Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-02-06
signing Names.
BY HENRY WARD BEEcaER.

II have brought your riverince pa
per, which l hope yer riverince will
sign, for proper man."
This he says as he fumbles in his
pocket for paper. He pulls out an
old cotton handkerchief, then crum-
pied mass Of newspaper, and certain
queer and crushed bits of white payer
white once, but dingy enough now.
1t is not there. Another pocketi is emp
tied. In third is found the "docky-
ment."
1t Is q request that Pharaoh Mac
Crum, be appointed 'on the police"
1t goes on to state that each one of the
signers is personally acquainted with
the candidate.-that of his own per-
sonal knowledge he is man of good
morals and upwright life, temperate,
Industrious, and in every way fitted
for the.trust solicited for him.
"Well my friend what do you want
of me?"
"lf your honor would sign the pa
per-"
"But am not acquainted with you"
"Yes, yer riverince, but these gin.
lemen that have signed knows me.
and sure they wouldn't mistake"
"Yes they sign for themselves; but
how does that give me personal
knowledge OF you tor. ten years and
how do know that you are sober, OF
| industrious or trustworthy? l hope
you are but know nothing about it. =
"Yes sir, bnt you might know by
thin" pointing to the names, '.sure an
they wouldn't sign anything that was
not true"
"My friend cannot sign the paper
1t would be falsehood. / should say
knew man that / never knew. No
no, you need not plead, will not sign
it,"
The man goes away in bewiidered
state. He had heard, he assured me-
that was a kind-hearted gintleman
and he could not imagine why would
not help a poor fellow, and no doubt,
reported when he got home that wa.
not the man he took me to be.
Another young man says: "If you
would be kind enough to give me q
letter to Mr.. Claflin, / sm sure that hs
would give me o place.
"But, sir, l do not know anything
about you, and ! cannot recommend
YOU"
''But here are papers that certify m.
| character
.'very well go and show the paper.
to Mr.. Claflin, and if he needs another
man, and is satisfied with your creden
tials, ye will take you in"
"But your name would settle the
matter.,,
Not long after it was understood tha
l certified things, or recommended
men that knew nothing about.
These things are not peculiar to me
They happen to all men of any posi-
tion or influence. Men are solicited
to lend their names in q manner tha
cannot be justified by honor.
The fact is now notorious that mer
have put the signing of their names
out of the ordinary code of morality
Men will sign merely to get rid Of !,
man. They will recommend bOol
which they know nothing about, rath
er than hurt some ones feelings by &
refusal. They viii recommend men a
highly fitted for positions which the,
positively know they Are utterly unfit
ted for. Nay, men will give to candi
dates the strongest letters for an Office
and then write secret letters to head
quarters to say that the letter Is not t.
be regarded. Indeed, it is said that il
certain cases politicians find il neces
sary to have it understood at head
quarters that no letter is to be regard
ed, unless 1t have some distinctive sign
upon 1t which have been agreed upon
Is there not need of a better publi,
sentiment On the subject Of signin:
names? The laxity OF practice Is fas
taking all value from documents bear
ing eminent names. Such a loose policy
as is now pursued ought to be ranked
with falsehoods, deceptions, and con
spiracies to dcfraud.