The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-10-17
POOSEYELTIAN RUSE.
me Appointment Of a Democrat as
district Attorney in Alabama
as OFFENDED THE REPUBLICANS.
s,,,osedly Designed to Plaeste Negroes
S's - states Where They Hold Balance
Of Power-Quite Puzzle.
istnn corresnondence.N

tstah Correspondence,)
u..blnston, October 12.-The appoint.
~ ~ another democrat to a Federal OF.
~ n tho sorth. In the person Of Judge
r,rn,s r. Roulhac, who has Just been
.sd 10 succeed William Vaughan as
,-Sisoa states attorney In the Northern
,,s,rlst of Alabama, has resulted In an un-
,,at amount Of comment among those who
80 been keeping UP with the 50 called
gllv white" movement in various Southern
states
poulhac's appointment was not expected
.as was as much Of a surprise TO his
s-,onds as to those who were urging tic
.slms Of other candidates.
ssvoral months ago, when public interest
&, the appointment Of Judge Jones Of Ala
lama was at its height, President Roosc-
rst said that it would be his policy to ap-
nolnt democrats to office in the South
whenever he found 1t impossible to get
suitable material among the republicans.
II he appointed Judge Roulhac because he
lslIeyed none of the republican applicants
we're 1T for the office, he entertsius an
onipon Of those applicants which is eut' re
IL difeicnt from that entertained by their
nelghhors and acquaintance.
n must not be understood that an effort
4 being made to dlscredit Judge Roulhac
The purpose II these observations is mere
" to call attention to the fact that sew
raj Of the men who sought the appoint
,oent as republicans stand high in the esti-
milton of those who know them, and are
regarded as being capable as well as hon
III This fact being understood, the prob
ability Of the president having been infu
enred by gone other motive 10 making
Inc appointment viii at once become APP
parent
William Vaughan, whom Roulhac sue.
cee5g, was, as will be remembered by read
us OF The Post NSemoved from office by
tho president on y charge OF neglect OF
duty II was generally understood a the
time that this charge was merely q cloak
behind which the real reason for Vaughan's
dismissal was concealed Vaughan was
not only one Of tue most promi-
nent figures ia the movement looking 10
the elimination Of the negro from Alabama
potcs-which movement. incidentally, has
heen emiDenty successful IN to date-hut
be was an ardent Hanna man. In this last
fact Is thought to lie the real cause Of his
decapitatiou
The State convention OF the Alabama re.
.publlcans was held few days after the
Issuance Of the order removing Vaughan.
Vaughan led the fight to exclude the negro
delegates to the convention and won. In
the meantime applications for the vacant
attorneyship had been filed at Washington,
and every applicant who was in any way
connected with the nnti-negro movement
was opposed by the negroes of the State.
Judge Roulhac, the only democratic appli.
cant, was Endorsed by them, Consequently
1t is not Surprising that the negroes who
fled the Endorsements should consider the
Rouhac appointment I'm the light Of per
sO1al victory.
Color was lent to this belief by the fact
that the appointment of Judge RoulhAc was
announced GU the night Of the dag on
which the three negro bishops called on the
PRESIDENT aud talked with him regarding
the political status of the Southern ne
groes. According to q statement given ont
by the visitors, the president assured them
OF bis warm friendship for the black man
and told them that negroes would be given
recognition I'm the distribution Of Federal
patronage and In all other matters of polit
ifsl Importance. In other words, the negro
eemisssries were given to understand that
the president was opposed TO the anti
negro movement.
The local evening papers contained inter |
views with the three visitors and those
who had entertained the opinion that
Roosevelt really desired to get rid Of the
colored man were given something Of 4 set
back The next morning when they read
ihe news of ROulhacs appointment, they
were completely "stumped' The fact that
lae president Rad upheld Senator pTitchard
9t North Carolina for excluding negroes
frm the republican councils In that State
was thought 20 furnish ample proof Of tho
formers position In the matter and many I.
wei denned stories 10 the effect that mt |
i9e proper time, he would come out against |
lne negro had been going the rounds.
But not even the two events referred to-
the visit Of the negro bishops and the APP |
pointment Of Roulnac-hayc entirely dc,
stroyed the belief that. at heart. the presi- !
cent Is In favor of the elimination OF the |
negro In the first place, he Is too good a
politlcian to unnecessarily ALLEVIATE the SYM
palhy OF anyone ana It would be a conf
poFativeiy easy matter to tell the negro
ptnops what they said he. told them, ana |
'nen to 60 on appointing white men as be |
iore' He knows that the negro delegates |
VINO 90 to National conventions frequently |
n4u u convenient TO change their minds /
az % nominees; and that on numerous oc-
.eslons IN the past colored men who went |
~ convention With the avowcd purpose |
VI fotlng for this candidate have instead |
.ast thelr ballots for that one. He knows i
,na a, the negro Is nm uncertain political |
tssetof at best He knows or should know, !
' enas there are certain sections of the South !
Mue,e the presence Of a negro office holder I
e s,va.l not be tolerated. In view OF these !
aud the fact that he in |
qS"sssa the anti-negro movement in North |
r~atNllAa, IL would seem that there Is ample |
ssaSSon for the belief that the things he |
istu,,to the three negro bishops partook |
stseiy oil the characteristics Of "taHy.
o, anotner fact of great Interest IN this |
connection is that the negroes OF Alabama |
wv sn' indorsed Roalhac were not responsible (
~, ~ hls selection. 1t rs not even plain that |
~ ,ae y Endorsements had anything whatever
~, 10 10 with the matter, for II is now known |
WIN the matter that Roulhac was named |
~ tne instance OF g. u. Boyd OF North |
, Te,oiins an old friend OF Roulhac and a !
VA. I VINO Possesses considerable influence I
,vha a me president. Several months ago,
mn ~ .ne president was trying to make .
u ~ ~ mind as TO the right man to appoint I
cl., sne vacant iudgeship In Alabama, the /
.-alus Of two democrats were Professionally |