The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-23
NEW POSTMASTER IS WANTED.
APPEAL TO THE PRESIDENT IN
BEHALF OF LAKE CITY.

Congressman Norton Told the OIL
ciaIs u Great Injustice Is Being
Done the Citizens There-Not Rea-
sOnable to suppose That They
Took Part in the LynchinE of
Baker-The President VIII Take
Up the Case To-day.
Washington, May 22,-(SpeciaD.-The
Lake City Is. c. postofice was the sub
ject of long conference to-day between
the President and Representative Norton
of South Carolina. Mr.. Norton is anx>
ious to have the postoffice at Lake City
reopened in Difference to the wishes Of the
residents of that town.
Since the lynching of the colored post
master, Baker, nearly a year ago, the
office at Lake City has been closed. Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General Bristow mas
persstenuy refused to authorize the re-
opening of that office until some of the
participants in the Baker lynching have
been punished.
Repeated appeals have been made to
him to give the people of that town the
advantage of postal facilities to which
they are entitled. The nearest postofice
to Lake City is over three miles away
and the people have to send that distance
| for their mail 1t is a great inconvenience
to the business interests of the town, as
the people are not even allowed to mail
letters on mail trains the boxes being
! kept closed by order of the department
while passing that place.
Before going to the White House, Mr..
Norton had an interview with Postmaster
General Charles Emory Smith, and con-
vlnced him that great hardship is being
inflicted upon the law abiding people of
Lake City by depriving them of daily mail
| facilities. After hearing Mr.. Norton's
statement 10 the effect that the citizens of
Lake City were not responsible for the
| lynching of Baker, the Postmaster Cen
! eral said he favored the reopening of
the office under the circumstances.
Saw the President, Too.
| At the White House, Mr.. Norton re-
peated what he had said TO the Postmaster
| General, and added that the people of
Lake City could not have been directly i'm
| phcated in the killing of Baker, because
they practically had assurances from the
| postoffice department that he would be re-
| moved if the fact could be established that
! Baker was incompetent and unable to per-
| form the duties of the office satisfactorily.
Two weeks before he was killed, petit
ton. signed by nearly 800 people, was fled
| at the postoffice department setting forth
| Bakers incompetency. Under the cir
cumstances, Mr.. Norton argued, it was
| unreasonable to imagine that the people
who signed that petition were parties to
| the crime when they fully expected Bak-
er's removal to take place in short time.
The President was evidently impressed
| by the strong plea made by Mr.. Norton,
! and he promised to consider the subject
with Postmaster Genera Smith tomorrow
after the cabinet meeting
Was IL Coincident.
II may have been only a coincident but
while Mr.. Norton was discussing the sub
ject with the President J. P. Kennedy
Bryan of Charleston was at the same time
| at the department of justice in consulta-
| ton with Attorney General Griggs. Mr..
Bryan was the special attorney employed
! by the government to assist District Attor-
ney I4athrop in the prosecution of the men
| indicted as parties TO the Lake City muir
! der.
Mr. Bryan's visit to this city now may
have no connection with the Lake City
case, as he is on his way to New York,
and stopped over TO see the Attorney Cen
eral on other business.
One of the difficulties in settling this
troublesome case is the selection Of a new
postmaster. 1t appears that there are no
white Republicans in Lake City, and it
is not deemed advisable to appoint an
other colored postmaster there.
| 1t has been suggested that the problem
might be solved by the appointment of a
white conservative Democrat, Rev. DIR.
Curtin a Methodist preacher A the sug-
gestion OF friends. DR.. Curtin has filed
an application for the appointment. 1t
remains to be seen whether the adminis-
tration is wiling to treat the subject from
non-partisan standpoint and thus put
an end to the Lake City contention.