The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-04-17
CASE OF DR.. CRUM
Why President Determined
TO Appoint the Negro

Washington, D. c., April IRE
publicans and Democrats alike. men
prominent in the councils Of both
parties. have wondered at the per
sistency Of President Roosevelt in
adherlng to his resolve that DR. Crum
the colored man Of Charleston, s. c.,
should be collector of that port The /
opposition to Or. Crum has been tre
mendous, not among the Democrats, [
but smong the Republicans as wei /
1t was believed by the friends Of Mr.l
Roosevelt that he was making a mis-
take in appointing this man in the
face Of the bitter opposition Of the
people OF Charleston. and indeed of
the whole south Not only were the
soa;hern people to be taken into con- /
sideration. but there was decided
sentiment against his appointment in
the north among Republicans and
democrats alike Taking into consid- I
GRAFTON this opposition, and the fact
that the senate refused to confirm his
appoint nent it seemed to the Repub-
licans here in Washington that the
president had made a mistake in ap-
pointing him collector for the recess /
over the head of the senate. In view
of all this the question has been ask
ed thousands of times: Why is the
president so determined in his course?
We have had thousand and one rea
sons and probably the best one Civ
en- is that having determined upon
Or. Crum tor the collectorship the
president viii not change his course
simply because Crum is a colored
man
Back of all this and the appoint
ment OF Dr. Crum is story which is
now told for the first time. In April.
1892, when the president was at the
( Charleston exposition, he was at a
banquet, not a public affair, but a pri-
vate one. where a few choice spirits
of both Republican and Democratic
parties gathered to have a jolly time
and talk over affairs generally.
Luring the course of the evening.
while the affairs of Charleston were
being discussed. the president said to
those present. Gentlemen, l think
that there is no doubt but will have
TO appoint a colored man as collector
of the port of Charleston. We are
now in a position to get the views Of
our friends Of Charleston. and 10
would be well for them to give us the
: name OF some man who is fitted to
ir the position.
One Of the northern Republicans, a
member of the presidents party, said
: he did not believe that it would be
we'll for the party as a whole TO ap-
9point a colored man to this office.
Thereupon those present from
Charleston protested against the ap-
pointment of a negro, but the presl.
dent told them that circumstances
. were such that he believed a colored
/, man would have TO be appointed, II
one was found who was capable OF
; filling the place AT last a Republic
4 can Of South Carolina, a former north
e ern man, suggested that Dr. Crum
! could IN the position. The Democrats
B present were appealed to, and they
a said that there was no doubt but that
! Mr.. Crum could fiji the position; that
he was gentleman. and was respect
ed in the city but that he was a col
scored man. and that he should not be
S appointed. AT last. however, after
much persuasion, the politicians from
. South Carolina and Charleston were
brought over TO the idea, and agreed
that if amy colored man was appoint
ed it should be DR. Crum. and tha
they would stand by the president as
far as IL lay in their power
When the appointment was made
and the opposition became so pro
nounced some Of these men wh'
agreed TO the appointment were th'
most bitter in their denuneiation o
the president. while others remalne'
passive, and while they have taken NJ
active part in the opposition, the,
have remained silent and did not Civ
the president the support he expected
and TO waich he believed himself en-
titled
The greater part OF the norther
men who talked over this matter j
1892 at this gathering, while the
have not been openly against IN
president, by their silence have VII
tually gone back" ON their promis'
This explains in great measur
the determination OF the presider
that Crum should be appointed &c
lector He felt that he had not bee
treated fairly and that N any dete