New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1907-04-20
A SENATOR AT LARGE.

at l-lhIStY duu see lDat his TREND
! Booker I. Washington, is electe,
s to 1t, for at the present time Book
er is discharging in an unofficia
way the duties of senator from
the States Of Alabama, Georgia
Mississippi, South Carolina ant
ONO. The President consuits wi
him about the men to be appointed
to Federal Offices ln those States
lnstead of the senators who repre-
sent them, and the recommenda
tiOns of Booker are invariably
adopted
Upon his recommendation the
negro Ralph Tyler was slated for
a Federal Office in Cincinnati, but
when the people of that city heard
the news they sent word to Mr..
Roosevelt that if the appointment
were made they would peel the
congressional scalp off his son.in-
law, Nicholas Longworth. The
President then sought to load Tyler
onto the people Of Toledo, but an
other prodig'ous kick was forth.
coming from the white Republicans
that city, so it was necessary to
give Tyler an Office in the Treasury
Department at Washington. This
arrangement appears to be satisfac-
tory to everybody except the en-
ployes of the department, but their
protests count for nothing.
1t is to be regretted that the
President did not adopt this course
when Booker Washington recon-
mended Crum, the Charleston neg
no, for Federal office. The peo-
pile of Charleston protested against
the appointment of Crum just as
the people of Cincinnati and Toledo
protested against Tyler, but as no
serious loss of votes involved and |
there was a chance to "humble the
pride of the haughty Southerner,"
Charleston was forced to accept |
Crum as its collector Of customs.
There would have been no protest
from the people of that city or of
the South if Crum had been billed
for job at Washington, because
there the people of a Southern
community would not come in
contact with him.
The truth is, the people of the
South while in the Union have no
part in the government, hence it is
4 matter of absolute indiffe, ence
20 them whether or not the Presi-
lent packs the departments at
Washington until all of them be-
'ome as black as the ace of spades,
10 long as he does not appoint ne
,rOes to Offices in the South with
which the white people have to
ransact business. Booker Wash
ngton would like to have these
'ffices also filled with negroes, but
Ie is quite aware of the fact that
hould he engage in that kind CT
'.'litics the kindly feeling that
'reat mauy prominent white peo-
lie now have for him would dis
ppear, and his position in the I
'outh would become decidedly un-
omfortable. This position, how.
yer, has already been seriously
impaired by his activity in national
oiitics, and the fact that he is the
adviser of President
'oosevelt ia the matter of South
IN appointments.
Booker is shrewd enough to ap-
reciate the value of the kindly re.
ltions he has with the Southern
eople, as we'll as the Importance
} himself of the position he now
Dlds, and he made this clear in
hicago the other day when be
lid: ''It might seem to some
lat one could educate himself aud
,rich himself to that point where
. would desire to tear hiraselfI
way from the negro race, bit as
ng as | live my home will be
,wn there among the black men
the South" The fact is, Book.
is av ry smart negro, and he
rows qtite we'll that his position
the South enables him to playl
e seniimeutalists In the North to
e greatest advantage. Should
ythlUg occur to cause him to
Sc this position he would be ali.
rbed III the body of respectable
ID well to-do negroes in thr
Drth, aud would cease to figure
oninently, as be does now, inI
her political or educational af
lrs But in view Of the fact tha,
IN the approval of President
,oseveIt, Booker is usnrping the
wers aud Prerugatives OF the
majors OF i've or more States, it i
,uid be just as well for his frlendI /
the White House to create and /
ve him the Office Of senator large. |
Tlasiss &}a5ae f-@~-