The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-01
ne Brunswick collectorship.


There are some rather funny phases in
the fight that is being made against Col.
Dsveaux, recently appointed collector Of
customs at Brunswick, TO prevent him from
getting that Office. Now that the fight is
about over and Deveaux is 70 have the ofics
If lie wants it-and there is no doubt that
he does want it and intends 20 take it-a
reference to them may be interesting.
Who are the msn who are leading the
fight against Col Dsveaux! They are Mr..
Goodyear, Mr.. Downing and Mr.. Collins.
They are all white men. ell northern men,
and all republicans.
The only only objection they have to Col.
Deveaux is that he is a colored man. They
don't say that be is not competent, or that
he is a man of bad character. They couldn't
say anything Of that kind, because he stands
well wherever he is known. They N axe
their fight on the color line, and on that
line alone, and urge that Brunswick's pros
perity will receive a great setback If COL
ored man is made collector of that port.
They are looking for northern capital at
Brunswick, they say, and it won't come if a
colored man is placed at the head Of the Gus
tom house.
Is not this rather remarkable argument
for republicans who are natives Of the
north to use to defeat the political
aspirations Of colored man, against whom
nothing can be urged except his colorl
What do the northern republican organs
think Of it, particularly those which fire.
quently publish, from white republicans
who have settled in the south, communica-
lions in which alleged outrages against the
colored people are described and charged to
the account Of the southern democratsl
As far as we know the democrats Of
Brunswick are not taking an active part in
the fight against Col Dsveaux. But if
they were, that would not explain the posi-
ton which Messrs. Goodyear, Downing
and Collins have taken in the matter. These
gentlemen are recognized republicans, and,
If we are not mistaken. favored the colored
man Snelson in his campaign against Col
Lester for congress. If they wanted
a colored man to represent Bruins
wick in congress, how can
they consistently object to Col Deveaux for
collector OF that port They have never
objected TO Col. Deveaux as delegate to
national conventions, and perhaps one or
more Of them have been members of politi-
cal conventions of which he also was
member. Doubtless they are willing to
have the benefit Of his influence in control
ing the colored vote, but they object to his
having any of the spoils Of Office In this
they do not differ from the republicans in the
north.
But the funniest part of the fight is the
proposition Of Messrs. Goodyear, Downing
and Collins that Mr. Tomlinson johnson, if
appointed collector of the port of Savan-
nah, shall make Col. Deveaux his deputy
and thus relieve Brunswick Of him. They
desire Savannah to have an officer who
they say, is obnoxious TO them. OF course
everybody who knows anything about bust
ness in custom house knows that deputy
collector is brought into direct contact with
those who do business there, and that the
collector is not. AS collector at
Brunswick the people of that city
need never see Col. Deveaux. except when
he is going 70 or from his place of business.
As deputy collector in Savannah he would
be brought into contact with the business
community all the time. In view, there
fore, of the reasons given by Messrs Good
year, Downing and Collins for getting rid
of Col Deveaux, their proposition that he
shall be saddled upon Savannah is, to put
it vsy mildly, arather amazing one. Per-
hapS Messrs. Goodyear, Downing and Col
Inns had better change their politics. Then
they could carry on their fight against Col.
Deveaux with some show of consistency.