Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History

Booker T. Washington, Builder of a Civilization. 43
MY DEAR MR. WASHINGTON.
I write you at once to say that to my deep regret my visit South must now be
given up.
When are you coming North? I must see you as soon as possible. I want to talk
over the question of possible appointments in the South exactly on the lines of
our last conversation together.
I hope that my visit to Tuskegee is merely deferred for a short season.
Faithfully yours,
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(Signed) THEODORE ROOSEVELT.Booker T. Washington, Esq.,
Tuskegee, Alabama.
This deferred visit finally took place in 1905, not long after Colonel Roosevelt's
triumphant election to the Presidency, when he came to Tuskegee accompanied
by his secretary, William Loeb, Jr.; Federal Civil Service Commissioner, John
McThenny; Collector of Revenue for the Birmingham District, J. O. Thompson;
Judge Thomas G. Jones of Montgomery, and a fellow Rough Rider by the name
of Greeneway.
In response to the above note Mr. Washington went to the White House and
discussed with the President "possible future appointments in the South" along
the lines agreed upon between them in a conference which they had had at a
time when it had seemed possible that Mr. Roosevelt might be given the
Republican Presidential nomination of 1900, that is, while Mr. Roosevelt was
Governor of New York and a tentative candidate for the nomination.
Upon his return to Tuskegee after this talk with President Roosevelt, Mr.
Washington found that the judgeship for the Southern District of Alabama had
just become vacant through the death of the incumbent, Judge Bruce. Here was
an opportunity for the President to put into practice in striking fashion the policy
they had discussed--namely, to appoint to Federal posts in the Southern States
the best men available and to reward and recognize conspicuous merit among
Southern Democrats and Southern Negroes as well as among Southern white
Republicans. Being unable at the moment to return to Washington, he sent his
secretary, Emmett J. Scott, with the following letter:
24.03.2006