The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-10-30
Houston, Te1aa, Toursday. october 30. 1902.
&c -LILY walrsr QUESTION AeAIN.


THE LILY WHITE" QUESTION AGAIN.
The letter OF Booker r. Washington to
President Roosevelt regarding the appoint.
ment of democrat TO office in Alabama.
which letter was recently published in The
Posts special dispatches from Washington
seems TO be calculated to settle. for the time
being at least. the mooted question OF the
presidents attitude toward the so-called
lilly white" movement among the republic
ans of the South
It must be admitted that there was much
justification for the belief that Roosevelt
was fayorsbly disposed toward the cam
paign OF those white members OF the repub
lican party south of Mason and Dixon's line
who were striving to eliminate the negro
from politics. last summer while the presi.
dent was still at Oyster bay he was called
on by Senator Pritchard OF North Carolina
and after long conference that gentleman
returned to bis home fully jmbued with the
idea that the president would back him up
in anything he might 60 looking to the
squolching OF the brother In black He did
much along that line He succeeded in en-
tireiy Riding the republican party Of North
Carolina Of the negroes who formerly formed
a material part OF it, They were not al
owed representation OF any kind and were
refused admission to the State convention.
Tho senator aud his white followers taking
The position that, since the negro had been
iisfranchised he could render the republican
party no service and might therefore be dis
pensed with The news OF Pritchards action
went abroad and was widely commented on.
It reached the ears Of the president, of
course, and so FAR as those interested we're
given to understand, the president was in
full accord with what had been done
Then came the fight in Alabama. The
white republicans OF that State. sought to
emulate their brethren of North Carolina,
and they succeeded, at least TO the extent
Of preventing negro delegates from partici.
patng in the state convention and from
securing representation OF any sort in the
party councils This naturally aroused the
ire OF the blacks Only a few DAYS prior
TO the holding OF the convention the presi
dent had dismissed William Vaughan from
the position OF attorney for the Northern
district Of Alabama. Vaughan was one OF
the most prominent figures in the movement
looking TO the elimination Of the negro. but
in view of the presidents reputed attitude
toward the North Carolina lilly whites II
was not generally thought that Vaughan.
position on the negro question bad anythlnl
to do with his dismissal, In fact It was
siated positively that he lost his position a,
result Of unwonted activity In behalf o
senator Hanna. with whom his political re
iations were said to he particularly close
The white republicans OF Alabama stood b,
Vaughan aud ono result Of his retiremon
was the formation Of strong anti.Roose
volt sentiment IN tho state-so strong. II
fact that the friends Of the president wer
able 70 secure only bare majority when tn
convention vas called on to iudorse hi
administration.
Within three or four weeks after tho cor
vcnilon the president appointed Judg
Ihomsa Roplhac Of Sheffield as Vaughan
successor The interesting feature Of thi
development lay IN the fact that Roulha
was democrat and that be was Endorsed
as against the various republican applicant,
by large number OF Alabama negroes.
wes stated on good authority at the tim,
however that the Endorsement of thes
negroes lone of whom was said TO be Bool
er r Washington had little 10 do in III
way Of Influencing the appointment, but ths
Roullac was named at the instance OF
friend In North Carolina who stood YER
close TO the president.
It was also stated in that connection tbs
Warrington had not Endorsed Judge Jone
the democrat who WIS appointed to a FEEDER,
judseship in Alabama something over yea
ago, although at the time the appolntmer
was made it was generally understood Thu
the negro educator had been entirely r
sronsible for the presidents almost unpr
eedonted action.
Now all spoeulation on this score seen
to hayc been set at resi. fhe letter recent
published In The Post shows conclusive
tnat Booker Washington was ia close tous
With tho president and the fact that Jon,
WA appointed within afcw days after Il