The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-10
SAND IN TIE
 PULSES EYE
  Payne's 2 empt to Divert
 -tention. s-- HAS DOUBLES HIMSELF Case of Gallatin Negro Mail Carrier is Welcome. Postmaster General Points to Alleged Race Persecution in Order to Shield Rottenness in His
 Own Department.
HAS DOUBLES HIMSELF

Washington, May s.-(Special. .)-The most partisan Republican of the cabinet. Postmaster General Payne. the manager general of the campaign for Roosevelt's nomination next year. is making a mas terful effort just now to direct public attention from the Augean rotteness of his own department by conjuring a spectacle of wholesale Southern lawless- ness.
 Not content with his own troubles of maiadministration. he is seeking to create the impression that the white people of the South are engaged in plotting and conspiring to drive out of office all the negroes in the postal service in the South.
 Postmaster General Payne seems to be actually cheerful over the diversion af- forded by the Gallatin rural letter car rier case.
 Welcome Distraction.
 It furnishes a welcome distraction from contemplation of the ugly and mischive- ous irregularities of the department in Washington, the disclosure of which in public conviction was brought about alone by envy and jealousy of the importance and power developed by certain subordi- mates, particularly, since their methods, with all their obliquities. have been in vogue for many years.
 The Postmaster General makes two material statements. One is that the appointment of the negro Allgood hay ing been made in the usual and regular way from the certified eligible list under Niyi1 aarxytNA rfilae rasflA r<f justly be regarded as a purpose on the part of the administration to push . negro appointment upon a white com munity. . -ses. esgss Another assertion was that it was unlike the Indianola case in that the Tennessee appointment was not a direct appoint. ment by the President. It is at least like the Indianola case in a very essen tial particular, of arriving at the true meaning of choice of Allgood.
 It will be recalled that when a resolu- tion of Congress asked for the papers in the Indianola case, some of them were withheld on the ground that they were of personal nature.' In the Gallatin case. of which he has freely talked with the newspaper men who have called al the department Postmaster General Payne has omitted any mention of the fact that Postmaster Swaney at Gallatir asked that no negro be appointed on the route to which Allgood was assigned The postmaster who. according to all ac. counts and records has exhibited fidelity to duty and a decent regard for the wishes of patrons of the postofflce, knew that on the particular route in question there was prejudice against negro carriers and asked that none me put there Postmaster Protested. When a negro was appointed post. master Swaney wrote a letter protest ing. It was answered by the appoint ment of another negro.
 The department officers are not ignorant of the fact that negro letter carriers are permitted in the South. Negroes have | served in Nashville the Gallatin field and elsewhere In Tennessee without objection or trouble. Postmaster Swaney was simply convinced that it was for the good of service not to have this negro serve. The trouble could easily have beer