The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-20
FridayiJan. 20. 1905.
THE SOUTH NEED NOT WORRY.

According to the New York Sun
President Roosevelt has declared to
Judge Jones, of Alabama, hat he is
opposed to any legislation cutting
down the representation Of the south
ern states in congress and in the cleo
toral college," The Sun continues;
Judge Jones is the medium for the
expression of the presidents views to
southern democrats whose good opin-
ion he values and whose good will he
wants and it goes on to say that "if
it be true, as reported, that the presi-
dent has declared against the scheme
to cut down southern representation
which has the backing of some of the
republican leaders in congress-, no
Roesevelt's term"
We give full credence to Judge
Jones statement. He is an honorable
gentleman and an honest man. AS a
democrat he accepted the office of dis
trict judge rendered him by Mr..
Roosevelt. For this reason some OF
tried to make it appear hat he had
turned traitor to his party and to the
south.
We do~not see why a man in the
south cannot accept such a non-polit-
ical Office as a district court judge
ship from Mr.. Roosevelt and still be
as true to his party and to his section
as could one who thrived on a post
mastership at the hands of President
Grant. These sort of things depend
upon wv things-who it is who
makes the appointments and who it is
who accepts them. For instance;
here is Judge Jones, who stood well
in his party and has never shown any
signs of apostasy, selected by Mr..
Roosevelt when he was looking about
for a proper person to appoint to a
federal judgeship in Alabama. He
chose MI. Jones, though a democrat
instead of some less worthy and less
fitting person of his own party. Mr.
Jones accepted. Should not both he
and the president be commended
Should Mr.. Jones have said: mo, ]
will not take the office. / would prefer
that some one of the inefficient repub-
I1o~ &c +hir licfrio+ cI1,11S
be appointed to preside over the
courts of this district" Still respect
able democratic papers make such
filings at him as this from yesterdays
News and Observer:
Federal Judge Thomas G.. Jones
who was given a fat job by Roose-
welt, says Theodore Roosevelt is q
warm friend Of the SOUTH" The judge
has good cause to praise the presi-
dent.
The other side of the picture Is
shown right here in our own state
when a democratic governor, On sue
ceeding a republican, reappointed to
an important office the man who had
flied it by the appointment of mis- pre-
decessor, though the convention
which nominated him had by it's de-
liberate action declared that no state
officer of the former administration
should be allowed to hold Office under
the new one. It was all right in that
case because it was a democrat MAX
ing The appointment of an official OF 4
former republican administration.
To get back to Mr.. Roosevelt's OPP
position to the Crumpacker scheme.
We do not p it makes much diff
ference whether he approves of it or
opposes it. The chances are ninety
nine out of a hundred that with his
approval it will never becom a law.
Even if it should the courts would
not let it stand, for it is the consensus
of opinion among the best constitu-
tional lawyers of the land that the
constitutional provision permitting
such legislation has been repealed by
a subsequent amendment to the fed
eral constitution. But suppose this
were not the case, the southern states
would accept the penalizing legisla-
ton rather han give up the franchise
amendments to their constitutions.
The south need not worry about
this matter 0 about how many good
and honorable democrats a republican
president appoints to office.
The house Of representatives will vote