Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-24
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Plan as to Offices for
Negroes.
AGAINST STATEHOOD
EX-CoNTRoLLER CoLER AGAINST
THE PRESENT BILL.
Presidents Exercise in Telling Trees
His Injured Wrist Now Much
Improved.

Prominent colored men throughout the
country have come to the conclusion that
President Roosevelt is being embarrassed
by the prominence that many negroes are
giving to his determination that the race
shall have fair treatment In all political
matters. 1t has therefore been determined
that plan must be adopted to put a stop
to the annoyances the President is being
subjected to by negroes of little standing
and belonging to unimportant organizations
all over the country.
There is reason to believe that the Presi-
dent has found that his desire to see the
negro fairly treated has been taken advan-
tage of by many negroes, and that he is
inclined to believe that the cause Of the
negro will be seriously hurt If a stop is not
put to the present method Of doing things.
Therefore, he is understood to be in accord
with the determination that has been
reached by influential negroes to stop the
prominence which many negroes are de-
1nanding and taking for themselves be-
cause of the supposition that the President
is back OF the race.
At the White House today were William
Pledger of Georgia, better known all over
the country as "Bill' Pledger, and Bishop
A. Walters, one of the most prominent
negro churchmen of the country. Pledger
is acting president Of the Afro-American
Council, the leading negro political or
ganization of the country, and Bishop Wal
ters is chairman of the executive commit
tee. After correspondence among the most
Influential colored men of the country it
has been decided to call the executive COM
mittee of the council in session in this city
for the purpose of taking steps TO see that
in the future the negro asks for only such
as he ought to be entitled to, and that no
embarrassing demands are made at the
White House. The executive committee of
the council consists Of three members from
each state, and the understanding is that
the attendance will be large.
The plan proposed for the relief Of the
President is the appointment Of a central
committee of prominent negroes in Wash
lngton that shall have the final presenta-
ton Of all requests to the President and
THAT this committee shall be recognized as
the authority and spokesman of the COL
ored race. While it would possess great
power and authority it is declared that
some plan like this must be adopted to pre-
vent the indiscriminate demands being
made by negroes. The idea as now enter
tained is to have the american coun-
ell appoint committee of five negroes in
each state to whom every negro aspirant
or applicant for claims of political nature
must submit his reasons.
This committee would pass upon and rec
ommend whatever should be done in each
case. The state committee would then
transmit to the supreme committee in
Washington its recommendations The last
committee would take the matter up and
decide whether it would be wise to present
1t to the President or the departments The
plan is in embryo, but it is believed that
something of the kind will be adopted by
the council.
1t is also proposed to sit down on a num-
Der of wildcat pension schemes that have,
been alluring to ignorant negroes for
years and that are being used for the pur-
pose OF securing contributions from those
who know no better.
This is the result Of a recent visit to the
White House by a man representing a pen
sion scheme for negroes, vino declared that
If the President did not give 1t his assist
ance he would invoke the political strength
of the negro race against the President. The
executive committee proposes to expose
many of these schemes.
Bird Coler Against Statehood.
Mr. Bird S. Coler, former controller of the
city of New York and late democratic can
didate for governor of New York, was in
the city today on business connected with
the omnibus statehood bill now pending in
the Senate. He is the representative of
New York financial interests which are the
holders of about half million dollars of
bonds of the territory Of Arizona
The bonds were issued many years ago in
aid of railroad construction. Later they
were validated by act of Congress It is
understood that payment of the bonds was
resisted and the matter finally was taken
into the courts, In the United States Su-
preme Court judgment was given in favor
Of the bondholders. Notwithstanding that
judgment. however, it is asserted that the
bonds never have been taken up. In fact it
is said by Mr.. Coler that legal obstacles are
being placed continually in the way of salts
faction of the judgment of the Supreme
Court by the authorities of the territory.
The apparent disposition Of the officials
of the territory to postpone Indefinitely If
not actnallV ay9dp oF ba
bonds has aroused the holders to such an
extent that they now are urging that Ari-
zona be not admitted to the Union as a
state until satisfaction of their Judgment
is given them and the officials indicate
their intention of respecting the judgments
OF the highest judicial tribunal in the land
Roosevelt today respecting the attitude of
the territorial officials Of Arizona. and
while he declined to discuss his interview
with the President, it is understood that he
protested earnestly against the admission
Of Arizona as a state in the present cir
cumstances. He held that, if the territory
were admitted to the Union of states the
claims of the bond holders he Represented
probably would be postponed indefinitely,
even If they were not jeopardized seriousIv
He argued that a territory ought NOT To he
admitted as a state at least until its off
Gals had manifested proper regard for
the judgments of the United States Su-
preme Court.
Subsequently Mr.. Coler had a conference
with Attorney General Knox Later in the
day he went to the Capitol to discuss fur
ther with senators the subject of state
hood.
The President Cutting Trees.
President Roosevelt, while out in the
afternoons recently for open-air exercise,
has been welding the ak in a forest near
the city. His prowess with the ak has
been magnified in so many ways that the
last report represented him as having Gu.
down large number of trees. The Presi-
dent, accompanied by Clifford Pinchot. for
ester Of the Department Of Agriculture. mas
been cutting some trees on the Tenleytown
road in the forest owned by the Episcopal
Cathedral, Mt. st. Albans.
The trees were so thick in portions of
the forest that some wedding out had to be
done, and Mr.. Pinchot was communicated
with to determine the class of trees that
should be felled. The President has as
sisted In cutting down some of the trees.
he and Mr.. Pinchot working together at
intervals when the President has the op-
portunity to get away from his work at
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