The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1911-02-24

Hon. ]. c. Napier was some time
ago appointed by President Taft
Register of the Treasury to succeed
Hon. W. T. Vernon, of Kansas. For
some reason or other the appointment
has never been sent to the Senate to
be acted upon. Divers reasons have
been advanced why the appointment
has been withheld, but presumably
everybody is in the dark. This state
of affairs has given rise to sundry
sayings by the Negro press of the
country.
The Atlanta Independent, in its
iect of double-column editorial and
among other things said that Mr.. Ma
pier once resorted to the courts to es-
tabish his racial identity
MIR. Napier, when shown the arti-
Gle by a representative of the Globe,
said: Il admit that maybe l have
done some foolish things in my life,
but have never been so indiscreet
as to ask any court 10 declare whether
| was a white or black man. The
fact stands out boldly and clearly that
all of Middle Tennessee knows of my
parentage, early life, young manhood
and matured years. l have lived in
Nashville all of my days. My life
has been an open book. | have al
ways stood unflinchingly for and by
my race. am a Negro. | visit
them in their homes and they return
the compliment. They have honored
me in the past, and I have striven
to prove worthy of their confidence
This effusion from The Independent
will have no effect upon the people
Of Tennessee, and | deny that | ever
tried to be anything but Negro, try
ing in my humble way, to serve my
God and my people"
The Globe representative took pains
to investigate on its own account by
interviewing many of the older and
leading citizens who have known Mr.
Napier from young manhood, and
some who went to school with him.
Dr. H. T. Noel, practicing physi-
clan in this city and a noted stock
raiser said, he had known Mr.. Napier
all of his life. There has never
been time when he went back ON
his people, being a Negro first, last
and all the time"
Mr.. j. G. Thompson, one of the old
est citizens and a leading man in pub
lie affairs, said he never knew of any
court proceedings to declare Mr.. Ma
pier white man; that such a thing
never happened.
Mr.. w. H. Hodgkins, a prominent
real estate dealer, was surprised that
any reputable paper would lend its
columns to any such rot Mr.. Napier
has always been identified with the
best interest of the Negro race. There
has never been any court in Tonnes
see asked to declare whether Mr.. Ma
pier was black or white. knew his
forebears; they were Negroes beyond
a doubt
Mr.. j. w. Grant, prominent attor-
ney and eX-Grand Master of the Odd
Fellows in the state, said: 81 have
lived here a number of years and
think know Hon. ]. C. Napier, and
can truthfully say that the article in
the independent does him a gross
injustice"
Mr.. J. H. COyles, another leading
citizen, never heard Of Mr.. Napier
applying to any court or any other tri.
Dunal to determine his race. He said,
I have always known him to be a
man of honor and probity."
The concensus of opinion among
the many other people was that the
IhdependentS article is a halucination
oi designing mind
Mr.. T. G. Ewing, who has lived in
this CITY ali of his life and who has