Sunday morning globe., 1901-09-08
A Great TRIAL.
The Charges Against Officer Steven
ton.
A DISTINCTION AND Difference.
Crossing The Caucasian Policeman with the
OusB Ethiopian Points Raised By the Globe
In Favor Of The Officer An Appeal 10 Major
Syhesier-The Officer Should Be Given The
Opinion oi Doubt

Opinion Of Doubt
Officer steventon, Of the Third Pre-
cinct. has been on trial for some weeks,
at intervals, on peculiar charge, the
suangest part Of which is that he
denies Of it, The officer is accused
Of being the papa Of a bouncing little.
"pickaninny' The dusky mother Of.
the boy doesn't deny her share in the
parentage, and is indignant that the
father does instead of being proud Of
his offspring
There are thousands Of childless'
couples all over this broad land who
envy the fecundity Of the mother and
the provocative powers Of the father Of
this little pickaninny whom Officer
steventon endeavors to repudiate.
In ante.bellum days Officer Steven
ton would be a prize and fully appreci-
ated at his true worth, but in these de-
generate times and too rapid increase
Of the colored population, he is sub
iected to annoyance and humiliation
of spirit by an unthinking, envious and
unappreciatiye police department,
which has placed him on trial and thus
inferentially accuse him Of committing
violation or breach of the discipline
governing our metropolitan police
force. The breach or violation Officer
Steventon committed, according to the
dusky damsel who dandles his picka-
ninny. is not the oneuse for which he
has been tried, and we call Major Syl-
vesters attention to the distinction
and Gaze uaCluuce The proud mother
of the officers pickaninny does not
charge Mr.. Steventon with either fault
or offense I'm being the male parent Of
her child. OF this fact she is Justly
and reasonably proud There are but
few of her class and color i'm the city
of Washington who can point to a stall
wart member of our police force as the
father Of their pickaninnys. What she
does charge, as we gather from the
investigation. is that Oficer Steventon
refuses to contribute to the support Of
the child The officer denies, as we
again gather from the testimony, that
he is the responsible male parent
low, if the investigation developed the
fact that he is, the police authorities
are exceeding the scope of their pow
ers. or, at least travelling outside the
original intention Of the most inter
ested party-the mother Of the picka-
ninny For why should the police au-
thorites hold officer Steventon's con-
duct reprehensible i'm reproducing him
self when the partner to the reproduc-
tion Is Justly proud of her and his
share i'm the creation?
We might here pdrS for a reply but
that we fear our remarks are not suf-
hclently Ineligible without adding
this rider-if Officer Steyenton agrees
to pay for the raising and education
of the pickaninny and acknowledges
his offspring, viii Major Sylvester as
sumo to stand before an intelligent
public and justify himself for the de-
capitation, fine or reprimand Of an Of
fcer and a gentleman whom this dusky
maiden selected Of her own free will
to be the father of her tirst-born baby
boy?
Here Is the proper place to pdiCS for
a reply. but we must continue to a con-
clusion and request a categorical an
swer from Major Sylvester to this final
query. Is an officer of the police force
TO be disiranchised, emasculated, es-
topped and debarred from the priv
ilege enjoyed by all other male cit
liens who are or may be selected as
male parents by dusky damsels within |
the precincts of the nations capital?
Certainly not; there is nothing I'm /
the Constitution Of the United States /
nor i'm the law of Moses which makes, |
draws or defines any such distinction; |
wherefore The Globe, rising to a ques- |
tion of privilege, demands the acquit- |
tai of Officer Steventon on the police |
charge of conduct unbecoming an Of
ficer and a gentleman inasmuCh as .
the party upon whom it was commit |
ted ifs satisfied with the conduct and |
the result Let Officer Steventon alone, |
Messrs. Police Commissioners, he has |
perhaps found the true solution of the
troublesome negro question, But I'm |
this breeding-out process we acknowl- |
edge that provision must be made for |
the raising and maintenance Of the |
progeny. and hence Oncer Steveuton .
shou-.. be compelled to pay the mother
of his pickaninny a reasonable allow
ance per month. Besides, It will en-
courage the movement so happily in.
augurated by Officer Steventon Of cross
ing the stalwart police officer of eau
cassian blood with the free-limbed and
rich-blOoded dusky damsel Of the Ethi-
0pian race.