The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-01-21

ana blacks.
THE SOUTH NEEDS AN HONEST CIVIL
SERVICE.
How to restore the North and the
South to the most complete and lasting
harmony, is now the uppermost desire of
honest men of all parties and sections.
The North is now, as it has been for
twenty years, entrusted with the admin.
stration of the government 1t will
make and administer the laws, and it can
do much to hinder or advance the geuer-
al prosperity of the whole country. The
South is not animated by partisan hos
tility to the coming President. On the
contrary, there is every disposition to
commend and support cordially and to
blame with reluctance. There is no de-
sire to command the spoils of power,b but
TN ere is an earnest and almost universal
desire for peace that peace that honest
government should ever give to an hon
est people. The supreme want of the
South is thoroughly competent and up
right civil service, and that should not
be thought as favor from any faithful
President. 1t is not only matter of
right to every section, but it is matter
of imperative duty on the part of the gov
ernment. A vast preponderance of the
turbulance that has disgraced the South
during the last decade has been created
by characterless, unscrupulous and often
recklessly dishonest Federal officials.
United States Judges have been appoin-
ted because of their bitter hostility to the
South, who would not be charged with
the administration of justice in the North
Marshals have been selected mainly for
their Willingness to prostitute their Off
| cial power to foment sectional strife, to
oppress unoffending citizens and to pol
lutte Observation-Disclosures have been
appointed who were utterly incompetent
in some instances being unable to read
or write, merely because they were po
tential in demoralizing and controlling
the ignorant blacks. Custom and reve.
nue. officers have been selected to make
collection OF revenue secondary to the
corrupt control of elections. United
States Commissioners have united with
District Attorneys and Marshals to plum
der the government by the wanton vex-
alton of struggling business interests in
the South, and the special Agencies of
the government are crowded with noted
criminals as rewards for noted political
crimes In several of the Southern States
| found convicts, fugatives and outlaws
enjoying the patronage of the admins
traton and inviting public contempt for
government and law by their shameless
| 4 W., l. h.
South but upon the North whose admin
istration is guilty of its creation--has las
ted with more or less prominence for a
dozen years, and it has been the most
fruitful sources of sectional turbulence.
| submit to honest and considerate Re
publicans of the North that it is time to
end this terrible stain upon free govern
ment. believe that General Garfield
would gladly inaugurate and maintain
an honest civil service in the South if it
would not involve him in conflict with
his party leaders but he knows that
every leader has his henchmen preying
on the government in the South who
dare not be honored at home, and tha,
the control of party power in the South
|
has become merely matter of the con
troll of the Federal officials. There is to
day no Republican party in the South
solely because unscrupulous adventures
will allow no reputable man to be Re
publican, and what should be grea
party South as well as North, is simply ;
band of often wrangling official plunder
ers and a disgusted following of ignoran
blacks. Most of the responsible fedora
offices could be filled by sincere Repub
licans who are now compelled to ac
against the party in State elections, an(
in nearly every State the colored rae,
could furnish capable men who would be
respected by all classes. Such men a
Durant and Tucker, of Louisiana, Re
vels and Bruce, of Mississippi, and Raj
ney, of South Carolina, could credtabl,
and acceptably fill any Federal Office
but they are, as rule, driven to tn,
rear by the aggressive jobbers and dis
turbers who make delegations TO con
ventions and clamor at Washington To-
their rewards. Where competent Re
publicans can be had to fill positions
in the south, they should be appointed
but where they cannot be had, neithe
the stranger nor the incompetent SHOULD
be commissioned to disgrace Republican
power, If General Garfield should tax,
a resolute stand and enforce honest ant
capable civil service in the South, he vii
have no need to dicker over Reputation
with Malone or the new Senator from
Tennessee to secure apositive admins
tration support in the Senate. The Soutl
will not republicanize itself in Congress
but it will give faithful support to tn
general policy of n Just administration
With the irreconcilable interests in Gen
eral Garfeld's own party, it will be sin
ply impossible for him to maintain Re
publican administrative majority in eitl
er Senate or House if his important pal
ronage shall have been dispensed, bu
by reputable civil service in the Soutl
he can defy the assaults of faction witt
out in any degree impairing his positio
as n positive Republican. Is this nc
the wise course for the Republican Pre-,
ident and party of the North ? and is
not an imperious duty.
! THE SOUTH WANTS TO BE LET ALoNR.
The South has one supreme desire an
that is for peace-to be let alone. An
it is not merely the desire of the white,
it is as much the desire of the blacks.
have met scores of the most intelliger
men in every State, and all of them OF
of Office expressed the same wish-t
be let alone. The problem of race
solved in the South and no Federal pow
er or political device can change it. TIL
white man will dominate without regar
to the occasional numerical preponde
ance of the blacks, simply because $,
perior intelligence and domination tha
II the memory of man runneth not to tn
contrary, cannot be revered withor
chaos, The black man has tried It, an
he is conscious of his failure and of hi
failure to protect himself. He cannc
lead, and those who most successfully lea