New-York tribune., 1903-03-03
THE INDIANOLA CASE.
Correspondence Sent to the House
bu Postmaster General Payne.

x1,a.h,r~tor March %-Postrnaster General Payne
TODAY forwarded to the House all the papers IN
the case Of the Tndianois. Miss posso'c'
was discontinued by the administration because Oh
the forced abandonment Of the once Dy ltS hes'o
postmaster, Ms. Minnie Y. Cox.
The correspondence shows that A. b. "eeNF'
brother-in.Iaw OF Mayor Davis Of 1ndianoia' oesah
hia candidacy Cor the postofice against the negro
Incumbent as fas back as April T. 1902, when ne
began sending long serles OF letters ana tele
grams to the department The papers ncluue al,
extract from a letter Of postofTice omcIaI odteo
February e. 1893, aarrating conversation "hlch
n saws took place at Biloxi, Miss. IN TINS letleF
Mayor Davis CT IndIanola is quoted as saying
that II Mrs. Cox should again take cnarse o'
the IndianoIa postofice "she would See her necA
broken inside Of two hours" On January IasC
John c. DouEhertv United states special attorney
at New-OrIeans. telegraphed to Assistant Attorney
General Pradt, at Washington, that there are
numerous negro county and municipaI Ol"ce.S
serving under Democratic administrations thFous
out the Southern States. .,
Mayor Davis Of IndIanola wrote to the Four'n
Assistant Postmaster General on January laht
requesting copies Of all letters written 10 tne ue
partment regarding the postoff1ce, and stated tna
the postmaster requested by all OF the cl'Ne"s
to resign; that no threats were made, ana thSt
she was perfectly willing" to give up the ONCE
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Bristo" oe-
clined to furnish the copies of the letters.
The correspondence shows that A B. Weeks
wrote several letters to the department last April
wfl1cn
at once and in letter dated May so. 1902, he said
that he was anxious to get the appointment sup
plementIng this on July with a letter urging nus
own aupofntment and giving reasons why 1t should
he made On September 10 he wrote to the Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General that there was
determined effort Of the people to make the post
master resign or give up the ofhce in some way
because OF her color, and requesting that bis
applicat:on be remembered. On October weeks
wrote to the President that he had the assurance
CO~ hot she Forward
ton in the next few days, and pressing HiE O"H n
application, on the ground that he was the only
white Republican at Indianola- On December 1S
he wrote to the President that he would oe giHo
to come to Washington that it would be seen
how competent he was. Six days later, ne H.oIe
that he was the only good frleno t1e 9d5smna and
later he forwarded petition Of coored citizen citizens
Of Indanola and vicinity in behalf Of his app9lm1T
that te' the @ poatmaster had abandoned the office
pressed his claims for the appointment ana say
him to qualify. Later he wrote to the FreSl4ent
twice asking that the postofice be re,establsn@ea @
ofice again and urging his own appointment -
The papers also show that several otner canr1 cHFa
dates WSfs T9taPy 9s 9Rn MsrS Hicks Hosin and Mrs
lillian Green applied for the ONCE on OctoDer .,
Understanding that Mrs Cox had rendered or vas
about to oSnston hs G wrote 10 the
department on December 13 that Indianola Is the the
postal laws and regulations contemplate that each
courthouse and county seat shall be supPled WI
mail PosofHce inspector Ftzgerad 90 on tSa cT
cunstances which caused the people or inqlanoia1
to order W. ". Cox. railway postal clerH, dJG All
two other persons to leave the place, presumably
senator McLaurin. of Mississippi. to-day intro
for money expended in providinF tH-'T own mall
facilities