The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-08-15
THE ATLANTA POSrOEEICE RACKET.

Assistant Postmaster General Clarkson Is
Not Surprised That nn Explanation is
Thought NscSsSRry-Attsmptt TO Stir Up a
Race Prejudice.
WAsuISdToS, D. O., August l4,-A
dispatch from Atlanta, Ga, says; In
reply to the statement OF Acting Post
master General Clarkson in reference to
the appointment Of the negro, Penny,
to q position In the Atlanta postoilice,
the Constitution will say tomorrow, edl.
torlally;
"That the authorities In Washington
are determined to distort the facts rela-
tive to the appointment Of the negro To
take q place lii the Atlanta postolIice, Is
clearly shown by, the telegram which we
printed yesterday. Nearly every state.
ment, attributed TO Acting Postmaster
General ClarEson, In that telegram. is
false OIL the face OF 1t, and the telegram
may Justly be- regarded rs a deliberate
attempt on the part OF an official sup
posed to be close to the administration
to deceive the public with reference to
an event become notorious. Mr..
Clarkson says that the Atlanta postmas-
ter, General Leads, appointed Charles @,
Penny, who stood at the head OF the
civil service list Of eligibles. This Is
false. When Leads appointed Penny he
wasthe lowest on a list OF two aud Leads
did not discover until afterwards that
Sturgiss, the white applicant, was
not eligible, for he appointed him to q
olerkship In another department the
next day. Leads himself says that be
appointed Penny to the position in the
Registry Department because lie would
there be less liable to come in contact
with the public, but Mr.. Clarkson says
that Penny was assigned to work In tho
Registry Division, net In the same room
with the young lady, but in an.
tother. Tie impression here sought
to be left on the public mind Is false.
Mr.. Clarkson says that "the young lady
and her father, who was Superintendent
OF the Registry Division, and had the
assignment Of clerks, both resigned be.
cause a negro had been appointed 10 q
place ID the Office, That thisls absolute.
ly false Is shown by Mr.. Clarkson him.
self, who goes on 10 say that there were
8 negro clerks in the PostolliCe under the
Democratic postmaster. This attempt at
whitewashlng, which emanates from
Washington, will not be successful. II
all that Mr.. Ularkson said Is true, how
is u that Mr.. Van Wipkle, a Republican,
refuses 10 remain on Mr.. Leads bond
II the postmaster did not violate the
civil service law, how Is II that Judge
Henry B. Tomkins comes off his bond
on that ground, and shows that the alI-
pointment OF the negro was deliberate
and inexcurableH" rI
Tie above dispatch from Atlanta was
shown Postmaster General Olarkson to.
night and lie was asked what he had to
say in regard 10 II. He said; ~ have
nd wish 10 follow the matter up. 1stat-
ed the official facts, the literal truth.
The COnStitulion seems 10 have been
the original and inspiring inc.
dium OF the whole sensation, gotten
up purely for partisan effect as an appeal
against the appointment Of colored peo
pie 10 Office. But tue facts arc as ]
stated them. Penny was drawn from
the list ot eligibles. he was put In the
Registry Division, where the white girls
father as superintendent had the assign.
ment Of all clerks. The superintendent
first asked whether he could be kent fol
four years. The postmaster told hin
that he could not tell him that, He
then resigned. 1t seems he was willing
TO work four years with colored man
but not a few months.
ut Is no wonder that since the story
has gone to the country there Is az
attempt on the part Of Atlanta to explain
The truth 10, Postmaster Leads did
nothing more than was right, aud nC
amount Of Misrepresentation on account
Of race prejudice can distort the actua
facts into anything else thanthe truth