The sun., 1903-06-09
DR.. SHAW AND THE CRUM CASE
CHARLESTON MEN WANT THE
DOCTOR TO EXPLAIN.
Would Like to Know Who Told Him That
Leading Democrats Spoke ApprovinEly
Of the Negro 10 tho President Before
There Vas q Vacancy to BE Filled.


Leading Democrats Spoke ApprovinEly
Of the Negro TO the President Before
There Vas q Vacancy to be Filled.
CHARLEsToN, S. c., June s.-The Post
master OF Indianola. Miss, draws a salary
without doing any work, Here In Charles
ton there Is Collector Of Customs who does
the work without drawing any salary
Thus, there are two absurdities, the one
balancing the other, and both the result OF
the Administrations plunge into mulatto
politics. yellow variety Of strenuosity
which already has done much injury TO the
negroes Of the South and which, 1t may we'll
be apprehended, will do much more before
the limit OF it's unfortunate effects is reached.
The recent decision OF the Washington
authorities that Crum, the negro whom
the President forced upon Charleston as
Collector of Customs in the face Of the unani-
nous protest of the entire business COM
munity, could not draw any salary because
of the technical irregularity of his present
status, Ia Scalling attention once more to
the erortsNo defeat his confirmation which
are sure to be made when Congress reas-
sembles. This and an editorial notice In q
recent number OF the Repiew OF Rerieus,
yORetneT WIFI ctTlAll COIIeSloiAohSS WIN
the writer Of the same, have served to keep
the Crum topic alive here. although, In real
ity, the indignation OF the entire white
population Of Charleston over the appoint
ment Is sufficiently strong and lasting in
quality to need no such additional stimulus.
In the magazine article in question. the
writer, Dr. Albert Shaw. was 80 eulogistic
Of the President, with whom he Is on terms
of personal intimacy. that Henry /. Middle
ton, a conspicuous and highly respected
citizen of this city, wrote to him on the
subject. DR.. Shaw replied with long
letter, printed a few weeks ago in the
Charleston News and Courier. in which he
made this remarkable statement
-Your leading Charleston Democrats are
altogether too polite. They had told the
President, when he visited Charleston, that
they would have no objection at all to his
appointing this very man, Dr. Crum, to
the very position which he was afterward
given"
To say that this f1at-footed. unqualified
assertion on the part of n. Shaw, that
leading Charleston Democrats had spe-
cifcally recommended DR.. Crum for the
colectorship Of Charleston as long ago
as the Presidents visit here. has produced
utter amazement is to put it mildly. The
Hon. j c. Hemph!ll, in the Ners and Courier.
of which he is the editor. has been asking
with much insistence for the names OF
these leading Charleston Democrats. v
He has asked with equal insistence for tho
name OF the person, who told DR.. Shaw
what these leading Charleston Demo-
Gratis" are alleged to have told the Presi-
dent To these queries there has been
no answer. Yet DR.. Shaw says positively
over his own signature that these leading
Charleston Democrats" did distinctly tell
the President that they would have no
objection to his appointing DR.. Crum to
the collectorship OF customs of harlcston.
Who told this to DR.. Shaw? Could it
have been the President himself? In the
same letter in which DR.. Shaw makes this
surprising statement he refers to personal
conversations he has had with the Presi-
dent concerning the Crum case Yet it
could not have been the President. The
statement is too preposterous on it's face
ever to have emanated from the Chief
Executive. And. not being the President, I,
who was il who took pains to tell DR.. Shaw
this curious yarn3 All Charleston would
be glad OF an answer to this question. The
people Of Charleston feel that they are
that Dr. Shaw has not seen At to give them
one.
It is most extraordinary assertion
whichever way you look at it. The Presi-
dent was here five months before vacancy
occurred. At the time OF his visit here,
the office of Collector Of the Port wasfile
by Robert NJ Wallace, white Republican
OF good standing and large influence In his
party in the State HIS & work was wa. entirely nnl
the people of Charleston. There was not
the remotest thought Of a vacancy occur
ring in the Office, and, as matter Of fact,
none did occur until nearly half year. later,
when Mr., Wallace died suddenly And
Of, somebody has informed DR.. Shaw
that leading Charleston Democrats took
occasion 10 say, over a year ago, that they
would be satisfied to have certain negro
named Cr,im made Collector Of Gust oms!
DR.. Shaw it certainly was not the President
Of the United States, for whoever told 1t
told what on it's face was untrue No
Charleston Democrat. leading or obscure.
at the time Of the Presidents visit here,
or at any other time, ever directly or In
directly mentioned the name Of Crum to
the President In connection with the Office
Cr,lm now holds, or in connection with any
other Federal Office. DR.. Shaw informant
took liberties that are laughable with DR..
1t ia true that President Roosevelt. whom
he was here, on the occasion in question.
did have conversations with leading g Charles.
ton Democrats on the subject in genera
Of the appointment Of negroes to Federal
Charleston Democrats, President Roose-
welt distinctly said that he would not ap-
point negroes to Federal Offices In such
Communities as Charleston.
These three leading DemocraMts M are George
Adger smyth. Mr. srnyth Is the Mayor
Of chsrleston and president OF the ncha1 Charles,
Rhett is president Of the Peoples National
Bank, and George W: Wilhsms is president
these men authorizes the statement In the
strongest terms and in n, his name, name, that the the
written, qualified only by the further re-
mark thai. while hs the ns President. ;n sc, would
munitiee as Charleston, he would not re-
move negroes whom he found in Office
provided they were giving satisfactory
attention to their duties.
This statement was not made 70 these