The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-24
NEGROES AT RECEPTION Not an Innovation, So It
 is Said. LAMBETH IS TURNED OUT A. J. Pitt Made Postmaster
 at Florence. Another Victory for the Black and Tans Over Thsir Enemies. the
 Lily whitss-The Canal
 Treaty.
LAMBETH IS TURNED OUT


 fact that there were negroes amongst the guests of the President and Mrs. Roosevelt at the splendid reception in honor of the judiciary at the White House last night has aroused the most extraordinary interest throughout the South. although it Is decided to have been long the custom to invite negroes from official life to the White House.
 Senator Morgan said today that he could not see why there should be any fuss over the presence of negroes at the White House last night since negroes were invited thtther quite frequently by MT, Cleveland when he was President and that 1t was common enough to see representatives Of the negro race at Presidential receptions by invitation in those Democratic days. It Is evident that the Booker Washington luncheon and the Indianola postoffice incidents remain very live incidents
 The Posts Comment.
 The Washington Post in its elaborate account of the reception says: "1he pres ence of several colored guests caused some comment, but the visitors were 1EOu4 outE4fti aAAO anu NAASAE ASAlCh06iG6 0h a White House reception was by no means an innovation of the, present season."
 This was the impression of The Adver- tiser's correspondent who was one of the Presidents guests. Although he could not remember having ever before seen ne- groes as guests in the White House, he attached no importance to their presence in that capacity last night.
 Accompanied by Hon. Alex Troy Of Montgomery. whom the President had hidden to the reception, the correspond ent was in line approaching the grand stairway leading to the Presidential pres ence when Sam HArdwick. formerly of Montgontsry, in&atkenflRnce upon a lady. was met making his way out of the building. This was so astonishing that Mir. Hardwick was asked to explain. His reply was that there were negroes in the line to be received and for that reason he felt impelied to depart, thereby de- nying himself the happiness of being re- ceived by the President and Mrs. Roose- welt.
 The gossips have 1t that the negroes present were Register of the Treasury Lyons, Recorder of Deeds Dancy and an- other man and a woman.
 He Saw But Three.
 The Advertisers correspondent, who re- mained throughout the evening, saw but three negroes who were guests, one man and two women. They were a party to themselves were young and modestly though fashionably dressed. For an hour they stood near the corner of the crowd ed east room facing the door leading from the Presidential presence and every guest must have of necessity seen them.
 But nobody spoke to them, they spoke to nobody but themselves. They showed no disposition to mingle with the throng. They left, early. If there had been other than these three negroes there The Ad- vertisers correspondent would in all probability have seen them. for he was constantly moving through the various rooms and corridors greeting friends.
 These are the plain facts of personal observation concerning negroes at a Pres idential reception But this story will one understands is being sent to sensa- tional Southern Journals.
 The congressman's Story.
 One of the stories of the day Is that a Southern Congressman, whose name is not given, abruptly left the White House with the women of his family when he learned there ware negroes in the com pany have reason to, believe this story erroneous.
 In point of fact and apart from all oth- CT considerations, the invitations to the White House receptions each season aI- ways include all the higher officials in the Government service, and this year is no exception to the rule, The allotment of local positions to negroes is well known. When the Senate and the House of Rep resentatives had negro members their names were always included as a matter of course, and they were not specially excluded because of their race.
 It is learned from an authoritative source today that the signing of the Pam anna Canal treaty yesterday was the re- suit of a communication sent by the State Department to Colombia two days before, that was in effect an ultimatum.
 The rumor Is still persistent that the agents of the Panama Canal Company, finding their cause almost lost promised the Colombian Government a part of the $40 000,0 900 which they expect to receive for the canal property.
 Will Not Be Ratified.
 But there Is no prospect that the treaty, whatever It's conditions may be. win be ratified. It is nothing better than a mere trick to further indefinitely postpone the of a canal. If our Senate were willing, a proposition that is laugh able, there is no power now in Colombia to ratIfy any treaty.
 The Alabama black and tans' won another signal victory over the lily whites today, and another one of the best Fed era1 officials in that States gives place to a man who is charged with being a mere political adventure.
 Postmaster Lambeth of Florence. for whom Congressman Richardson has made a brave struggle, Is turned out, and A. J. Pitt, a former seeker after many places, has been appointed in his place.
 The immediate cause of this act of the administration is declared to be a letter written for Pitt and against Lambeth by A. E. Walker, Democratic