Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-23
At CAPITAL
MAINLY To RESIST
NEGRO NOMINATION
Louisiana Governor Protests
to Harding and to Sena-
tors Against Appointment
of Negro to Office at N, o.
Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
408 Evans Building.
BY THEODORE TILLER

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. u
Governor John M. Parker, of Louis
lana, who has been in Washington
for two days, came to the capitol
primarily to force the isue with
President Harding regarding the ap-
pointment of Walter Cohen, a negro
politician of New Orleans. as comp
troller of customs in that city. The
Louisiana governor is receiving the
support of a group of southern sena-
tors rapidly increasing in numbers
and the Interest fight is ahead over
the confirmation of Cohen. The
primary object of his mission be-
came known today. The Louisiana
Ku Klux Khan issue and the cotton
conference are secondary.
The position of comptroller of Gus
toms was created by the tariff bill
recently passed and President Har-
din named to fill {. though
southern members of congress claim
they understood that no negroes
would be named to important federal
jobs in the south in this administra-
ton.
May Become Famous Case
And unless the administration
quietly lies down and permits the
nomination of Cohen to be pigeon
loolo1 +bo EEoo1o,. 1;,,o oocaD nav no
come as famous as that of the negro
Crum who was appointed collec+r
of the port of Charleston, S. G. by
Pro 'ident Roosevelt. The Crum ap-
pointment was bitterly fought by the
late senator Tillman and defeated,
although the Roosevelt administra-
ton exhausted all it's resources in an
effort to force the confirmation.
Governor Parker went upon the
floor of the senate, as he US privi-
legged to do, and follow up his pro-
test registered with the president,
by a personal appeal to as many
sen. ors as he could reach to fight
the confirmation to the last ditch.
1t is understood that very cOnSid-
cradle group of Democratic senatrs
agreed with GVernor Parker that it
would be a mistake to force a negro
a intee upon. a southern city at
such a time as this. Governor Par
ker, it is stated. has not linked
the Cohen appointment up with
the Ku klux Khan activities in
Lou Siana, but many of the sena-
tors with whom he has discussed the
case, understand that the forced
confirmation of Cohen would further
inflame the Khan, particularly in
Louisiana.
Warned the President
Discussing the mater Governor
Parker sal that he complained as
forcefully as he could to the presi-
dent, against the appointment of
Cohen, and took occas on to warn
the chief executive that he, the gov
ernor, would exercise all the influ-
ence he could command in the SEN
ate to defeat the confirmation of the
negro, if the administration in
sist upon going through with the
Cohen nomination.
Incidentally, Governor Parker who
raises the negro issue in this case
was an intimate personal and pOliti-
cal friend of Col. Roosevelt who rails
ed = in the case of Crum. Parker
went into the progressive party with
Roosevelt in 1912 and was the pro-
gressive candidatAfor vice president
in 1916, refusing to follow Roose-
lit back to the republican party.
Parker became a Democrat after
1916 and two years ago was nominal
ed and elected overnor of louisiana
Chen's nomination for permanent
appointment pro ably will go to
the senate in a few days.