and offered the money. The scene has probably never been equaled in Maryland politics. In this connection, the following News Item is of interest. I clip it from The New York Times (Septem- ber 23, 1903, page 1) : — NEGRO MUST BE RECOGNIZED President Roosevelt Will Carry Into Effect His Plans for Colored Voters. (Special to The New York Times.) Birmingham, Ala., Sept. 22. — J. O. Thompson, Col- lector of Revenue for Alabama, and one of the Presi- dent's referees in this State, said this afternoon, upon his return from a conference with the President at Oyster Bay, that Mr. Roosevelt was determined to carry out his plan of recognizing the negro as an ele- ment in the party. He pronounced as unjustifiable the report that the President was seeking reconciliation with the Vaughan and Bingham, or " Lilywhite," faction, which eliminated the negro from the last State convention. Vaughan and Bingham bear him out in the latter statement. The eight vacancies in Federal offices occurring in this State in December will be filled by the nominees of the referee, and the " Lilywhites " will seek conso- lation in trying to send an Alabama delegation op- posed to Roosevelt to the National convention. This Nezvs Item appeared shortly after the tim.e, I think, that the notorious negro, Booker T. Washing- ton, had been entertained by the President at the White House. It called forth an enormous amount of criticism in the press, and among other articles and interviews, speeches, and addresses, the following from Senator Gorman, of Maryland {The New York Times, Saturday, October 31, 1903, p. 1) : —
