Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-26
FRIDAY. ...........JULY 26. 1889
Tho Insolence Of Once.

HASuRT names tho insolence of Office"
among the ills Of life which are to be borne
only because ignorance of what follows
the shuttle oil this mortal" coil must
give Us pause The "insolence Of Office"
is bad enough when white men only are
concerned but when II mAnifests itself IN
the case Of negro officials, il is intOlerablc.
Yet what else can be expected of q party
consisting so largely Of negroes as the Viz
Cinia Republican party does
Ins0lcnt negroes are almost always ne
groos who have been made insolent by bad
white men. lnsolent white Government
officials are almost always men who can
not stand even the low degree Of prosperi-
e. which is indicated by the possession Of
a small Government Office.
These remarks were suggested TO us by
the following telegram:
WAsHINoroS. July 4.-Superintendent
Bell. Of the railway mail service, said to-day
that there was nothing exceptional IN the
case reported from Iynchburg. Va, alleging
that two white postal clerks had refused 20
instruct a ewly-appointed negro clerk.
1t frequently happened in the South that
white clerks at first refused to instruct
negro AltIhh. bul "a liNlc ptlruhSiNt eAAh
usually convinced them that they were
unreasonable. A persistent refusal OF
course, he said. could have no other result
than dismissal from the service.
We trust that Superintendent BELL has
miscalculated Os to the frmness Of purpose
of those white postal agents. They ought to
hold out faithful 10 the end. Things have
come to a pretty pass IN this country when
a white man is compelled 10 sharpen the
negro axe with which his head is 10 be cut
of. Not only are the white postal clerks
in question called upon to surrender their
Offices 10 negroes, but this HARRISON Ad-
ministration actually demands of them
that they shall instruct the negroes TO
whom WILLIAM MALONE has given their
places. We assume that MALONE has been
intrusted with the distribution of almost
all the Government patronage in Virginia.
Let every Democratic stumper in the
Commonwealth put the paragraph above
quoted into his scrap-book. 1t will, when
read and explained to an audience of
white men, make the Mahoneites sick and
the Democrats indignant. 1t may not
enkindle that burning Indignation which
in 1888 Governor CAMERON aroused in the
breasts Of the white people of Virginia
when he appointed two negroes to be
trustees of the white schools of this city,
but it will excite feeling of resentment
which will bear fruit at the ballot-box in
November next.
Quoth Superintendent BELL, of course"
these white clerks will be dismissed from
the service if they persist in their refusal
to teach negroes how TO do the work which
is 20 be taken from them and transferred
TO the negroes as soon as the former have
played schoolmaster long enough to en-
able the latter to qualify themselves to take
the bread and meat out of the mouths of
the white postal clerks. Yes; "of course"
a negro party is compelled to yield to the
dictation of negroes.
But no Democratic Superintendent of
the Railway Service would be expected 20
say that of course" whites must instruct
negroes and then yield TO them their
places. No such expression is expected To
rise to the lips when Democratic Govern
ment official has appointments TO make.
The fact Is the negro is out of his proper
place whenever be holds an Office which
affords him an opportunity to be insolent
10 men Of the superior race.