The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-25
INDlANOLA INCIDENT CAUSES
LIVELY DEBATE IN SENATE.
Spooner Attempts to Defend the Policy Of the President, but His
Address Meets With No Response Even From the Republican
Side-Senator McLaurin Makes Reply, Defining the
Attitude of the Southerners.

dent in closing the Post Office at Indianola.
and he contended that nothing ne had said
had justified the remarks Of the Senator
from Wisconsin.
He had not. when he first spoke, believed
that tn people of Indianola had earned
the epithets OF 'lawless' and brutal y
which had been applied by the Presidents
secretary. and he repeated that it had not
even now been shown that the charge was
justified.
on the contrary. he contended that the
best feeling exists between Mrs. Cox and
the people of Indianola. barring the preju-
dice of race. That this prejudice exists.
the people had freely admitted and there
was no disposition to deny it"
1T exists said he. Throughout the
South: aye" he added, and throughout
the North also"
RIGHT TO PETITION.
The people had exercised their right to
petition and had done no more. and he had
never before heard ii argued in the Senate
that the people had not the right to as
semble and make known their wants. In
this case the petitioners did not want Mrs.
Cox as Postmaster and had frankly said so.
Mr.. McLaurin stated that notwithstand-
ing three-fourths of the people at Indianola
are negroes, tlve-siNths of the mail re-
ceived at and sent from the Post Office
there is TO and from white people.
He read the petition to Mrs. Cox. con-
t'ii'liiIS TIA 'Ii' S'Ai 80 "dS NJ tN'iS way
respectful. His Information was that the
meeting at which the resignation had been
accepted had been attended by each of the
eighty-five white men in the town. .ex-
cept a. Il. Weeks. who had gone over 10
the Republicans in order to secure an Of
flee. as is the case with most men who so
into that party
COLOR LINE.
No doubt the people wanted the woman
out of office because of her color, but II did
not follow that on that account they felt
any hatred toward her. The prejudice was
due, he said. to the inferiority of the colored
race. He contended that the charge made
by Mr.. Cortelyou had not been directed at
Il minority of the people Of Indianola. but
at all of them. as all had participated in
the meeting.
The President had shown a disposition to
shut his ears to the other side of the Ques-
ton.
Mr.. McLaurin said he had not seen all the
correspondence in the case: that he had re-
questsd copies of it. but bad been refused
by the Postmaster General and had been
referred to the President. He asserted that
there had been no threats of personal viO-
lence, and" he added. none can be found
unless it be found in the fertile brains of
the President, General and Post
Office Inspectors"
Even granting that there was indignation,
was 1t not still the duty of the President to
furnish the people the best postal facilities?
In directir~ that the 1ndianOla mail be sup
piled from Greenville the post office au-
thorities had placed upon the people of In
djanola al. additional hardship.
In conclusion Mr.. McILaurin said he had
no feeling of enmity toward the colored peo-
pie. but that, on the other hand. he had
always contended for the protection of their
rights.
When Mr.. McLaurin concluded, the private
pension calendar was taken up. After the
massage of a number of pension bills the
Senate went into executive session and at
6:i2 y. M. adjourned.