The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-09

CoIOred Physician VIII De Collector
Mt Charleston Port

Washington, Nov. S.-Charleston is to
have a colored collector of the port,
and Crum is his name, unless President
Roosevelt determines otherwise before
Congress assemblies. The President
gave this impression to your corre-
spondent to-day, while the Charleston
collectorship was under discussion. 1t
is understood the President practically
decided in favor Of Crum. more than a
week ago. He says he will not make an
appointment until after Congress as
sembles, so friends of other aspirants
continue to hope that the case is still
open.
National Committeeman Capers call
ed to-day at the White House with R.
r. Talbert, the Organization" candi-
date for the position. Mr.. Capers pre-
scented Talbert and filed his endorse
ments and papers and recited the ac-
ton Of the State Republican Commit
tee in selecting Talbert. The President
reviewed the matter at some length
without indicating any purpose to al
ter his original intention to appoint DIR.
Crum. Some time ago Mr.. Capers an
ticipated the force of the demand for a
colored man for collector and that is
why he quickly indicated his choice for
DIR. Crum in such an event, an attitude
for which Mr.. Capers has been unjust
ly criticised by those in Charleston,
and in the state who did not see the
situation in its broader sphere
as he did. He regards DR.. Crum as
a straight, clean, industrious negro,
a man of education and of great re-
spect for and confidence in the advice
and counsel of his white neighbors,
who are his friends. Therefore, Capers
reasoned, if the appointment is to go
to a colored man, by all means give
US a respectable man like Crum.
Had the Executive Committee made
a stronger selection than Talbert, that
is, had Capt. Capers called this morn
ing with DR.. Clayton, Maj. ]. F. Jones,
Deputy Collector ]. d. Adams or E.
w. Sereven, Crum's chances might
have waned just little. But there
is a we'll circulated prejudice against
Talbert, and whether well founded or
not, it certainly prevails.
President Roosevelt feels that the
Charleston people, or the people in
the state, should not measure his con-
sideration of them entirely by this one
political appointment, for he has given
distinct recognition to the new element
of the Republican party in the state
by appointment of heretofore Demo-
Gratis and men who declined to follow
ydil III 1oJO, HOIdDly III the dppOlhl-
ment of Micah Jenkins as collector of
internal revenue, Capt. Capers as
district attorney, w. L, Harris, post
master at Charleston; Jeff F. Richard
son, at Greenville; Link and Moore
at Abbeville and Greenwood, George
D. Shore and ]. P. Murphy at Sum-
ter and Bamberg and many
others. And then, too, the APP
pointment of Crum is direct
ly in line with a well
defined policy to make at least one
presidential appointment in each
Southern state from the colored ele-
ment of the party. Thus demonstrate
ing to them, as the president ex-
presses it, that the door to proper
reward for industry and merit is not
closed to them" In Crum's case the
President recalls with especial dis
tinctness the high character and up
right standing the Charleston people
gave him when he asked them about
Crum, when on his visit to the
Charleston Exposition.