The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-06-19
THEY WANT THE EARTH.
UNITED STATES SENATORS ASKING
TOO MUCH.

Washington special 10 Chicago Trbuno.l
In the opinion OFF First Assistant Post
master General Clarkson that mysterious
but potent quantity known as "Senatori-
al courtesy" has been carried about far
enough in the way of holding In profta-
bic Offices Southern Democrats who have
fought the Republicans by means foul as
we'll as fair. Senatorial courtesy Is
getting TO be about the most odious thing
within the minds of the common herd
there is in Washington, and that one OH
cial has been found to stand out against
its unreasonable demands is n source of
qualification TO numerous persons. Even
the President has in the last three months
somewhat changed his notions concern
ing the status of Senator of the United
States, and no longer thinks q member of
the House of Lords entitled TO executive
authority.
The particular phase OF Senatorial
courtesy with which Mr.. Clalkson comes
in contact is that courtesy which has for
its primary object the retention in Office
of some Democratic postmaster. There
are no such smooth, oily. plausible, and
altogether pleasant and convincing place.
brokers in the country to-day as the DEM
ocratic Senators from the South. It's
fact that since the 4th of March greater
number of Democrats than Republican
Senators have called Mt the Office of the
Postmaster General. Not unfrequently
the Democrats are accompanied by Re-
publican Senators, the latter out of SIM
pie Senatorial courtesy, putting in good
word for the requests of their fellow
workers, even though those requests
wore for the retention in Office of
Democrats 1t was this sort of Sena-
torial courtesy, no doubt, which induced
t.. l., 4 Al
with Senator Harris of Tennessee, and
tell the President he had better consult
Mr.. Harris on all appointments in that
State, for the reason that Senator Harris,
by opposing the confirmation of nomi-
pees IN his State, could bring no end of
trouble upon the administration and the
Senate. AS result Of this operation of
Senatorial courtesy, Senator Harris,
Democrat, has virtually dictated the dis
tribution of patronage in his State, and
when n new candidate for appointment in
that State reaches Washington the first
thing he does is to hunt up the Demo-
cratic Senator and seek his Endorsement
Several men recommended by Republican
Congressman Houk, Taylor, and Evans
were defeated by aspirants who had. in
addition to other Endorsements, the sup
port OF Senator Harris.
favorite argument with the Southern
Democratic Senators who are putting in
their lime quite industriousy trying u
save az many Democratic officeholders
from the wreck as they can is to talk Of
the era of good feeling, and 10 say that
If the people of the South are not preju-
diced AZ inst the administration by being
compelled to take their mail from the
hands of colored postmasters there is no
telling what political changes may take
place IN the next four years. Senator
Ransom of North Carolina is an adept in
this sort of campaigning aud already
has nice string of scalps thus won
hanging from his belt. But at last Ran
som has struck snag. Calling at the
department the other day TO plead for the
retention of a white Democrat in an Office
for which a colored man Is strongly rec
commended ne exerted his plausibility
upon Postmaster " anamaker with such
success that the Postmaster General was
half convinced. Before surrendefing.
however, he took the Senator in for a
talk with his First Assistant.
MIR. CLARKsoN TALKS 1T OVER.
yes, that seems plausible, said Mr..
Clarkson. But, before We decide this
thing, let's sit down and talk it over.
Senator, when the Democrats came into
power, you found none but Republicans
IN office in your State, did you mott"
Yes, they were all Republicans.
How many Republicans did You leave
in possession Of their offices?"
Not one. We cleaned them all out :"
Just so; and you expect us to be more
generous than you were, and leave a lot
of your friends in power"
I'VE don't ask it on political grounds. ut
all, replied the Senator, resuming his
former plausible tactics, but for the
good of the service and the proper accom-
mediation of the people. You can readi V
SEQ how unpleasant it must be for the re-
fined, cultured people of the South to
take their letters from the hands of coarse
negroes.
Il have heard that argument before, ="
said Mr.. Clarkson, and l am, to tell the
truth, getting a little tired of il. Now. l
want to ask you question or two. Are
not tie children of many of the refined
cultured people of the South reared by
black nanny nurses? Does not a col
ored servant cook your meal, another wait
on your table, another shave your face.
and still another mix your toddy for YOU?
You admit that. Well, then, I'm unable
to see why it is that if as babes YOU can
take your nourishment from black breasts,
if you can take your breakfasts from black
hands, you can't also take your letters
Postmasters. At the Office in questio on,
Senator, colored man will be appointed
before night"
This blunt, hard headed logic COM
pietely overcame the plausible Mr.. Ran
som, and he retreated in obvious con-
fusion. In several instances where col
ored men have been appointed to post
offices white men, Republicans rs we'll as
Democrats, have made vigorous protests.
not against the character of the appoint
ees, but simply against their color.
When these complaints are sifted down.
they are usually found to have had their
origin in the meanest sort of selfshness
and narrowest of race prejudices A col
ored man was appointed Postmaster at
Ocean Springs, Miss, and the white peo-
pie sent up a fierce remonstrance. They
said il would ruin the Springs to have o
negro Postmaster, for the ladies who
usually visited the summer resort would
refuse TO take their mail from the hands
of black man. Mr.. Clarkson's unim-
peachable logic applied to this case with
crushing force. He thought it absurd to
talk of removing the new Postmaster be-
cause his skin was black and because
ladies objected to taking their mail from
his hands. when it was well known these
same ladies were reared by black nurses,
had black maids, black hairdressers,