The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-10
THE SAM WICK APPOINTMENT A
JEST OF ROOsEVELTS
HONESTY.

The deep interest in the determination
of the contest over the Wilson postoffice
is not because the country at large cares
who is postmaster at that good town. 1t
is not because of any interest in Senator
Pritchard's wiring in and wiring out upon
the question of negro holding. 1t
is wholly due to the interest of the peo-
pie in testing Roosevelt's honesty and
sincerity Mckinley filled Eastern North
Carolina towns with negro postmasters
when they voted and elected Pritchard
and Butler to the Senate. Since the
Democrats disfranchised most of the ne
groes over Pritchard and Buffers
opposition, Mckinley and Roosevelt
have turned out every negro office
holder in Eastern North Carolina
mains Upon the 26th of November, 1902.
Mr.. Roosevelt, in a letter to a gentleman
thus defined his position upon tho ques
tion of appointing negroes to office:
"How any one could have gained the
idea that L had said 1 would not appoint
reputable and upright colored men to
office when objection was made to them
solely on account of their color I con-
fess am wholly unable to understand.
But it has been my consistent policy
in every State where their numbers war
ranted it to recognize colored men of
good repute and standing in making ap-
rointmcnt to office
Il cannot consent to take the position
that the door of hope-the door Of OPP
portunity-is to be shut upon any man,
no matter how worthy, purely upon the
grounds of race or color.
at seems to me that it is a good thing
from every standpoint to let the colored
man know that if he shows in marked
degree the qualities of good citizenship
the qualities which in a white man we
feel arc entitled to reward-then he will
not be cut off from all hope Of similar
reward
1t was only fourteen days ago when
Mr.. Roosevelt committed himself to the
above views. This paper does not believe
negroes ought to be appointed to office
in the South, and thinks if Mr.. Roose-
Welt wishes 20 practice his views stated
above he ought to give them office at
Oyster Bay and Boston. But he was
writing to a South Carolina man with
reference to South Carolina appoint
mcnt Was he sincere when he wrote
the above declarations? 1t is the answer
to this inquiry that makes Sam Wick a
national issue.
In his Charlotte organ, which is help
ing him to becloud the Wilson postofficc
issue, Senator Prltchard is thus re-
ported:
THE agitation of the Wick NATTER"
sardonically observed Senator Pritchard
after leaving the White House. lis not
without its good results. Among other
things, The Raleigh News and Observer
one of the rankcst Democratic papers in
the State, has taken great pleasure in
publishing articles written by H. P.
Cheatham and others in defense of the
colored race, and has also published arti-
Giles commencing Mr.. Wick as a gentle
man of high character and standing. The
leading Democrats of Wilson have also
written testimonials in behalf of Wick as
TO his high character and standing, and
in this way have given him a quasi en-
dorsement for appointment as postmaster
at his place. All these things clearly in
dictate that there is a wonderful change
of sentiment in the Democratic party
in North Carolina with respect to the
political rights of the negro. The people
of the State are to be congratulated upon
the fact that in future we are not to be
harassed by the race question now that
Democrats, or at least those who under
take to run the machine in North Caro-
lima, have done all in their power to
bolster UP the cause of Mr.. Wick in his
attempt to secure his re-appointment as
postmaster at Wilson. l have done what
/ conceive to be my duty with respect to
the matter, and the question is now in
the hands of the President, and | pre-
sumo he will make some disposition of
the case in the near future
The readers of this paper know there
is no foundation for this statement The
News and Observer has never said any