The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-10
TO SETTLE LAKE CITY CASE.
WOMAN POSTMASTER Will BE AP-
POINTED THERE.

Postmaster General Smith Has De-
cided Tint That Office should he
Taken Out Of PoIitics-Same should
BE Done with Other Southern
omces-Negroes would Not BE An
pointed i'm the NOrth-CoIorcd Men
Afraid of Lake city Omce.
Washington dug. 9-(SpeciaD.-A wo-
man postmaster is to be The solution of
the Lake city, S. c.. postoffice Drob,em
which has so long puzzled the administro-
ton The horrors of the Lake civ post
Office outrage have been described and
commented upon from one end of the conn.
try to the other, and il viii be araan, N
the credit Of Postmaster General sn,t,t
If he can adjust the diniculty and open
the postoftice Of that town without more
bloodshed
since the outrase was committed II is
wei known the Office has remained closed
by order Of the postofice department not
WithStandins The urgent appeals of the
business men and The patrons of the Of
nee for its establishment. The incon-
venionces and hardships which innooert
deprived Of the mail facilities to which
they were entitled, have been repeatedly
laid before The President ana Postmaster
General These appea.s nave faiod here
totore TO make The desired effect unon
the administration, because of the politics
surrounding the case.
The administration insisted on annoint-
ing Republican postmaster II So ham
pens there are no white citizens In Lake
CITY eligible to the Office and the appoint
ment OF another coiored postmaster might
lncite more bloodshed and a recurrence
of the former outrage which caused South
Carolina SO much unjust and merciless
criticism from those ignorant of the cir
cumstances which surround the terribly
misunderstood race problem in The South.
To Take 1t Out of Politics.
Before leaving Washington a few davs
ago to visit the President at Lake Cham
pam, POSTMASTER General Smith said that
after due consideration he had concluded
that the best solution Of the Lake city
problem would be TO eliminate that Office.
from politics and appoint a white woman
postmaster. He added tnat he had in mind
a competent white woman who Is willing
to accept the position Gen Smith went
on to say that his experiences and observa-
tions in the South and with Southern peo-
pie enabled him TO realize the great dif-
hculties under which the white as well as
the colored people labor when political is
sues are involved
As a journalist, as an able and ostute
politician and a man well endowed with
good common sense he has by personal oh
servations learned that the white and col
ored races do not mix successfully in any
part of the country, North or South In
the great Republican stronghold Of Phil
adephia, where the largest Republican
vote of any city in the United States Is
poled, Gen. Smith would not think Of ap-
pointing a colored man postmaster, nor
would he appoint a colOred man postmast-
er at any one of the small sub-postal sta
tlons scattered throughout the City Of
Brotheriy Love. Indeed, so unpopular .s
the negro race in Philadelphia that white
servants are employed almost entirely 10
the exclusion Of colored help.
Sentimental politicians might entertain
similar views, but few of them have the
courage 70 acknowledge that such a con
dltion of affairs exists. They declare that
politics Is a game of chance and believe
in that old Republican slogan ITO the
victors belong the spoils." Therefore
they demand that under a Republican adj
minisration members of the Republican
party should be placed on guard a every
postotfice, custom house, marshars Office
and every federal office to which a salary
IS attached.
Step in the Right Direction.
If Postmaster General Smith could per,
suade the administration to divorce the
postal service from politics in the South
he would call down upon his head the
blessings of all honorable and fair minded
people Of the nation; especially the good
citizens Of the South, who deprecaie lynch
ings as they do riotng and bIoodshedding
in labor outbreaks. IL might not be re-
garded as good practical politics by the
professional politicians, but II would be a
righteous and humane act which might
prevent the letting of much innocent blood
In making Lake City the experimental
station for This new crusade in behalf Of
separating fourth-ciass postofhces from
politics, Gen. Smith ls proceeding contrary
to the recommenda ions Of the officers Of
his department The fourth assistant post
master general who IL a bitter partisan
has repeatedly reported adversely against
the rcopcning OF that Office unless a Re
publican was appointed postmas'e er Only
a few weeks ago Gen. Smith detailed one
OF his most experienced and reliable post
office Inspectors TO proceed to Lake city
and thoroughly inspect the conditions
there with view to reoDening the post
office. The task was performed and The
inspector y itItlA ~ hpW on lie IN lNt Ge-
partmeut As IL Is Of a confidential nature
the text Of The report is not obtainab,e
for publication. ! am assured however.
that the inspector makes an adverse rec
ommeuda,ion to the proposition to open
les Office
COIOred Men Don't Want II.
At Lake City, as in other communities.
there are number Of lawless individual
who have no regard or respect for law
and-order policy. il is feared II the office
should be ieopened and "A co!ored man an.
pointed postmaster another tragedy might
be the result The report quotes a num-
ber of colored citizens TO sustain this view
OF the situation, and thoy assert that there
IS not a colorcd man there who is willing
to accept The Office and thus lmperI his
life.
In view of al the circumstances POST
master General Smith decides that IL ~
unfair 10 deprive the Lake Clty people Of
their postal facilities, and accordingly fees
justified in selecting woman TO preside
over the office who is believed 10 be ac