Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-06-27
COLOR AS A CLAIM.

b'N Wv hNS'N o"hO pi"oNiVui wv
dencc of friendship the President may
do the very thing that he should care
fully guard against, by the re.establish
ment of the cole line; The Glpims Q
airE ~ 1~~sN-a -sAAhxno
is TO official position under the govern
ment, are nothing. There is no sucl
thing as claim to public office, and i
civil service reform means anything il
mears that ar2 Notksg less, Aparl
from this consideration, however, what
ground is there for the demand of the
Louisiana delegation, which the Presi
dent seems to have tacitly admitted
that they shall have recognition as
members Of q certain race? Race dis
tinctions are what they and theii
friends have fought against for years
and have finally nearly succeeded il
obliterating. What would be thought
of any man, however patriotic, how
ever capable, going to the White
House and asking an appointment be
cause he is white2 When the negro
makes such a demand, he merely
fastens the collar OF servitude about
his neck. OF him who advances such
pretensions to official position il can
only be said that he demonstrates bis
own unworthiness. 10 admit such a
claim is to acknowledge the correctness
of the theory now repudiated by all
earnest relormers, including the Presi-
dent, that offices are to be parceled
out among politicians, not solely with
regard TO the public interests, but as a
matter Of reward. Whenever the
President makes such an appointment
he not only shakes the confidence Of
the public in his integrity OF purpose
but puts a rotton timber in the civil
service structure that will assuredly
detract from the symmetry and sound
ness Of the whole, and will as certain
ly give him trouble in the future. Al
ready there have been too many such
appointments, and one such more than
offsets half dozen good ones in the
estimation of thinking people.
As to the Louisiana claimants that
were brought to the attention OF the
President by a committee OF office.
beggars the other day, and who were
so kindly received, we happen to know
that they represented some of the
worst elements in the politics of their
State. They are just the sort of peo-
pie who, having no qualifications for
the position sought, would plead their
color as a tramp pleads his wife and
children as an inducement TO charity.
Better men Of their race would scorn
to trade in the complexion Of their
skin. Stamps and Kenner, the latter
of Returning Board fame, are in no
way representative men, much less are
Lewis and Chester, in whose interest
they came TO Washington. These tel
lows occupy relatively the same posi-
ton in Louisiana that Whipper and
Wright do in South Carolina. Al
though their vices have not obtained
such public recognition, they are
chronic oflice-seekers and have no
claims to respectability apart from the
Official positions they have held or
sought under the infamous govern
ment Of Kellogg or as satellites of the
notoriously bad Federal placemen ap.
pointed by Grant.
We are not sure that we catch the
Presidents's idea when he says that
he "desires to give the people whom
Stamps, Kenncr, ct all represent"
but il he means that the colored peo.
pie are TO have some offices, it is to be
hoped that he will 60 outside of the
rings to get his men. In Louisiana, If
there are men of color who,
by education and social position, are
qualified for official life. Some of these
enjoy the confidence of all classes
even the asperties Of race produced
by the friction Of politics since the
war have not disturbed the pleasant
relations existing between them and
the white citizens. The President and
his official advisers will not find such
persons hanging about custom houses
or waiting for the crumbs that may
fall from anybodys table. They are
not the fellows whom Pitkin would
select, as he did this committee, to run
his errands; nor are they such preten.
tious frauds as Langston and Doug.
lass. AS a rule, it will be safe to dis.
trust the fitness Of any man who has
been hand and glove with the carpet
baggers or who asks an office simply
because he is black. Not to put too
fine a point upon it, that sort OF ma.
terial "don't wash !" and as to claim
agencies, they do not belong to an era
of civil service reform.-Phiid. Times.