The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-01-27


aTeIy the statehood bill was today as
usual. before the senate, but as mat
fer of fact the admission or the ter
ritories was scarcely mentioned In the
course of the days proceedings Early
l., the afternoon Mr.. SpOoner, OF Wis
s,psin. took the floor to discuss the
nresident's action in discontinuing the
1ostoffice at Indianola, Miss, and re-
fusing to receive the resignation Oh
the negro postmaster-Mrs. COX. lie
defended the president and was re-
spoaded to by Mr.. McLaurin, OF MIS-
ss,ssippi. who said there had been no
threats against Mrs. Cox, but who ad-
nitted that she was Objectionable De-
cause of her color.
Mr.. Spooner said he had no CRITICISM
to make of Mr.. McLaurin whose re-
marks had been respectful and well
tempered, but that he appeared to JUS
My the attitude of the postmaster
.eperal and the President. He con-
tended that there was not in Secre-
+orv Cortelyou's announcement OF the
.resident's attitude in the case any
hing to Justify the inference OF Nr-
NcIaurin that it was intended 10 ue-
nounce the entire population OF In
aianola as lawless and brutal. NO
man is less likely than the president
to enter upon such a wholesale con-
demnation of the people of 1ndianola,
he said
Mr. Spooner said that the presidents
action had been caused by the course
of the minority in the vicinity or the
postoffiee Mrs. Cox, Mr.. Spooner de-
cIared, has as much right under the
constitution and the laws to hold hef
Office without restraint ana duress as
has any member of the senate to hold
his seat in the senate chamber. De-
failing the proceedings at the mass
meeting at which Mrs. COX'S resigna-
ton was requested, Mr.. Spooner SAID
the circumstances were such as TO con-
vince any one that she was not a free
agent in the matter. when before,
he asked, ''had it been left to local
Inass-meeting to accept the resigna
hon of q federal officeholder. and fix
the time In which it should take effect.
whether this course on the part OF
the meeting had indicated the pres
ence OF a lawless and brutal element
depended, the senator said, on the
point of view. He called attention to
the fact that the sheriff of the county
was among the participants in the
meeting.
Replying to Mr.. Tillman, Mr.. Spoon
er said that 1.-The sheriff is the con-
seTyatOr of the peace-up north To
this Mr.. Tillman responded that he
had not observed that, that generally
sheriffs devote themselves to the duty
of acting as body guards for the peo-
pie Proceeding Mr.. SpOOner said the
sheriff had not denied the statement
credited to him. He again referred to
the sheriffS participation in the mass
meeting and asked whether Mrs. Cox
would have resigned of her own free
will. but the pressure thus brought
upon her The woman's compliance
with the request for her resignation
was. he asserted. an attitude Of fear,
of suppicatiOn to what she consid-
cred q superior power.
He appreciated the delicacy of the
situation of the people of the south, he
said, and SympathiZed with them in
their difficulties. It must. however, be
borne in mind that in this case the
objection was to woman and to
woman of good character. The fact
of her sex. the senator thought, went
far toward justifying the charge that
the conduct of the meeting was brutal
as had been indicated in Mr.. Cortel-
you's note. Mr.. SpoOner read a letter
to the postoffice inspector from Con-
gress.nan-eleCt Humphrey bearing up
on the Indianola case in which he
stated that a majority Of the people
of Iudianola are opposed to the course
of the minority in insisting upon Mrs.
Coxs resignation" This statement.
he said, confirmed the charge of undue
pressure and Of lawlessness.
Proceeding, Mr.. SpOoner said the
president knew that Mrs. Cox did not
wish to resign and had accordingly
refused to have the office vacated. The
people themselves TO all intents and
purposes had closed the office. In pur-
suing the course he did, the president
had acted upon a principle vital to the
strength and virility of the preserva-
ton OF the government, namely that
the federal government shall be allow
ed to conduct its own affairs without
regard to local pressure. The MAIN
tenance of this principle, Mr.. Spooner
said. was essential and he declared that
the president had acted upon this
principle in refusing 70 accept Mrs.
Cox's resignation.
hr. Spooner read two letters from 4.
3. Weeks. one of which caused con-
siderable amusement as Weeks was a