Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-03-28
MIR. vICk's CASE IN EQUITY.

poOoENELT mas decided
/ that Mr.. S. FL. WICK (colored shall he
retired and that Mr.. b. t. PERSON
(white) who was formerly a Populist
member of the North Carolina Iepisla.
ture shall have the office.
But the most remarkable part of the
matter is the statement issued bv the
Post Office Department at Washington.
Here it is:
After careful investigation the de.
partment came to the the conclusion
that Senator Pritchard was right in the
statement that Wick had not supported
the Republican ticket, and CONSEQUENT
~ had forfeited his claim to party rec.
ognition. Therefore. Mr.. Person, who
was recommended by Senator Pritchard
has been nominated. !"
we have seen many blunders, but
this one seems to equal any of the 9TH
ers. 1t should not be forgotten that
the white RepubhcansNo of North Caro-
lima inaugurated Lilly White Repub-
lean Party" under the leadership of
Senator JETER o. PRITcHARD. Mr..
WICK declined TO support it inasmuch
as practically all colored men were ex-
cIuded from its meetings. Even Hon.
ii. z. CHEATHANG had the doors of the
convention virtually slammed in his
face
No self-respecting citizen of color
could have supported such movement.
But the peculiar part about it is that
the lack of party fealEy should be the
cause for the defamation to appoint q
Negro to office. Let us see.
Mr.. B. 7. PERSON has been Populist
and If he is claiming to be anything
else, his Republican uniform has not
been on his back long enough to "get
warm through" But how does this
excuse comport with the declarations of
President ROOSEVELT made in a letter
addressed to Mr.. CLARK HOWELL of the
Atlanta, Ga, CONSTITUTION?
He wrote:
~ parry advisers in the State have
been Maj. Hanson, of Macon; Mr.. Wal
ter johnson, Of Atlanta-both of them
eX-Confederate Soldiers-and Mr. Harry
Stillwell Edwards, also of Macon. Am
not right In saying that the Federal
ofhce-holders whom L have appointed
throughout your State are, as a body.
men and women, of a high order of eff.
cheney and integrity? Incidently NAV
mention that a large percentage of the
incumbents of Federal offices in Geor-
gia under me are, as understand it, of
your own political faith. This is true
of your own State, and by applying to
Mr.. Thomas Nelson Page, of Virginia;
Co Gen. Basil Duke, of Kentucky; to
Mr. George Crawford, of Tennessee; to
Mr.. John McIlhenny, of Louisiana; TO
Judge Jones, of Alabama, and TO Mr..
Edgar s. Wilson, of Mississippi, all of
them Democrats and all OF them men
of the highest standing in their respec-
tive communities, you Will find that
what have done IN Georgia stands not
as the exception, but as the rule for
what l have done throughout the South.
IL may add that the proportion of col
ored men among the new appointees is
only about one in a hundred
Now then, here is a case where the
Republican President of the United
States, not only declined.to support the
of the regular Repub-
hcan organization, but actually took
Democrats as his referees and as a re.
suit gave the largest percentage of the
Federal offices in the southern states to
members of the Democratic Party.
We fail to see where Mr.. ROOSEVELT
had any more right TO do this than had
the humble Postmaster at Wilson, N.
Q. If it was treason for the one, what
was it for the other?
Mr.. ROOSEVELT wrote further:
go 90 When have been dissatisfied
with what has been ordered within my
own party lines l have without hesita-
ton, gone TO the opposite party-and
you are, of course, aware that l have
repeatedly done this in your own State
of Georgia"
If it was right for Mr.. ROOSEVELT to
do this in Georgia, why was it not right
for Mr.. WICK to do it in North Carolina?
The latter, too, was dissatisfied with
what was ordered within his own party
lines, and according to Mr.. ROOSEVELT,
had right TO go to the opposite party
We regret to say it. but we think
that we have logically demonstrated
that so far as the colored brother is con-
cerned there is something rotten in
Denmark. The President and his ad-
visers, to use tine language of the ladies,
so far as the Negro office holding ques-
ton is concerned, have not as yet "got-
ten their hats on straight"
If any man, be he white or black,
Democrat or Republican, can harmo-
nize the statement of the Post Office
with the declarations of
the President, we should like to see him
do it. 1t would be equal to the attempt
Of a man to stand erect on both his
head and his feet at the same time.
The Mine Workers Initiation Fee.