Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-23
TWO EDGEDLETTER
WRITTEN BY PURSE
AN ENDORSEMENT THAT DOES
NOT ENDORSE A NEGRO FOR
COLLECTORS PLACE.

WASHINGTON. ID. c., Jan. 20.-An in
teresting document from Georgia is on
file at the white house 1t is a letter
among the papers sent in by John Fl. De-
veauX, the negro collector of customs for
the port of Savannah, in support of his
candidacy for reappointment to his job.
1t has to do with the negro I'm office. Cap
tain ID. G.. Purse. president of the Savan-
nah board of trade, wrote the letter 1t
was i'm answer to request from Deveaux
for an endors Nment on his application. De-
veauX evidently considered ii an endorse
ment for he sent 1t along with the other
papers, but a glance between the lines
will sreveal a deep laid truth adverse to
endorsement which even the Republican
administration cannot overlook If it takes
care in reading the document.
1t is said in white house circles that
Secretary Cortelyou caught the full sig
nificance of the wording i'm this interest
ing letter and remarked upon it. Per-
haps he even mentioned it to the presi-
dent.
But here is the letter in full:
Collector John Fl. Deveaux, Savannah,
Ga.
Dear Sir: have your letter advising me
Of your application for reappointment as
collector at this port.
If one of your race is to be made collec-
tor at this port by President Roosevelt
he could not. in my opinion. do better
than retain you in the position.
Your discharge of the duties of the
Office have been faithfully and acceptably
performed in a most pleasant and cour-
teous manner toward all who have had
occasion to require them. or that of your
deputy or other employees, but am very
frank in saying to you that as 1T is i'm
possible to expect that a white Democrat
would be favoraby considered by Presi-
dent Roosevelt for the position that I
think thfs important commercial office
should be filled by a white Republican, as
the people of your race, at this time, have
very little need for a custom house, and it
goes without saying that the entire white
element of this community, regardless of
political Affiliations, would prefer to have
a collector of their own race to deal WITH
In my position, as president of the
board of trade, have had frequent occa-
sions to appeal to the records of your OF
flee for information, and l cannot close
this letter without thanking you for the
uniform courtesy and dispatch with
which you have met every demand have
made upon you for information. Yours
truly, ID. q. PURSE.
Captain Purse is one of the best known
men i'm the state Of Georgia. He is an
oId-Iine Democrat He proved this. it Is
related here, in an interview with Captain
ROBERT j. Lowry the uNACi hcS' CNPNeNAAA
Lowry said to him: Purse, you had bet
ter come over the line with me. am
now a full-fledged Republican and tel
you it is the only party.
mot for me, colonel replied Captain
Purse, 81 want no Office. If did ] should
not go into the Republican party, since
thew have more seekers than jobs, as you
are now doubtless aware. l am Demo-
crat from principle and expect to remain
such until / die
In this he resisted the Establishments or
one noted not alone for personal pulchri-
tude but for powers of persuasion as
we'll. y So '..t.N
The influence of Captain Purse has been
recently exercised in washington Tor the
Improvement of the Savannah harbor, not
in a local sense only, but as .beneht TO
national commerce. He appeared before
the rivers and harbors committee or the
house and the senate committee on COM
merce as a delegate from the National
Rivers and Harbors congress. He mace
speeches which were declared to be the
| ciearest most forceful arguments made
an the subject of harbor improvement.