The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-14
cLARksON,s EXPLANATION.

: James S. Clarkson. who is supposed to
be the Presidents adviser in the matter
+ of the Indianola, Miss, postmastership,
| says that he had no hand in the
( appointment of DR.. Crum TO the posi-
| ton of collector of customs at Char
ltston, but that he is satisfied that
all this agitation. growing out of the
appointment of negroes to office in the
South, is due to an effort on the part
Of Democrats to make the negro vot-
eTs in the Northern states dissatis-
fled with the Republican party. Of
course Mr.. Clarkson knows better
than that. He is too intelligent a man
TO believe any such nonsense. The ag-
itation is due to the opposition Of the
Southern people to negroes holding of
fees in their section. 1t crops out
whenever there is reason for it. The
reason for it at this particular time is
the Indianola postoffice affair and the
recent appointment by the President
of number of negroes to important
federal offices in the South.
President understands very we'll the
feeling in the South in respect to ne
gro OfIiceholders, and takes the posi-
ticn that he is no more justified in ap-
pointing a postmaster or a collector of
customs or other officer in the South
who is not acceptable to the people
there than he is in appointing as a
representative to a foreign government,
a man who is not acceptable to the
people of the place to which he is sent.
1t calls attention to the fact that when
Consul General Bragg became unae-
ceptable to the people of Havana he
was at once recalled.
We have several times called atten-
ton to the fact that the offices in
the gift of the President are not in
tended to be used to Cypress or annoy
the people. OF course the President
has the power to appoint whom he
pleases, but there is an obligation
resting upon him to appoint only those
who are acceptable to the people.
The President does not attempt to
please the negro voters of the North
to whom Mr.. Clarkson calls attention
by appointing negroes to important
offices in that section. He respects the
wishes of the people in the matter of
appointments.
1t seems that on Monday he did APP
point a negro as an assistant district
attorney in one of the United States
Districts of Massachusetts,. but the
position is not one that will bring the
appointee in contact with the people,
except to a limited extent. Besides, it
looks as If the appointment were made
for the purpose Of meeting the charge
that negroes are not appointed to Of
flee in the North. II, as Mr.. Clarkson
says, there are 100000 negroes voters
in the North, the negro voters there
are of far more Importance to the Re-
publican party than are the negro vot-
ers In the South and, consequently they
should have more of the important Of
ticers in that section than are given
negroes in the South. 1t is not Just
that the services of the negro voters
to that party in the North should be
paid for by giving the offices in the
South to negroes.
There is no apprehension of negro
domination in the North in any of its
phases, as there is in the South, and
therefore there is not as great a rea-
son in the North as there is In the
South for opposing the appointment of
negroes to office. Why then is it that
there are not more negroes appointed
to federal offices in that section, es,'
pecially as it is in that section that
the real service of the negroes to the
Republican party is rendered? Is it
not because the Northern people
wouldn't stand it, and that too on &C
count of the prejudice there against
the negro race? Then what justice is
there in criticising the South for OPP
posing the appointment of negroes to
office in the South?