The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-11-19
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.


President Roosevelt is evidently
determined that the race issue shall
be kept alive, as he has sent to the
Senate, for the third time the name
of DR.. w. ID. Crum to be Collector
of Customs at Charleston. Twice
before the Senate RETAINED from TAX
ing action in this case, as the re.
publican members did not wish to
slight the President and at the same
time desired to respect the wishes of
the white people of Charleston as well
as ofthe Senators from South Carolina,
who objected to Crum's appointment
on the ground that he was a negro.
AS the Senate did not positively re.
fuse TO confirm the nomination, the
President named Crum as a recess
appointment and the negro has been
serving for some months despite the
protests of the people of Charleston
But the President is resolved that the
Senate shall act in the case and has
sent in the nomination once more.
The question is likely to cause an in
teres,lng debate and It is very probable
that Mr.. Roosevelt will not be sup
ported by his own party in this at
tempt 10 force upon the people OF a
Southern city an official who is dis
tasteful to them. In thus connection
It is interesting TO note that Repre-
sentative Crumpacker of Indiana has
reintroduced in the House his resolu
tion of last session providing for the
appointment ofa commission OF eleven
members to investigate the conditions
OF suffrage in the several states. The
'undIsguised purpose of the resolution
Is to reduce the representation in
Congress of those states which have
disfranchsed the negroes. In this
way a number of republicans hope to
increase their majority in the House
or at least prevent the democrats from
gaining the upper hand. Representa-
tive Dick of Ohio will also urge the
passage of a resolution providing for
an investigation of the subject of
negro distranchlsement His ultimate
purpose is Identical with that of
Crumpacker. Even the authors of
the resolution doubt if there will be a
vote on them during the extra or re.
,gular session, but they, together with
'Crum's appointment, will serve TO
keep the issue alive and make the
negro vote safe for the republican
party. The republicans seem to have
prOfted little by the last election in
Maryland where they were driven out
of Dowe- in campaign where the
race question was the main issue.
XXX
With sober deliberation, which is in
marked contrast to the reckless i'm
pulslveness of President Roosevelt in
the affair, the democratic senators
have decided to wait for fuller infor-
nation before they make party issue
out OF the Administration in recogniz-
ing the de facto government at
Panama before the revolution was
even known of at the Colombian
capital. A large American fleet is
being gathered on each side of the
Isthmus and Colombia has been
notified that this government will not
permit her to land troops at either
Panama or Colon. M. Philippe
Bunau- -Varilla who has just been ap-
pointed envoy extraordinary and min
lister plenipotentiary of the new re-
public, has been in Washington and
took lunch with Secretary Hay who
is giving him every encouragement in
his attempts to have our government
recognize the absolute sovereignty OF
Panama. M. Varilla sent very