The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-25

he had not in his former speech dis
cussed the propriety or the improperly
of the President in closing the post
office at Indianola, and nothing that
he had said had justified the remarks
of the senator from Wisconsin. He
had not. when he first spoke. believed
that the people of IndianOla had earned
the epithets of lawless and brutal,
which had been applied by the Presi-
dents secretary, and he repeated that
II had not even now been shown that
the charge was justified. on the con-
trary, the best feeling exists between
Minnie Cox and the people of Indianola,
barring the prejudice Of race. That
this prejudice exists the people had
freely admitted and there was no dis
position to deny it.
1T exists" he said. throughout the
South; aye, and throughout the North
also"
The people had exercised their right
to petition and had done no more. and
he had never before heard IL argued
in the Senate that the people had not
the right to assemble and make known
their wants. In this case the petition
ers did not want Minnie Cox as post
master and had frankly said so. More
over. it was their right to present this
petition to her If they preferred to do
so, and there was no ground for
charges on this account.
Senator McLaurin said that not
withstanding that three-fourths of the
people at lndianola are negroes, five
siXths of the mail received at and
sent from the postoflice there is to and
from white people.
But One Man stayed Away.
He read the petition to Minnie Cox.
contendiug that the address was i'm
every way respectful. His information
was that the meeting at which the res
ignation had been requested had been
attended by each of the IS white men
in the town, except A. b. Weeks, who
had gone over to the Republicans in
order TO secure an Office, as in the case
of most men who go into that party.
No doubt the people wanted the woman
out of office because of her color but
it did not follow that on that account
they felt any hatred towards her on
| account of color The prejudice was
due to the inferiority of the negro
race.
Senator McLaurin said the charge
! made by Secretary Cortelyou had not
been directed at "A minority of the peo-
| pie of Indianola, but at all of them
as all had participated in the meet
| ing.
The President had shown a DISPOSE
ton to shut his ears to the other side
of the question.
Senator McLaurn said he had not
seen all the correspondence in the case;
! that he had requested copies of II. but
| had been refused by the Postmaster
| General and had been referred to the
| President. When he received a note
| from the President ne had requested
| to be shown all the papers, but had
not seen all the documents read by
! Senator Spooner before the Senate to-
| day. There had been no threats OF
| personal violence, and, Senator Me-
Laurin added, none can be found I'M
less 1t be found in the fertile brains
of the President, Postmaster General
and postoffice inspectors"
Gave Them no Facilities.
Even grantinaethere7was intimidation
was il not stilf the duty ofFthe Pres
ident to furnish the peoplethe best pos
sble postal facilities? In directing that
the Indianola mail be supplied from
GreenVllle, the postoffice authorities had
placed upon the people of Indianola an
additional hardship.
Senator McLaurln said he did not be-
lleve the people of Indianola had done
wrong in trying to get rid of post
master OF an inferior race, but right or
wrong, they still had the right to ask
for relief. They had done that. and
only the oratory of the senator from
| Wisconsin could distort that into an
act of duress.
In conclusion, Senator McLaurin said
he had no feeling of enmity toward the
negroes, but that on the other hand he
had always contended for the protec-
ton of their rights.
After an executive session, the Sem
ate adjourned until Monday.