The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-03-24
TUESDAY, MARCH "a, 1903.
SENATOR MONEYS TRADE.

Money that n OF the important and
constitutional rights OF a great country
is to have it's mail handled regularly,
properly and honestly. 1t was that
this right might be enjoyed that the
postal department of the government
was originated and devised and grad
ually made to approach its condition
of almost perfection that, it may be
said to have attained at the present
day and until there is but little room
left for further improvement. But it
is not exercising a constitutional
right when any community Of that
great country rises up in an .sttitude
Of hostility to the department and gov
eminent for no other reason and with
no other ground of justification than
n based upon sectional hatred of
a people who because of their color
are not agreeable to those of another
color. Because the president and the
postofice department saw fit to ap-
point a negro to the position of post
master Senator Money declares they
have been guilty of ian unwarantable
interference with the liberty and
rights of the people of a southern
town that happens to be in the state
which Mr.. Money represents in part.
In his arrangement of the president
the senator forgets that he and those
from whom he speaks are the one
who are guilty of "unwarranted inter
ference with the liberty and rights of
a large portion of the people. Under
the law and constitution the negroes
are given the same rights and liberties
as are guaranteed to the whitemen,
although it must be admitted that in
that particular portion of the country
from which the senator halls both the
law and constitution are flagrantly and
b%oastingly violated in this respect.
To deny a negro the right and priv
ilege of holding an appointment under
the government is to deprive him of
what is guaranteed him in the most
sacred and binding manner by the
constitution, the supreme law of the
land. For daring to do that which he
knows and believes to be right Pres
ident Roosevelt is t%auntingly referred
to by the fiery southern as president
of the black belt" AS applied to
him the insult intended by Mr.. Money
will be accepted by the president rs a
compliment. No greater testimonial
to Roosevclt's fc:-.ess ard honesty
was ever given. Mr.. Moneys own
words are that the president is above
the unreasonable and inhuman racial
prejudice that dominates all who live
in that part of the county in which
the senator resides, and that so long as
he remains in his present position all
worthy and competent men. be they
black or white, will be regarded by
him as equal and entitled to the same
rights and privileges. In this regard
he is superior to his assailant, who de-
clares with fervor that he is thankful
to God thai such a prejudice has it's
existence as the one which is respon-
sible for the trouble in %Indianola. Be-
cause the God whom he thanks has
seen fit to make ONE men white and
others black Mr.. Money would deny
all rights and privileges to the latter,
forgetful that before that same God
all his creatures stand equal and to
that all men, regardless of their color,
he has promised redemption and
eternal happiness, loving all with the
same great love that permitted him to
send his son into this world for their
salvation.
Mr.. Money is not honest. While
avowing his prejudice and expressing
sent that a reduction shall be made in
the representation of the south, a
representation based upon a voting
population that has been reduced more
than half because of prejudice and
contempt for the law. When he was
asked whether the south's congress
sional representatives should not be
reduced in proportion to the number
of actual voting citizens he lodged
the question by saying that was anoth-
er matter. He was honest enough to
admit that there is no authority for
the demands made by the south as re-
CARDS the non-appoinment of negroes
to public Office, but for all that, he in
sisted the president should disregard
his obligations and yield to the south's
prejudice to the extent of appointing