The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-02-21
Signing Names.
BY HENRY WARD BEEoHER.

"I have bro't yer reverence n paper,
which hope yer riverince VIII Slgn' ior
| a poor man"
This he says as he fumbles IN his
pocket for a paper. He pulls out cot
| ton handkerchief, then crumpied
mass of newspaper, and certain queer
and crushed bits of white paper-white
once, at any rate, but dingy enough
now. 1t is not there. Another pocket
is emptied. In a third is found inc
"doskyment." A.,
IL is a request that Pharaoh Mac
| Crum be appointed "on the police. II
goes on to state that each one OF tho
signers is personally acquainted with
| the candidate-that of his own personal
knowledge he is n man of good morals
and upright life, temperate, industri-
ous, and every way fitted for the trust
solicited for him.
"well, my.friend, what do you want
of me?" =,
"If your honor would sign the
paper" -. -, .,.;,,, ~, !,
But am not acquainted with you.
eyes. yer riverince but these gin.
tlemen that have signed knows me, an
sure they wouldn't mistake.
Eyes, they sign for themselves bu,
how does that give me a personal
knowledge of you for ten years AMI
how do know that you are sober or
industrious, or trustworthy? L hope
YOU are, but know nothing about 1t,
/ have never seen you, to my know
ledge, till this moment.
"Yes, sir, that's true; but you
might know from thin, pointing TO tho
names. "Sure they wouldn't sign any
thing that was not true"
"My friend, 1 cannot sign the pa
per It would be falsehood. / should
saw / knew man that / never saw
No, no you need not plead; will not
sign it.
The man goes away in bewildered
state. He had heard, he assured me,
that l was n kind-hearted gentleman,
and he could not imagine why l would
not help n poor fellow, and no doubt
reported, when he got home, that 1 was
not tho man he took me TO be.
Another young man says, III you
would be kind enough TO give me
letter TO Mr. ClaAin, / know that he
would give me place.
&" But, sir, / do not know anything
about you, and / cannot recommend
you.
"But here are papers, sir, that certi-
fy my character. "
Every well go and show the papers
to Mr.. Clafin, and if he needs another
man. and is satisfied with your creden-
tials. he will take You in. "
"But your name, sir, would settle the
natter,
Not long after it was understood
that | certified things or recommended
men that l knew nothing about"
These things are not peculiar TO me.
They happen TO all men of any position
or influence. Men are solicited TO lend
their names in manner that cannot b.
justified 10y honor
The fact is now notorious that men
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 book which
thew know nothing about, rather than
hurt some ones feelings by refusal.
They will recommend men as highly
fitted for positions which they positive
ly know they are utterly untitled for.
Nav. men will give TO candidates the
strongest letters for an Office, and then
write secret letters TO headquarters TO
saw that the letter is not TO be regarded.
it is said that in certain cases
politicians find it necessary 10 have II
understood at headquarters that no let
ter is to be regarded, unless 1t have
some distinctive signs upon it which
have been agreed upon.
Is there not need of a better public
sentiment on the subject of signing
names? The laxity of practice is fast
taking all value from documents bear
ng eminent names. Such loose
policy as is now pursued ought 10 b.
ranked with falsehoods, deceptions, and
TO defraud.