The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-04-04
Humphreys of Florida--A Case of $50
cia1 Ostracism."

We scarcely know whether to be glad or
sorry that we have no better authority
than the Washington correspondent of the
Euenig0 Post for tale which he tells
about Humphreys, of Florida. Hum
phreys, of Floridi was the elector whose
Establishments prevailed upon Judge
Bradley and other persons to declare that
they could not inquire whether he was
eligible to be elected an elector or not,
though shortly afterwards they joined the
minority in declaring that they could so
inquire when the eligibility of Cronin was
under discussion. Humphreys, disappear
ing from the stage as atriumphant though
ineligible hero, reappears upon it as a
martyr. The Washington correspondent
of the EUeniRg FoSt says that he has
been prosecuted because he was a Repub-
lican and an elector. He has been dis
missed from bis employment because his
dictatorship was bringing his employers
Ian express company into general dis
favor, and he was furthermore subjected
to the disagreeable process called in the
south social ostracism." When this
process takes the form Of tar and feathers,
or Of the nearest tree, it is undoubtedly a
severe ordeal. Even when it only goes
the length of excluding a man from small
familiar tea parties, man, and particu-
larly a mans wife, would rather be spared
from it, and Humphreys has probably got
himself into trouble. Naturally he appeals
TO Mr.. Hayes to do something for hun, as
assuredly he has done something for Mr.
Hayes; and even if Mr.. Hayes has
already found the presidency to be far
short of all that his fancy painted it, he
ought to do something for Humphreys.
The EueniRg Post evidently regards the
persecution of Humphreys as a persecu-
cutiou for righteousness sake. We don't.
1t appears to us that when Mr.. Hum
phreys's fellow-citizens voted for Mr.. Til
den, aud Mr., Humphreys joined in an
arrangement to make it falsely appear
that.they had voted for Mr.. Hayes, dis
pleasure on their part towards MIR. Hum
phreys was not only natural and inevitable
but even laudable. Perhaps it was not
we'll that Humphreys employers should
dismiss him on that ground, and then,
again, perhaps it was. That is a matter
between Humphreys, his employers, aud
Mr.. Hayes, if Mr.. Hayes finds that he
can make it up to Humphreys consistently
with the principles of civil-service reform.
However that may be, the tea-table of the
FloridiaD is his own, and if he declares
that his hand never shall, in friendly
grasp, the hand Of such as Humphreys
clasp, we are inclined to sympathize with
the Floridian.
Whether the Floridian is right or wrong,
the case of Humphreys is one for serious
reflection. If politics in Florida affect
social relations and give rise to social
ostracism, politics in Florida are a serious
business. All the cases of social ostrac-
ism" in the south are cases of Republicans
ostracized by Democrats, The lower
classes of society cannot ostracize the
upper; and the fact that the upper class il
the south, certainly the richest and pre-
sumably the most intelligent class, is com
posed entirely of Democrats, and that the
members of it feel personally vindictivt
against every person who helps to put {
Republican government over them, shows
what the character of the Republican
governments in the south is. We die
not need this evidence, but it is worth
having. The Democrats of the south
socially ostracize Republicans simply be
cause the Republicans have misgoverned
plundered and oppressed them. N z
World.