The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1889-05-03
THE OCEAN SPRINGS POSTMASTER.
SHIP.

Washington, April ga rattle
peculiar incident occurred to-day
which shows how little chance tn.
negroes have OF beeoming post
masters under This administration
aud also furnishes cumulative evi
dence Of the fact that Northern
men going to reside in the SOutl
have as little love Tor the negro a
any one else.
Col. Newcnmb Clark used 10 live
in Michigan, and, being wealthy
and popular, and af n turn Tor pol
tiles, was a well known Republi
can campaign orator, and at one
lime occupied The position O
Speaker of the Michigan House o
Representatives. He was one o.
the typical wayers Of the bloody
shirt, and Sas accustomed, IN his
campaign ~utterances IL become bla,
liant In his dehunciation Of South
erners for tramphHg on The rights
OF The negro. Posing as the friend
and supporter Of the coloIed man
was, so Mithigalfders now in the
city say, his particularly strong
point. A year or Two ago Col.
Clark removed 10 Ocean Springs,
Miss, and with llle aid of his wealth
soon became one OF The prominent
members of that community.
A colored nran was recently, on
The recommendation of ex-Con-
gresham Lynch, appointed post.
master at Ocean Springs, and now
is presented the curious spectacle
of Col. Clark IN Washington clam
oring for the removal of This ne
gro. He was al The POslofice De-
pdrtment to-day nrging his plea.
lie had nothing to say against the
honesty, ability or character of the
postmaster, but he declared thai
The fact is hal if a colored man was
The postmaster at Ocean Springs II
would hurt The town and that no
while man wanted 10 have his mail
handed TO him by a negro. while
his retention wouLl be particularly
offensive tn the ladies of the com
muniIy who might have TO visit
The office. Col. Clark urged his
case so strongly that Gen. Clark
son, the First Assistant Postmaster
General, al last decided to remove
The negro and appoint a white man
in his place. This will be done
shortly. 1t is probable that rbe
man who is thus ousted by a Re-
publican administration will be oil
fered some other place up here in
Washington, although this is not
at all sure.
On The following day Mr.. Parker
Earle, also a Northern Republican,
residing at Ocean Springs. and, like
Col. Clark, highly esteemed by The
citizens OF that place, who we're al
log ether d~ispleased at The above
telegraphic mention of their friend
and benefactor, sent the following
letter in promptly as an expiana-
ton:
OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss, April q, 1889.
Editor OF the Times-Democrat
Your Washington dispatch of the 2Gth
in this days 7imes-Democrat relating to
he appointment Of a postmaster for This
town, aud the action of Que of our eIti-
zeus, Col. NeweOmb Clark, in connection
herewith, seems to many people here to
require comment. We think that the dis
patch SO far as it refers to Col. Clark is an
outrage. 1t speaks OF him a. a typical
waver of the bloody Shirt" ann a. 'bla-
tant" in bis Instrumentation of Southern
ers for trampling on the rights of the ne
gro" and the whole purpose of the wri-
ter seemed to be TO attack Col. Clark and
TO leave Al unpleasant impression rs to
the character and consistency of that gem
tleman.
viii you allow me to say that CJl.
Clark is a very intelligent and honorable
gentleman, who has within two years re-
moved here from Michigan that be is
one of a considerable company of ener-
getic Ten who are trying to build up this
attractive, but lon~g-ueglected country.
He has been here long enough to win tie
esteem of the entire community. He is a
Republican from "'way back !" he COM
man cd a Michigan regiment in the late
var he is a mai Of influence up there,
aud has taken an active interest in poll
tics. If he made any pc itical speeches,
Were undoubtedly full of orthodox
doctrine. He may have "wa-
we'd the bloody SHIRT whatever that sick
ly phrase may means. And if the south
erners had been 'trdmpling on the rights
of the negro" he would be likely to de-
that kind of a thing, as your cor
says he did. And | think he
viii do 50 again If he discovers any more
sucb 'trampling" But the word "bla-
tant' is not fe~llc4tous, and il does not de-
scribe the kind Of a man which Col Clark
is aud especially is the word not happy
when found in a Democratic newspaper,
describing q man who il at considerable
personal sacrifice trying to serve the in
terests of q community which Is so large
~ Democratic 10 politics as this one of
Ocean Springs. Mr.. CLARK went to Wash
ington az the special urgency Of the lead
ing men of this tow to try n avert
what seemed TO the entire white citizen
here as an impending misfortune,
Republicans aud Democrats were agreed
in this opinion. We thought We were en-
titled to the most efficient postofice ser
vice attainable, aud we did not think that
the proposed change would give US that.
Your correspondent carries the impress
sion that this attitude is-inconsIstent with
Col. Clark's s~quare-toed up-and-doWn
Michigan RspublicsDism. There are a
good many Republicans here-and lots of
them cOming-wbo are pronounced in
their views as was our good Colonel on q
Michigan platform. If anybody tries to
'trampIe on the rights Of the negroes"-
or white men either-they will not hest
tate to deDounoe that kind Of q perform
ance. Col. Clark will be found as true a
Republican here As he has always been.
IL that means o manly stand for the legal