The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-11-07
LETTERS TO EDITOR
ROOSEVELT AND JEFFERSON DAVIS

In your comment upon the Roosevelt memo rial tree, planted by Boy Scouts on Capitol Hill in Montgomery, you attribute objections to this action to sectional prejudice" Such examples of antquated sectionaism won't re- fleet any credit on the lost cause. Apparently the only objection to Roosevelt is that he was a northern man.
 Permit me as one who deplores the fool ish action of the person or persons who up rooted this tree in the night, to say that you miss the point at issue, and fail to represent justly the reasons governing those who object to putting such a tree on the capitol grounds.
 Nobody of my acquaintance in Montgomery objects to the planting of Roosevelt memorial tree in Montgomery. On the contrary, nearly everybody says: "Plant it, to be sure-but not on the Jeff Davis reservation" They admire Roosevelt for many excellent qualities, but do not admire him for some other qualities.
 Specifically, I must call your attention to the fact that Roosevelt personally affronted Jefferson Davis while Davis yet lved and more, he reflected upon the good name of that gentleman, and when the error of his state ments was called to his attention, he refused to make amends. Roosevelt in the early eighties had published book in which he charged that Davis governor of Missis- sipp,' had urged Mssssppians to repudiate the state bonds on one occasion. MT. Davis had never been governor of Mississippi, hav- ing been defeated at the time of his candi- dacy. Moreover, instead of advocating repudia- tion of the state debt, Davis had forcefully supported the opposite view. When he wrote young Mir. Roosevelt polite letter, pointing out the error and asking Roosevelt to right the wrong done his name, Roosevelt wrote slip of paper this rude statement and sent to Davis:
 "Mr. Theodore Roosevelt will have no cor respondence with Jefferson Davis."
 Davis, as Secretary of War; had directed the building of Cabin John Bridge out from Washington. His name appeared on the bridge. Secretary Stanton, in Lincoln's time, had the name chiseled off
 During Roosevelt's incumbency in the White House southern women took up the idea of inducing him to restore Davis name to the bridge This he steadfastly refused to do for several yeBrs, and on more than occasion is reputed to have been very offensive in his comments upon Davis, going so far as to de- nounce him, as a traitor. One man says he heard Roosevelt say that Davis should have been hanged like John Brown. Nevertheless the last official act of Roosevelt was to order the name restored to the bridge.
 In August, 1910, at Ossawtomie, an, Roosevelt unveiled a monument to John Brown and lauded him highly
 But the point is that Roosevelt insulted Davis personally, misrepresented him, and later insulted his memory. He never so long he lived retracted anything he had said about Davis. He never appeared to regret the wrong he had done the name of great man and a, gentleman. When Roosevelt made speech at the Alabama capitol some years ago, it is said that in showing him around, citizens pointed out the Davis star. The President looked at it, made no comment, but just grunted
 Montgomery people do not object to Roose. welt memorial tree-they surely do not.
 But they question the propriety of putting the tree on the capitol grounds so that it's lengthening shade some day may reach over and darken the bright spot where Davis stood. The capitol grounds should be Confederate shrine. In particular it was not proper to plant Roosevelt tree there, in the circumstances.
 But Montgomery is very much chagrined over the turn the episode took. They regret the violent uprooting of the tree in the dark ness of the night
 And it is not sectional prejudice" nor yet do our people object to Roosevelt because he was northern man" There is no such feel