The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-24
TO CATCH lem COMING AND
COIN"

Senator Pritchard has set his fish trap
to catch voters comm and goin. He
expects to get the Lily White vote by
kicking Wick out as postmaster and to
get the negro vote by securing the pro-
motion of a negro soldier A special
from Washington to the Asheville Citi-
zen says:
"Pritchard today sent a representa-
tive to the War Departm to urge the
immediate appointment of the Green's
boro negro, Captain Gilmer to a lieuten-
acy in the Philippine scouts. Secretary
Root at once cabled to General Davis in
the Philippines for Gilmer's record
1t is hard to get Prtchard to take
sides. He wants the 10000 negro voters,
whom he says can read and write, to
qualify and vote the Republican ticket
He says in substance: Look at my
record in securing the promotion of a
North Carolina negro as lieutenant of
scouts in the Philippines. Doesn't that
show my friendship for the negro?' He
wants the vote of white men who will
not stand for the negro Office-holding
policy and in substance he says to them:
II am for a white mans party. See. l
have kicked out every negro postmaster
appointed four years ago. Doesn't that.
make me fit to lead the Lily Whites?"
The Washington Post, discussing the
matter of appointing negro army officers,
says:
"Our coIored friends are now insisting
that they are entitled to commissions in
the army. We do not wonder. The ar
gument is unanswera BILE. If they are fit
to be collectors at big ports Like Charles
ton and Assistant District Attorneys in
great cities like Boston, why should they
not be officers in the army, or, for that
matter, in the navy also. With this
proposition, they are now attacking the
President, the Secretary of War, the
Adjutant General, Mr.. Hull, the chair
man of the House Military Committee,
and heavens knows how many more be-
sides.
1--WE understand that this new fight for
recognition is to be systematic. The
claimants are to present serred front
The propaganda will have all the benefit
of complete organization and competent
advocacy. The colored veterans of the
Spanish war have been enlisted in the
movement. They will tell of wild alarms
and onsets, carnage strategy, and suf-
fering beyond words. The battle SCARED
heroes of the Philippines are coming
home TO show their wounds. Silver-ton
gued orators will descant upon the ne
gros fitness for command and politicians
who know his value in nominating con-
ventions will envelop the presentation in
the best article of lime light they can
summon TO their aid. And why not? AS
the postulate goes, if the negro makes
competent and satisfactory collector of
customs and fills other offices of equal
Importance to the approval of those who
have dealings with him, why should he
not prove to be an able, useful, and ad-
mirable commander OF soldiers, a credit
to the nation, and a pillar of strength
in our scheme of military power and
glory? Frankly, We don't know
'Just one thought occurs to us. The
experiment has been made already. In
times past there were negroes at the
Military Academy. and some of them
graduated and got their commissions.
Presumably, these negroes represented
the highest qualifications, moral, intellec-
tual, and professional, of the race. Pre-
sumably. they illustrated in their respec-
tive records the merit of the negro's
claim to recognition in this particular
field of character Would it not be worth
while TO examine those records? Would
not their publication furnish the country
with much needed material for the formu-
lation of rational and just verdict?
This is not novel proposition. The
territory has been invaded and the area
thoroughly surveyed. Why not bark back
to demonstrated facts and appraise
this movement in their light? Any con-
clusion will answer if the premises be
accepted: but how about the premises in
this case? Will they bear the test of
intelligent Inspections"