The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-13
Mr.. ]. p. WILLIAMS AND
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT.

Mr.. Williams Chat With the Presi-
dent on the Savannah COIIectorship.
Incensed at President Roosevelt's
expression of surprise that "the ap-
pointment of a colored collector at
Charleston should cause so great OBJ
lection, when the appointment of a col
ored collector at Savannah had excit-
ed no opposition" Mr.. ]. P. Williams
makes public, for the first time, his
conversation with the President when
personally he entered a protest against
the reappointment of Collector j. H.
Deveaux at Savannah.
Mr.. Williams says he feels con-
strained in the light of recent events,
and the publishing of untrue utterances
given out by the President, to state
what occurred when he visited him in
Washington on Feb. %, 1902. At that
time Mr.. Williams, as the president of
the Savannah Cotton Exchange, as a
representative citizen, and as a pront-
nent factor in the commercial affairs
of this city, clearly and concisely stat
ed that there was serious objection to
the naming of Deveaux to the position
of collector of the port, or to the ap-
pointment of any other negro.
President Roosevelt affected to be-
lieVe that the opposition to the nam
ing of DeVeaux was not general in Sa-
vannah," said Mr. Williams yesterday.
Il told him in plain terms that the
business interests of the city demand
ed the appointment of a white man.
The trade bodies had formally protest.
ed and passed resolutions on the SUBJ
ject, petitions against the naming of a
negro as collector were put in circula-
ton and freely signed-signed by the
men who carry the commerce of the
l,Asr 81
against the appointment was general,
and now at this late day Presidaot
Roosevelt comes forward with the
false charge that the appointment of
negro here excited no opposition
81 was told by the President that
Frenchman had stated to him that De-
veaux was a courteous, competent and
obliging official. President Roosevelt
at great length told me of the quail
ties of Mr.. Deveaux,' as they were
recounted to him by this Frenchman.
l promptly told President Roosevelt
that the Frenchman with whom he
had conversed on the subject of Mr.
Deveaux' would not be admitted in
polite society in Savannah if his iden-
tity and utterances were made public.
/ was plain to state to him that the
objection 10 Deveaux was being made
on the ground that he is a black man.
Personally have nothing against him.
President Roosevelt reiterated that he
did not think the opposition to the APP
pointment was so general as 1 had
stated and declared that he would not
turn Deveorx down simply because he
was black.
81 told him that a few politicians
might be satisfied with the ap-
pointment for the personal ag-
grandisement, but that the citizens of
Savannah, the trade bodies, and the
business men, were unalterably OPP
posed to it. Prominent gentle
men here who have been with
the Republican party, and others
who were inclined to it's doc
trines, protested against this appoint
ment along with other citizens. But
President Roosevelt was determined,
for political reasons, to make the OBJ
jectionable appointment, even though
it necessitated his trampling slipshod
over our citizens He hopes to receive
the vote of the Republican delegates
from the South, and this prompts him
to assume the attitude that he now
occupies. President Roosevelt cannot
foist upon the people of this country
any such assertion, and the opposition
to the appointment of Deveaux is
matter of record"