Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-26
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Interest in the Case of Post
master Wick.
MR.. EWART'S LETTER
HIS DENUNCrAT1oN OF Ex-sENA-
TOR MARION BUTLER.
The President and Postmaster General
Payne Daily in Receipt Of
Mail Communications.
MR.. EWART'S LETTER

4Qd11
North Carolina republicans are having a
hot time with each other about the question
Of giving another appointment to S. H.
Wick, the colored postmaster at Wilson, N.
C. President Roosevelt and Postmaster
General Payne are daily receiving mail
contributions to the already much discussed
question. The latest is from ex-Represen-
tative Ewart, whose nomination for fed
eral judgship was defeated by ex-senator
Marion Butler. President Mckinley three
times nominated Ewart as a. federal judge
for North Carolina, but each time his con-
firmation was prevented by Mr.. Butler.
The fact that Mr.. Butler came on here
short time ago and Endorsed the action Of
Senator Pritchard, protesting against Vick's
reappointment, Is the basis of long letter
from Mr.. Ewart, who denounces ex-senator
Butler as traitor to almost every man
and cause with whom or which he
ever connected in North Carolina. Then
Mr.. Ewart, who is evidently aspiring to
leadership in North Carolina, takes the
negro side Of the lilly white question. AS
to Mr.. Butler he says: Il suppose this is
the same Butler whose seat was scarcely
warm in that body before he was scheming
and plotting to defeat his colleague j. c.
Pritchard, to whose reelection he was
bound the same Butler who in 1897 re-
sorted to methods to defeat Pritchard, and
would most certainly have accomplished
his purpose but for the fact that a minority
Of his followers rebelled. 1t seems
incredible that this man is now acting as
the mouthpiece Of Senator Pritchard with
a republican administration at Washing
ton."
The "Lily White" Movement.
Mr.. Ewart speaks of the lilly white
movement in North Carolina roaring
farce, and contributes this statement:
IAN analysis of the recent vote in the
state shows that in the ninety-seven coun-
ties Of the state the republicans elected
only five members of the senate and fifteen
in the house. and many of these by very
small margin. The counties Of Bladen,
Beaufort, BERTHE, Brunswick, Currituck,
lumbus. Craven, Dare, Duplin. Edgecombe.
Gates. Granville, Greene, Halifax, Har-
nett, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Mar
tin. Montgomery, Nash. New Hanover,
tank, Pender, Perauimans. Person Pitt.
Richmond Robertson, Sampson, Scotland
Tyrrell. Vance. Wake, Warren, Washing
ton, Wayne and Wilson-forty-six counties
in all-gave Mckinley In 1896, 81 ,957 votes
"In the recent farce the same counties
gave Long, the head of the republican
ticket, only 14,429. net loss Of 43,52S
votes. In the county of Edgecombe In
1902, though Senator Pritchard made two
campaign speeches in that county-one at
Rocky Mount and one at Tarboro-only two
votes were cast in the entire county for
the republican state ticket! The result
was equally farcical in the county Of Hall
fax and other eastern counties, and yet
this section was supposed to be the strong
hold of the so-called independent move
ment. The policy of the, Greensboro con-
vention, or rather, l should say, Mr..
Pritchard's policy; for he was the conven-
ton, placed the republican party in this
state in most Illogical and utterly inde
fens,ble position. 1t was the triumph of
the Butler idea. Treachery and base in
gratitude to our black alliesy 1t was IL
logical and indefensible."
A Wonderfully Carved Cane.
President Roosevelt has received by ex-
press a most wonderfully carved walking
cane the work of James Atkinson of Rome,
Ga. Atkinson signs himself. as hailing from
the Fourth Ward, No. 1920 Avenue B,
Rome, Ga" and he adds the information
that he is colored man and the ex-sIave
of Mrs. Mary Atkinson of Chattanooga
county. Ga. Atkinson, in sending the cane
to the President, asks that the chief execu-
tive will please stoop so low to allow
me to present you this cane as New Year
gift" How long Atkinson was engaged In
carving the cane is not known, but probably
many months. He sends along the knife
with which he did the work-an ordinary
knife that would cost about % cents. On
the cane, which Is rather large one are
103 images. Twelve of the images are of
people, and a number Of them are good like
nesses. These images begin at the top of
the cane and include George Washington,
President Roosevelt, Queen Victoria, Mrs.
Ida Mckinley. widow of the late President,
and Christ on the cross. There are fifteen
fowls, three dogs and six houses on the
cane. The other images include butterfly,
honeybee, housefiy, bear, OK. hare monkey,
chair, pot. ak, hand and balance, cannon.
seven small guns, ship, four flags, horn,
three shrubs, pocket knife, a sea dog, pig,
goat, reindeer head, mules head sword
shoe, book, turtle, giraffe, fish, rose, three
links. insignia Of the Odd Fellows; chip
munk, sleeps head, squirrel. Masonic
badge, heart, star, moon, umbrella, six fig
ures, six letters, snake and rope. Many
of the images are well carved, but the cane
throughout does not show the work of an
artist of the finest kind.
His .Possum Walked Away.
There is somewhere loose in Washington
fat Virginia possum, and with it went
the anticipations and hopes of we'll
known White House attache. Arthur Sim
MONS Secretary Cortelyou's doorkeeper, is
a North Carolinian. Although he has lived
in Washington since he was a young man,
his taste has never forgotten the 'possum
dinners of his boyhood and young manhood
days. 'Possum and 'taters is a dish that
Simmons knows the value of as we'll as any
man from the south. A week or so ago he
was recalling some Of the days of his boy
hood to General Rosser of Virginia, and
expressing regrets that possums were so
scarce around Washington 'If 1 had a
possum for Christmas day. I would show
my family the greatest dish that a man
ever put in his mouth" is what Simmons
said. General Rosser, likewise a southern
man. knows what 1t is to long for 'possum
and potatoes, and he could almost feel the
aching void that was affecting Simmons
He went home, and few days afterward
an express wagon conveyed a 'possum of
huge dimensions to Simmons home Well,
that possum had been eaten dozen times
in the waters that filled the mouth of Sim
mons. You just wait" he is said to have
said to the 'possum on one occasion The
preparations for the slaughter of the Vir-
ginia bird" went on at great pace. Sim
mons himself bought the sweet potatoes to
match the animal and secured all the sea-
soning for making the dish most tempting
Somebody left piece of board on the pos
sums box loose, and night two before
the fateful day the animal crept noiselessly
away and left no trail behind Simmons