Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-03

New York, Aug. 3.-In a letter writ
ten TO Julian Harris of Atlanta, Ga,
editor of Uncle Remus' magazine and
a son of the late Joel Chandler Harris,
Colonel Roosevelt expresses his views
on the position of the negro in ma
tional 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, l
write you this letter. There is a Pc
culiar fitness in writing to the son Of
the man whose work made all Ameri-
cans his debtors. His life and his work
tended to bring his fellow counJrymen,
north and south, into closer relations
Of good will and understanding; and
surely it should be needless to say that
the author of Uncle Remus' and of
Free Joe and the Rest of the World
felt a deep and most kindly interest in
the welfare of the negro.
Many letters dealing with the sub
iect OF which you spoke to me have
been sent to ne within the last few
days Those written ny men living in
the north usually ash me to insist that
We get from the south colored dele
gates 10 the national progressive con
yentiCn Those written by citizens of
the south ask that i<declare that the
uew party shall be a white mans par,
~. | am not a0le TO agree TO either
proposal.
In This country we cannot perma.
nentiy succeed except upon the basis
OF treating each man on his worth as
man. We can fulfill our high mis-
sion among the nations OF the earth
we Caa % lasting good TO ourselves
and 10 all mankind. only if We so act
that the humblest among US. so long
as he behaves in straight and decent
taShion, has guaranteed to him under
.Ie law his right to life to liberty, &c
protection from injustice. his right tC
enjoy the fruits Of his own honest Ia
bor, 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 Cypress any class CT
our fellow citizens is not only wrong
to others, but harmful to ourselves
Surely no man can quarrel with thost
principles.
Il believe that the progressive move
ment should De made from the begin
ming in the interest of an honest, in
dustr!ous, law-abiding colored man
just as it is in the interest of ever,
honest, industrious, law-abiding whit,
man. further believe that the sures
way 10 render the movement impoten
10 help either the white man or tn
colored man in those regions Of tn
south where the colored man is mos
numerous, would be to try to repea
the course that has been followed b,
the republican party in those district
for so many years. OF to endeavor il
the states in question to build up
progressive party by the same method
which in those states have resulted il
making the republican party wors
than impotent.
In the south the democratic ma
chine has sought TO keep itself para
mount by encouraging the hatred O
the white man for the black; the re
publican machine has sought to perpet
uate itself by stirring up the blacI
man against the white: and surely tn
time has come when we should under
stand the mischief in both courses. an
should abandon both. | believe tina
wherever the racial issue is permitte
TO become dominant in our politics.
always works harm to both races. bu
UNNECESSARILY most harm 10 the wea
er race | believe that in this move
ment We will do only damage il "
either abandon our ideals On the on
hand, or on the other. fail resolutel
to look facts in the face, however III
pleasant these facts may be.
In many of the states of the unto
where there is a considerable coiore
population We are able in very fact an
at the present moment to bring tn
best oolored men into the movement o
the same terms as the white man. l
Rhode Island and Maryland, in Ne,
York and Indiana, in Ohio and III
nois, in New Jersey and PennsyIvani:
to speak only of states Of which / hay