Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-05-31

ted to participate in the opening cere-
monies, and son of Fred Douglass
came over from Washington TO inter-
ccde for his race. He found friend
in Commissioner Lowry, of Iowa,
who, when the Commission went into
executive session, without consulta-
ton with the other members offered
the following:
WHEREAS. The Constitution and
the laws OF the United States make
no distinction of race, color, or pre-
yious condition of servitnde there
fore,
Resoleed, that the Director General
be requested to recognize the claims
of colored men to positions on the
Centennial police, and Centennial
guard.
Hardly was the reading of the res
olution completed before nearly every
one of the Southern members was on
his feet, furiously denouncing the
proposition. Canes and umbrellas
were flourished, and skirmish
seemed imminent. These howlers
for reconciliation demanded that the
offensive resolution be Withdrawn,
but Mr.. Lowry insisted upon a vote.
Then Mr.. Mallory, of Kentucky,
moved to lay the resolution on the
table. The yeas and nays Were in
sisted upon by the friends of the
| colorcd men, and the vote resulted
, yeas, IL; nays, 10; and the motion to
liable was lost. Not one Democrat
voted i'm the negative. When this
dodge failed, a long discussion was
8 had upon the merits of the reso-
. luton. The speeches in opposition
! were of the Ben Hill-Toombs order
: and to the effect that the colored mar
/ had no rights which the white man was
s bound to respect, much less the right
5 to earn an honest living. To the dis
credit of the Republican members OF
the Commission, Mr.. Lowry was lef
!. almost unsupported in the discussion
a Finally the question came to vot'
y viva vocc, and it was declared car
ried, an amendment having beer
). adopted that il any colored men ar
d employed they should be of goo,
h character. Several Republican
nj avoided placing themselves upon tn
;, record by going out, but the Demo
Gratis remained and to man vote
II against the resolution. The Repub
h licans who deserted did not wish I
a hurt the feelings of their Southern
brethren, but the latter remained a
:. their posts as long as they perceived
"a chance to take crumb out OF III
cs mouth of negro. The resolutio
10 stands on the record adopted, but til
4 Director General has not rs yet EN-
~ ployed any colored men, and proba
mt bly will decline to do so, eNcusin
ve himself on the ground that the pos
an tons are already filled. So that afte
!. all the Republicans will have game
" a bootless victory. After this expe1
D, fence it is high time to stop talkin
Id about reconciliation. The Southern
>, do not want it, and will not have
- if it requires of them any concession
10 This is to be great centennial yea
ry of Jubilee, but, according to the Con
ne federate notion. the white men Onl
be are to be allowed seats on the pla
-. form: the black men are to be left
he peek through the knot-holes. Ths
We the colored people feel the slight p1
cy upon their race by their being SO ST.
IL diously ignored is apparent. lol
&c correspondent, among the hundred
u of thousands of visitors which he h
1e- noticed within the Centennial bull
Up ings. has not seen dozen negrOes
he any age or sex. They say that If til
- is to be white mans Centennial
=. is no concern of theirs On the ope
nd ing day a company of colored sol
In lers were by chance>Qdmit,ed to Il
,ev grounds tegethep witEthe other m
~, itary organizations. For this owe
.a' sight the Commission was severe
the criticized BY the followers after Del
The ocratic Idols.