The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-06
A BLOW To CRUM
COMMITTEE STOOD TEN TO FOUR
AGAINST HIM.
HIS CASE WAS POSTPONED.
HIS FRIENDS OPPOSED POSTPONE
MENT TREMENDOUSLY.

Commerce Committee of the senate
Would Not Act Upon the Negroes
Petition to be Made Collector OF
the Port at CharlestOn-Had There
Been More Members, the Vote
Against the Negro Would Have
Been Larger-Mark Hanna Stands
for the Negro.
Washington. Feb. 5.-Common sense
and the right of a community to say
whether it shall be consulted as to the
appointment of a negro to fill an i'm
portant federal office prevailed to-day
in the United States Senate.
BY vote of 10 to 4 the Senate Com
merce Committee to-day decided upon
further postponement of the case of
DR.. Crum. the negro who has been
nominated collector of the port of Char
lesion. 1t was the intention of the
friends of DR.. Crum to force fight to-
day, for they felt certain Republican
senators, who claim that the appoint
ment is an ill-advised one, would not
antagonize the Presidents policy in
dealing with federal appointments in
the South. if the issue was raised.
There was a spirited argument, con-
Quoted principally by Republican MEM
bers of the committee, as to the wis
dom of inflicting a negro collector upon
the white people of Charleston, in the
face of their dignifed and manly, but
vigorous, protests. No new points of
difference were brought out. and the
sum total of the statements pro. and
con. were to the effect that DR.. Crum
is Objectionable, not only because of
his color, but owing to his lack of bust
ness experience and association.
Crum's Supporters Surprised.
There were other matters demanding
the attention of the committee. and
Senator Penrose moved that the Crum
case be postponed until a future meet
ing of the committee. The vote was
a complete surprise to the supporters
of Crum, for it revealed a stronger OPP
position than his friends had antici-
pated. The Penrose motion was sup
ported by Senators Berry, Martin, NAL
Tory and Clay, Democrats; and Elkins,
Penrose, Perkins. Jones of Nevada, Mel
son and Depew. Against postponement
were Frye. Chairman Hanna. CALM
ger and Mason.
The Significance of the vote is that
an overwhelming majority of the
committee is unfavorable to Crum
The vote would have been larger had
Senators Vest and Turner both Dem
ccrats, been present
During the consideration of the case
telephone communication between the
committee room and the White House
was maintained, and several of the
Republican senator's who differ with
the President as to the wisdom of this
appointment, were in consultation with
some one at the White House.
More than one of the senators OPP
posing Crum hesitate to allow the Of
fetal fate of a chronic Office seeker,
with a dark skin, to provoke a breach
between them and the President.
They had hoped that he might see his
way clear to withdraw the appoint
ment in view of the prevailing senti-
ment in the committee The President,
however, true to his nature, refuses
to yield under the pressure and orders
the fight to go to a finish.
Hanna Champions Crum.
Senator Hanna has suddenly become
interested in the cause of Crum, and
boldly charges some of his Republican
colleagues with lodging" a direct
vote IOr or against cOnHr1natlOn, lear
ing the political effect in their respec-
tive states. He says he is for Crum
because he is Republican, and adds
that he has never had a word to say
to the President on the subject.
The opponents of Crum are confident
that he cannot be confirmed, and they
are determined that the surest way to
encompass his defeat is to secure a
further postponement. In the mean
time, the friends of Crum are putting
the heaviest kind of political pressure
on those members of the committee
who are siding with the Democrats,
hoping that party discipline will over
come their personal convictions.
President Roosevelt is encountering
the same difficulty that President Har-
rison had when the latter tried to force
a Republican Senate to confirm this
same DR.. Crum postmaster at Charles
ton, in 1892. Crum's nomination was
held up in the Postoffice Committee un-
til Harrison was convinced that con-
firmation was impossible, consequently
he reluctantly withdrew Crum's nomi-
nation and appointed a white Republic
can.