The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1914-06-05
WANTS YOUNG
FOR COLONEL
United Colored Democracy Writes
Governor of New York About
Former Ohio Mayor.

Albany. May s6.-RePresentatives OF
the United Colored Democracy Of the
state of New York have written TO Cover
nor Glynn Suggesting that Major Charles
Young, United States Calvary. at present
detailed as rilitary attache to Monrovia,
Liberia. and assisting in the instruction
of the Liberisn army, he made colonel
of the National Guard regiment of colored
militia authorized by the 1913 legislature.
Major Young is the only colored officer
of his rank on the active list i'm the reg
ular army. lie entered West Point in
June, 1884, and will have completed ~
years service next month. Under army
regulations, an oflicer can retire. with the
consent of the President, after thirty
years service, and the prominent colored
men of this city, who have been tigting
for years for the privilege of organizing a
regiment, plan 10 have Major Young de-
tailed To active service after his retirement
and assigned To organize the authorized
regiment in this state. This plan would
continue Major Young on his active ser
vice pay Of 5000 a year.
Robert y. Wood is president of the
United Colored Democracy. and the other
officers include r. r. Prresett, William
IA. Austin, James ID. Carr, John T.
rhorne, ID. Macon Webster, Henry l..
smith, Cornelius A. Hughes, Owen VI.
Waller, w. w. IIanley, r. q. Morton.
j. Frank Wheaton, Edmund %. Austin,
Samuel w. ia ckson and Rufus l.. Perry.
The letter 10 Governor Glynn suggesting
Major Young for colonel of the colored
regiment was i'm part a. follows:
''The Attorney General has postponed
organization Of the cOlored regiment ow-
ing To the fact that not a sufficient num-
Der Of candidates passed the examination
for officers IL has again been proposed
that the regiment be commanded by white
officers ] desire herewith 10 renew our
objections To this proposal, and to suggest
practicable means for the expeditions
organization of the regiment in accord
anee with the plain intent Of the statute
that makes mandatory provision for il.
To place white Ofliccrs in command
OF the regiment would be a clear violstion
Of the statute. The statute provides for
eOlOr-o regiment. Nowhere i'm the mil
tary law L. the term regiment standing
alone, u-s'i u deScribe only the privates
and nOn-cOmmissiOned officers Of such a
military unit as distinguished from il
commissioned officers, hut everywhere in
that law this term. - used, means the
entire unit, including all officers in COM
mand -
The letter also set forth debates i'm the
l>eglsture 10 support the contention that
advocates Of the new regiment act refused
compromise measures providing for white
officers The letter continues:
Intelligent nj distinguished colore,l
citizens OF this state do not now desires
nor have they ever desire I. t. have a r,.,-
iment commanded by white oiIicer-. To
place white officers IN command Of the
regiment would be- the plaineSt AMI most
insulting implication Of the inferiority Of
colored men, ami the proposal j. of a
piece with that silly -lander that colore,l
officers cannot command cOlOresl troops
successfully. The public policy Of our
statss, as exPress-l in it, statuts.~. and the
cecision Of its courts, lay- dow % the prin-
clPle OF absolute and entire e'Iuaity of tl,e
races.