and
at the present moment to bring the
best colored men in the movement on
the same terms as th@~ white man. In
Rhode Island and Maryland, in New
York and Indiana, in Ohio and Illinois
in New Jersey and PENNSYLVANIA, g
speak only Of states Of which | have
personal knowledge. this is now be.
ing done, and from some or all Of these
states colored delegates will be sent &c
| the National Progressive COnvn nfto,,