The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-20
Thanks to Senator Tillman.

Senator Tillman has placed all the
people of Charleston, white and black,
and of the State and the South under
great obligations to him for his splen-
did fight against the confirmation of
DR.. Crum to be Collector of Customs
at Charleston. He has handled him.
self in this matter in an altogether
admirable way. We cannot speak too
highly of him and his work, and we
are sure that he will receive, as he
certainly merits the thanks of the
country.
Yesterday. when Senator Frye ask
ed the Democratic senators to permit
the Crum nomination to come to a
vote on March 1. they would not agree
to the proposition. whereupon the sem
ator from Maine remarked: very
we'll. I will withdraw the nomination
for the present" The Associated
Press reports that "it is understood
by senate leaders that the case will
not be again considered ut the present
session." That is doubtless what they
understand; but is that what Senator
Frye meant? Ordinarily. we should
answer in the affirmative; out the
senator from Maine has pressed the
appointment so stubbornly and with
apparently so much feeling that Sem
ator Tillman should keep a sharp
lookout on the situation until after
the noon hour on the fourth day of
March. the day on which Mr.. Roose-
welt AMI all his political baggage will
move out Of the White House and the
capitol forever. Mr.. Tillman, don't
forget what Senator Frye said: "I will
withdraw the nomination for the pres
ent." and keep on ploughing."
We have said that Senator Tillman
has done good work for all the peo-
pie. both white and black, and we
might add for the black people, par
ticularly. They have gained nothing
in this town nor anywhere else in the
South by the appointment of DR..
Crum, in politics. or business, or indus
try, or social position. He has gained
nothing for himself in any of these
ways. For six years he has gone to
his Office at the Custom House daily,
as matter of form. There he has
come into contact with none of his
own peOple-they have no business
with the office, and have never had.
All the business of the Custom House
is transacted with white people, the
merchants and importers of this and
other Southern communities, and the
business of the Office itself has been
attended to by his white assistants. He
has never appeared on any public oc-
casion at this port in which the white
people were interested, and if he
should be continued in the office. to
which he has added neither dignity
nor value, for thousand years this
condition would not be changed. He
was forced on the community, and he
has been kept in Office by force, not
the force Of arms. because there has
never been the least disposition to do
him bodily harm, but the force of an
unbalanced and wholly irresponsible
president at Washington against his
| own better instincts and the protests
OF many senators and representatives
OF his own party as a punitive meas
ure towards the people Of this town,
who have never done him any harm,
and as a mean and dishonest political
trick to catch the favor of the negroes
OF the country. There is a special
fitness in Crum and Roosevelt going
out together; servant and lord, tool
and master.