The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1913-07-01
APPOINTMENT OF &. r. BELcAER,
coLOREO, WAS QUICKLY
WITHDRAWN.
STRONG PROTEST WAS MADE
HeIcher, However, Was Not an AppIi-
cant fer the Place, and in Card
Stated His Resignation Was Soon
to Be Made.

Following the announcement sun
day morning that e. r. Belcher, the
present colored deputy collector of
customs at the port of Brunswick had
been named as deputy collector in
charge of this port under the reorgan-
ization of the customs service,
strong protest was yesterday filed
with government officials at Wash
ington. Dozens of kilograms were
ired into Senators Smith and Bacon,
Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo,
Congressman Walker and others by
various people and organizations of
the city, urging these officials to take
Immediate steps to prevent the ap-
pointment of Belcher.
While all of this was going on,
however, Belcher, who was not an
applicant for the appointment, was
preparing a card to The News, an
nouncing that he would tender his
resignation on Aug. 4, at which time
the term of the present collector al
Savannah would expire.
Local people, however, did not con-
suit Belcher as to his attitude yester-
day morning, but at once started the
telegraph wires working to Wash
ington. Senators Smith and Bacon
and others no doubt thought some
thing had slipped a cog down this
way, SO rapidly were kilograms sent
10 fhem EARLY in the afternoon re-
! plies were received The first came
from Senator Smith, who was quick
to announce that he had made an
1 investigation and that he had assur-
ances that white man would be inn
mediately appointed to the position.
Of deputy collector.
Later in the afternoon another tele-
gram was received, announcing that
Secretary McAdoo had revoked the
designation Of Belcher as local depu-
" collector, and that L. p Johnson.
now deputy collector and inspector,
had been appMnted.
From what buld be learned, it ap-
pears that Belcher was named Satur-
day together with deputies all over
the country and that the officials at
Washington did not know that he was
a negro or that he was Republican,
but that they searched the records of
the Brunswick customs house, found
who was ranking civil service officer
and consequently designated Belcher
for the position.
The announcement that Mr.. John-
son had been named as the deputy
collector stopped the storm of pra-
tests which had been sent up. Whetb-
er he viii assume charge of the Office
here today or whether his appom5-
ment viii not become effective until
after Aug. 4, when the Democrat viii
take charge Of the Georgia office in
Savannah, is not yet known.
Belcher, however, as stated above,
was not an applicant for the position
and further, he did not have any IN
tention whatever of serving. IL n
card to The News on the subject he
said
u was deputy collector OF customs
of this port under Col. j II. Deveaux.
When Hon. T w. Lamb was appoint
ed in 1894 to succeed him, he found
my resignation on his desk on the day
he came in to take chatge Of the 81
fee.
The present collecIc' Of customs
of this district is Hon. w r. Leakin,
of Savannah His term expires Ang.
1, and when his Democratic successor
takes charge, he will likewise find
tay resignation d. his desk.
u have been during the whole OF
my life more or less actively engaged
in politics. / believe in the maxim
that to the victor belongs the spoils
and | am no less willing now than
was 10 years ago to put that belief
in practice when the occasion arises
for me to do So"
----@------ ----
U - ~ =