The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-31
ATTRIBUTED TO MAJ. KAR0W.
AUTHORSHIP OF THE RESOLUTION
ADDRESSED TO COUNCIL.


Mai. Karow Would Neither Affirm
Nor Deny the Statement, But Says
the Resolution was the Acton of
the Two Commercial Bodies by a
UnanimOus VOte-"Branded Itself
as Negro Council" He Says-SOme
Views on Councils Negro ResOIu-
ton.
1t is currently reported that Maj Ed
ward Karow is the author of the resolu-
ton passed by the cotton exchange and
board Of trade, in joint meeting. calling
upon the city council to take action pro-
testing against the appointment of negroes
to federal Office in Savannah.
Since the action of council in the mat
ter, these resolutions have become sub
ject of much discussion. Naturally there
was an inquiry in all quarters yesterday
as to the authorship of that particular res
olution, which called upon the city couu-
Gil in positive terms to act. The subject
was naturally much talked of around the
cotton exchange and there it was stated
that Maj. Karow furnished that resolu-
ton. He handed 1t to President H. t.
Williams of the cotton exchange. it is sta
ted, and President Williams gave it to
Capt. w. w. Williamson to introduce
When members of the Liberal Club
heard this, Maj. Karow being chairman
of the police commission, they thought
more than ever, according to their state
ments, that it was an effort from Citizens
Club sources to put the present admins
tration in an embarrassing position. When
asked about the matter yesterday Mai
Karow would neither affirm nor deny that
he was the author of the resolution.
There were fifty or more members of
the cotton exchange and board of trade
present when that resolution was passed. I"
Maj. Karow said, land there was not
dissenting vote, nor was one word said
against it. 1 was one of the number, and
with the others 1 voted for it. That reso-
luton was the action of those two bodies
by unanimous vote, and not of any par
ticular individual. When the city council
took the action it did, it branded itself as
a negro council. That is my opinion and
that is all I've got to say about it,"
one of the members of the cotton ex-
thorship of the resolution, but he was sat
lsfled there was nothing whatever of a DO
htlcal nature about it. 1t was purely a
business proposition he said, and it was
SO viewed by the members of the cotton
exchange and of the board of trade
Naturally, there was considerable dis
cussIon of the resolution passed by coun-
Gil refusing to protest. against the M
pointment of negroes to federal offices.
and especially was this true around the
cotton exchange and board of trade on ac-
count of the fact that these bodies had
taken the action they did, requesting a
protest from council.
One member said he regretted very deep
ly the action of council, for he feared that
because of the fact that it is an official
body, its action would have more weight
than that taken by the two commercial
bodies, even though in that matter they
knew better what the interests of the city
were than does council. He thought the
council resolutions would be looked on in
Washington as somewhat of an indorse-
ent of Deveaux, which might tend, in a
measure to outweigh the action taken at
the cotton exchange meeting.
= Another gentleman, speaking of the
matter, took an entirely different view
In his opinion the action of council would
operate just the other way. He was "a It's
fled that a protest on the part of council
would have made the President more in
clined to appoint Deveaux than ever but
having taken the action it did, refusing to
protest. he thinks that the wishes of the
business people, since they are known, will
be respected.