The Booker T. Washington Papers, Vol.6, page 222, Oct. 1901, U. of Illinois Press

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The BOOKER T. WASHINGTON Papers P.S.—I do not believe that in all the south you could select a better man through whom to emphasize your idea of the character of a man to hoist office than you can do through ax-Governor Jones. Birmingham ~ge-Herald, Oct. 2~6, 1902, I. ~ This letter was published in the Birmingham ~ge-Herald, about a year after it was written, as proof of BTW's role in the appointment of Thomas G. Jones to the federal bench. The Montgomery Advertiser, on the other hand, said that the letter was not proof that BTW had ''secured'' the position for Jones, but that it did represent the Tuskegean's ''signal good judgment.'' The Advertiser stated that many persons, North and South, had recommended Jones to President Roosevelt. (Montgomery Advertiser, Oct. 26, egos, Clipping, Con. 978, BTW Papers, DLC.) In North Carolina, the Wilmington Messenger reprinted the letter and said that it was proof that BTW was Roosevelt's ''chief adviser and most trusted assistant in the matter of making appointments in the southern states and also that Washington prefers 'gold bug' democrats to negroes or white republicans when it comes to appointments to federal offices.'' (Wilmington Messenger, Oct. z8, egos, Clipping, Con. 978, BTW Papers, DLC.) 2 John Bruce (~832-~go~) was a U.S. district judge in Alabama beginning in 187~5. From William Calvin Gates ''Montgomery, Ala.] Oct. and egos Strictly Confidential Dear Sir. It is very rare that I ever write to any man in confidence but you are a man of so much good sense and reason that I write you a suggestion. A certain class of democrats are going to ratify the New Constitution. It will be so counted. You know that. I would not fight it because I knew before the Convention adjourned that there was no use. There is but one way. This morning I heard that Judge Bruce was dead. There are already before he is buried a host of applicants for the vacant Judgeship announced. With the impending sentiment among a large class of the white people in the south the greatest bulwark of protection to your race is to be found in the federal Judiciary. Those we have hacl and a majority of those we have now are not popular nor men of power and influence. Now is a most auspicious time for you to do a great work in Alabama on this line. You know that there is not a republican in the state of sufficiently high character and ability to exercise any greater influence in Bruce's place than the old man did which was nothing. 222