Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1873-02-07
Signing Names.
BY HENRY WARD BEECHER.

II have bro't yer riverince paper
which hope yer riverince will sign, for q
poor man."
This he says as he fumbles in his pocket
for paper. He pulls out a cotton hand
kerchief, then crumpled mass of news
paper, 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 third is
found the ''dockyment."
1t is request that Pharaoh ,MacCrum
be appointed 'on the police 1t goes on to
state that each one of the signers is person.
ally acquainted with the candidate that
of his own personal knowledge he is a man
of good morals and upright life, temper
ate, industrious and every way fitted for
the trust solicited for him.
"WelI, my friend, what do you want Of
me ?n
eff your honor would sign the paper
"But am not acquainted with you.n
"Yes, yer riverince but these gintle-
men that have signed knows me, and suro
they wouln'd mistake"
"Yes they sign for themselves but how
does that give me personal knowledge of
you for ten years and how do [ know that
you are sober or industrious and trust
worthy? [ hope you are, but | know
nothing about it,. have never seen you
to my knowledge till this moment"
Another young man says, "IfyOu would
be kind enough to e We me a letter to Mr..
Clafiin, know that he would give me
place."
"But, sir, l do not know anything
about you, and / can not recommend
you"
But here are papers, sir, that certify my
character"
Nd oh IL,
Mr.. Clafiin, and if he needs another man.
and is satisfied with your credentials, he
will take you in."
but your name sir, would settle the
'NOt long after it was understood that
certified things or recommended men that.
1 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 can not be justified
by 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 a man. They will re-
book which they know moth
ing about rather than hurt some ones feel
lngs by refusal. They will recommend
men as highly fitted for positions which
they positively know they are utterly un-
fitted for. Nay, men will give to candi-
dates the strongest letters for an office, and
theu write secret letters to headquarters to
say that the letter is not to be regarded.
Indeed it is said that in certain cases poll
.icians find it necessary to have it under
stood at headquarters that no lottor e to be-
'egarded, unless 1t have some distinctive
signs upon it which have been agreed
lpon.
Is there not need of Il better public sen
,iment on the subject of signing names?
The laxity of practice is fast taking all
value from documents bearing eminent
names. Such loose policy as is now pur-
sued ought 10 be ranked with falsehOods,
and conspiracies to defraud.
A newspaper in Georgetown, Texas,
makes its reader this apology for failing to
ell them about the Boston fire: 1--WE in
ended to publish the dispatches regarding
he fire in Boston, and laid aside the pa
per containing them, for the purpose of
clipping them OUT but before we had time
o do SO, Col. Coffee borrowed it, and fail
I'd to return it. t."-RoCclVs Reporter.