The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-06
PUNCHING THE INNOCENT.

When the New Orleans mob put an end
to the reign of the lawless element
known as the Malta, nobody was pun
ished, because, as some one said: You
cannot indiet a whole city"
1t seems that few men in Indianola
terrorized the negro woman who was
postmaster in that town, and she for
warded her resignation to the depart
ment. She took good care, however, to
put herself in communication with the
Postoffice Department and also with the
publicity department of all the news
papers so she could get a stiff adver-
tisement as a martyr to Southern in
tolerance. She will figure in the next
lecture tour that is made in England by
the next female South-hater and glory in
having the whole machinery of the post
office at Indianola stopped on her &C.
count.
The law of the land ought to be en-
forced. If any persons at Indianola have
violated it, they should be indicted and
punished. The President will be upheld
in whatever steps he takes through the
Department of Justice to execute the law.
But there is no reason or justice in
Furnishing whole community for the
wrongs of few. The policy of Mr.
Roosevelt is revolutionary and destruc-
tive of orderly government. The people
of Indianola are entitled to the postal
privileges necessary to carry on their
business No President or Car has the
moral right to deny them this essential
to conducting their business for any
reason, much less in order to punish
whole community for the wrongs which,
it is alleged, have been committed by
few men.
1t is an excellent opportunity
for Mr.. Roosevelt to do a grand stand
''stunt" for the delectation of the negro
voters in New Jersey and New York
Perhaps he hopes to satisfy them by this
strenuous and revolutionary act instead
of appointing Crum and Wick What
ever his motive. the President is seeking
to suppress lawlessness by himself be-
coming in the true sense law breaker
by suspending the postoffice at Indianola.
Representative Richardson, of Alabama,
sums up the whole case in this wise
statement:
81 think resolution of inquiry should
be passed by Congress, calling on the
President to give more fully his reasons
for doing this and setting forth to what
extent and by whom this woman was
threatened. AS the matter now stands,
the whole community stands indicted of
a crime. The people have a right to this
postoffice, and the action that has been
taken is of an outrageous character.
The President went about the matter in
the wrong way. He should have caused
the arrest of the parties guilty of in
timidating the postmistress and punish
ed them according to the law in the
case. l am not fully informed as to the
nature of the threats of assault, but
everything indicates that it was the re-
suit of the actions of only few individ-
uals, perhaps, belonging to an element
of the community that does not represent
the best citizenship. The fact that the
woman had held the office for nine years
indicates that the people were reasona-
bly, satisfied with her at least. The
President condemns himself in his very
statement issued from the White House.
He makes it evident that he intends to
punish the whole community by making
them travel from twenty to forty miles
for their mail. All the facts in the case
should be made known, and then the pub
lie can Judge whether this community
Of people should be visited with such a
severe penalty"