Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-01-16
The President is Firm.
The Southerners Forced
to Yield and in HUI
mility accept the
POstmistress.
Mrs. Cox Will Return and Re-
open th. Postofice, and viii
be Protected.
SENATOR MclAuRIN ANXIOUS 70
HAVE PAPERS IN CASE SUP
PRESSED.


poets to receive assurances tOmOrrav
from the mayor Of the town and tn,
sheriff OF the county that they vii
i give protection to Mrs. Cox and MAKE
her return to lndianOla absolutely safe
II these ofhcers give the Postmaster
General such assurances, he will direc
an inspector to look up Mrs. Cox's hid
Ing place and persuade her to return
and reopen the office. Senator Nc
| Laurin believes the trouble will be
settled, but this is he only way it eau
! be settled.
President Roosevelt and Postmaster
General Payne are determined to stand
by Federal oficeholders and pfOtec.
them 30 far a. the. governmentacan
They are. not trying to forcesa negro
official upon the people Of Indianola,
but to protect Federal officer who
has held the Office for years without
complaint.
White Democrat Wanted ofEes.
President Roosevelt had no parf in
the selection OF Mrs. Cox rs postmis
tress of Indianola. He knew nothing
about the case until the business part
ed that since the republican adminis-
tration was appointing gold democrats
to office in other parts of the south he
as gold democrat, would begin a
campaign to drive the negro postmis
tress out of town and then secure the
appointment to her cflice.
The papers in the case show that
this was the origin Of the dissatisfac-
ton with Mrs. Cox. "A white demo.
crat wanted the Office, He and his
friends got up public meeting and
the petition requesting Mrs. Cox to re-
sign. s's
Postmaster General Payne has or
fered to lay all the papers In the cas- !
before congress or q Cd mittee OF
either senate or house, buf . southern
member will call for tn Senator
McLa,,Etn who has. nd si-Hti e nan, c ]cners.
IS very anxious that they s1xn not Be
made public, to reveal the true charac-
ter of the campaign made against Mrs.
Cox. He hopes to end the trouble by
having the local T.shorities give as.
surances of protection for Mrs. Cox in
reopening the postofhce. II
Negroes Given ONCE in North.
The southern people have been max
ing great ado over the Indianola af
fair and over the nomination of DR..
Crum, a negro, as customs collector at
S. c. They complain that
the president is forcing negroes upon
the whites Of the south and ask why
he does not appoint negroes in the
north. The Administrations reply is
that more negroes are appointed to
good federal Offices in the north thar
In the south.
Last week negro was appointed
assistant United States attorney in
Boston and another to the same posi-
ton in Philadelphia The southern
papers have not mentioned these ap-
nor have the white people
Of Boston and Philadelphia com
planned. gsssss3..
There are not as many negroes hold
ing federal offices in Mississippi, count.
ng fourth class postmasters, as there
are negroes holding local offices, such
IS justices Of the peace, to which they
have been elected by the people The
whole cry against the appointment Of
negroes by the president is for politi
cal effect.
The presidents declaration that he
would appoint the best men to office
without regard to politics when he
named Governor Jones OF Alabama
for district judge gave democrats en-
to strive for these places
lust as they would under democratic
They assume that any
kind Of white man Is better than the
best negro.
= Measures Men BY Merit.
There is where they misunderstood;
the president. He measures men By
thei~ attainments, and not by the color
of their skin. Ess. a e.
He appointed DR.. Crum collector at
Charleston because he was the best
man recommended. White men wera
but they were no,
of as high standing even at home AS
was this negro. The president refusef
to PASS over DR.. Crum simply because
he is a negro. ss5 S5 il
The president has made his positioa
clear that he will not refuse to appoint
a man to Office because he Is black.
He intends to stand by that position.
because he regards it as the only posi-
tion a president can hold and be true
to his oath of Office. He has no desire
to offend the sensitive white people OF
the south, but he has no intention OF
surrendering this principle Of equality
before the law to meet their prejudiced
views Of the negro question.