The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-09-04
GARRISON REPLIES TO GRADY.
The Atlanta CONSTITUTION" shown Up by
the Assistant Postmaster General.
ATLANTA GA dispatch.

lAtlaEta tIal mspatch.I
In reply to the statement of Acting
Postmaster General Clarkson in refer
ence to the appointment of the negro
Penny TO n position in the Atlanta
Postofiice, the Constitution says IN
double-leaded editorial:
That the authorities In Washington are deter
mined 10 distort the fucts relative To the ap-
pointment o. the negro Penny 10 a place in the
Atlanta pos,ofD ;e il clearly shown by the tele-
gram which We printed yesterday. Nearly every
statement attributed 70 Acti1g Postmaster
General Clarksou in that telegram Is false on
the face and the telegram may Justly be regard.
ed as deliberate attempt On the part If an
official supposed 90 be close 20 the administra-
tion 70 deceive the public with reference
TO an event that has become notorious.
Mr.. Garrison says that the Atlanta
Postmaster, General Lewis, appointed
Charles Il. Penny, who stood at the head
OF the ciyil-service list OF eligibles. This is
false When Lewis appointed Penny he was
the lowest in list OF two and Lewis did not
discover until afterNard that Sturgis, the white
applicant, was not eligible, for he appointed
him 10 a clerkship In another department next
day. Lewis himself says that he appointed
Penny TO the position in the registry depart
ment because he would there be less liable 70
come in contact with the public, but Mr. Clark
son says that Penny was assigned To work in
the registry division-not in the same room
with the young lady, but in another. The inn
preston here sought 10 be left on the public
mind 4 false. EX-Postmastcr kenfroe, who
knows a great deal more about the workings OF
the postofiice here than Lewis, says that the
clerks in the registry department are neces-
sarily brought into contact and association.
The Constitution assures Mr. Clarkson that
neither the admins tratiOn nor any OF its SER
wants will be permitted 10 Islander or misrepre-
sent Atlanta.
Washington special
The above dispatch from Atlanta was
shown TO Acting Postmaster General
Clarkson, and he was asked what he
had to say in regard TO it. He said:
have no wish 10 follow the matter up. l
stated the official facts, the literal truth. The
Constitution seems TO have been the original
and inspiring medium of the whole sensation.
The facts are as l stated them. Penny was
drawn from the list of eligibes. He was put in
the registry division, whore the white girl 3
father rs superintendent had the assignment
of all clerks. The superintendent first asked
whether he could he kept for four years. The
Postmaster told him that he could not tell him
That. He then resigned. IL seems he was will
ing TO work four years with colored man, but
not few months.
II no wonder that since the story has gone
to the country there is an attempt on the part
OF Atlanta 10 explain il. The truth is. Post
master Lewis did nothing more than was right,
and no amount OF misrepresentation on account
of race prejudice can distort the actual facts
into anything else than truth. The postmas-
ter instead OF trying TO put the colored clerk at
the same desk with the white girl, as the At
lanta papers first printed IL and sent IL North,
took him TO the superintendent OF the Registry
division who had the assignment of clerks (;
ard, moreover, the white girls father and the
colored man were put in another room. There
WAS no more justification in the father ana
daughter resiming than there would have been
il they had resigned when the Democratic post
ma ter had five negro clerks in the same Office.
The spirit OF the Constitution aud those 1t
represents simply represents those who are UNI
willing 10 accept the negro as n citizen and who
are unwilling 70 let the colcred people show
their capacity 90 hold Clerkships or other Gov
Crnmcut positions.