The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-15
CLARKSON ALL MIXED UP
AN ATLANTA PAPER DECLARES
his STATEMENTS FALSE.


A Charge That the Authorities at
Washington are Determined to Dis
tort the Facts-Penny Not at the
Head, But at the Foot of the List o,
Eiigibles.
ATLANTA, GA, Aug. 14-In reply to the
statement Of Acting Postmaster General
| Clarkson, sent out by the Associated Press
in reference to the appointment of a negro
olerk to position In the Atlanta postoffice.
the Constitution will say tomorrow in Q
| double-leaded editorial:
That the authorities in Washington are de-
| termined to dstort the facts relative to the ap
| polntment of the negro Penny to place la tha
| Atlanta postofice is clearly shown by the tele
| gram which we printed yesterday. Nearly
| every statement attributed to Acting Post.
master General Clarkson In that telegram ia
| false on the face OF it, and the telegram may
| Justly be regarded as deliberate attempt on
| the part of the Official supposed to be close "a
| the administration. TO deceive the public with
reference 10 the event that has become notort-
| Gus.
| NOT AT THE HEAD OF THE LIST.
| Mr. Clarkson says that the Atlanta postmas,
| ter, Gen. Lewis, appointed Charles g. Penny,
who stood at tho head Of the civil service list Of
| eligibles." This is false. When Gen. Lewis ap,
| pointed Penny, he was the lowest in the list Of
| two, and Gen. Lewis did not discover until af
| terward that Mr. Sturgis, the white applicant,
| was not eligible, for no appointed him to a
| clerkship In another department. the next day.
| WHAT LEWIS SAYS.
| Gen. Lewis himself says that he appointed
| Penny TO "A position in the registry department
| because he would then be less liable to come in
| contact with the public; but Mr. Clarkson says
| that Penny WAS assigned TO work in the regis.
| try division not In the same room with the
| young lady, but in anOtherN
The impression here sought to be left on the
| public is false.
| Ex-P Postmaster Renfroe. who knows great
deal more about the workings of the postoffice
| here than tlen Lewis, says that clerks in the
registry department are necessarily broughI
| into contact and association.
! ANOTHER FALSE STATEMENT.
Mr.. Clarkson says that ''the young lady and
| her father who was the superintendent of the
| registry division, and had the assignment Of
| clerks. both resigned because the negro had
| been appointed to place in the office" That
| this is absolutely false is shown by Mr.. Clark
| son himself, who goes on TO say that there were
| five negroes cierking in the postoflce
| under the democratic postmaster This at
| tempt at whitewashlng, emanating from Wash
ington, viii not be successful Tie people Of
Atlanta know what they are about, and in this
| progressive, liberal city, public sentiment Is
never at fault In matters OF this kind.
WITHDRAWAL OF BoNDssEN
If all that Mr.. Garrison has said is true, how
| Is it that MIR. Van Winkle, a republican,
refuses to remain on Gen. Lewis bond2 If the
|
how is il that Judge Henry B. Tompkins comes
off his bond on that very ground, aud showa
that the appointment Of the negro was delib-
crate and inexcusable onef
The Constitution assures Mr. Carkson that
neither the administration nor any of its serv-
ants will be permitted to slander and msrepres
sent Atlanta,
CLARKsoE cRITICIsEs THE DISPATCH.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14.-The above
dispatch from Atlanta was shown
to Acting Postmaster General Clark
son tonight, and no was asked what he
had to say In regard to it. He said: 81
have no wish to follow che matter up. I
stated official facts, the literal truth. The
Constitution seems to have been the origi-
nal and inspiring medium of the whole ssn-
sation, gotten up purely for partisan
effect as an appeal against the appointment
Of colored people TO office. The facts are as
| / stated them. Penny was drawn from tho
list of elgibIss. He was put in the regis
try division where the white girls father,
as superin tendent, had ths assignment Of
all the clerks. Tie superintendent first
asked whether he could be kept for four
years. The postmaster told him that ha
could not tell him that. He then resigned.
1t seems that he was willing to work four
years With colored man but not a few
months.
NO TROUBLE ABOUT THE BOND.
Il
master Lewis bond. While one gentleman
may have asked to withdraw from it, sew.
eral other good men in Atlanta, native
southerners. men of courage, not afraid to
stand by man in the right position, volun-
tesred to go upon the bond, and
made it much better than before.
1t is no wonder that since thu
story has gone to the country there is at
tempt on the part OF Atlanta to explain.
The truth is Postmaster Lewis did nothing
more than was right, and TO amount of
Misrepresentation on account of race pref
udice can distort the actual facts into anys
thing else than the truth.
TAKEN 80 THE SUPERINTENDENT.
The postmaster, instead of trying to put
the colored clerk at some desk with a whita
girl, as the Atlanta papers first printed it,
and sent 1t north, took him to the superins
tendent of the registry division, who
had the assignment of clerks,
and, moreover. he was the white girls
father, and the colored man was put In ans
other room There was no more justihca.
tion in father and daughter resigning than
there would have been If they had resigned
| when the democratic postmaster had five
negro clerks in the same Office. The Consts
tuition admits that there were only two men
on the eligible list. The vacancy to fill was
in the registry division for which the negro
was qualified. The other man was chosen
the next day for another vacancy Ia the
office and which vacancy he was more
competent to fill. The spirit of the Constl
tuition, and those it represents simply rep
resents those who are unwilling to accep
the negro as a citizen, end who are unwill
ing to let the colored people show thef
capacity to hold clerkships or other govern
| Tnant nOsitious y