Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-05-30
RouRRoNs PROTEST.
How the Negro Is Treated In MI. Grady's
Sympathetic South1

How the Negro Is Treated in MI. Grady's
Sympathetic South"
Mr.. L. j. Piernas, having been ap-
pointed postmaster at Bay St Louis,
which is sort of summer resort for
certain well-to-do people of New Or
leans, there is complaint and protest
concerning his ppointment--anda all
because he is colored man. The
official organ OF the town of Bay St
Louis" as the Gulf Coast Progress
styles itself, says:
Against Piernas individually this journal has
| no war to make. He IS as good q colored man
as can be found. When he was q supervisor
| from this beat we took occasion to speak well
for his public services though We opposed sue
| cessfully his reelection. and would oppose il
again, because we believe in the election OF
| Democrats and white men to office. We would
| be pleased enough to see him rewarded by
| some such appointment as suggested above
but when il IS made az apparent as IL
now IS that his appointment to the
post-ofice here will initiate against the
towns interest we feel il our duty as
well as our impulse 10 join in the protest
This is bad enough in a very pro-
vincial journal, but the Times-Demo-
crat, of New Orleans, is equally puer-
lie:
1t would be an act of peculiar injustice and
oppression to APPOINT or TO retain in ONCE
negro postmasters in our seacoast resorts
They are freQuented by the highest most re.
fined and best educated classes OF Eorthern and
Southern people in winter AMI summer.
Neither visitors nor residents have any objec.
ton to appointees to these ofices on account
Liz al 81 l..
should be honest, competent anc polite and
that they be either respectable white men OF
women. This desired qualifcatioa is not an
outcome of sectional prejudice; Northerners
and Southerners alike demand IL; and il the
Administration be dlsT osed to act fairly in the
matter, and to avoid unjust and oppressive
measures against the people of these com.
munities, it will comply with this urgent de-
mand.
And the Picayune says:
The appointment Of a negro man named L.
j. Piernas 10 be postmaster at Bay ST. LouiS
in place of Miss Ioor, a white lady. was recent
ly announced. The change was found extreme
ly Objectionable. Bay ST. Louis, besides be.
ing a place Of considerable importance, is
largely inhabited by the families of men doing
business in this city, of which it Is In reality
suburb. The men of the families being absent
in the day time, their postal business is done
almost exclusively by the ladies and children,
and the appointment OF negro to be post.
master in place OF a lady has aroused with
good reason a widespread protest
The Item, New Orleans, says:
If the Presidents Southern policy is to pla-
cate the white race, he must not push the ne
gro race into the post-ofices, as at Ocean
Springs and Bay ST. Louis. The post-ofics
touches the white people nearer than any other
Federal place; the whites (women and girls in.
cluded) constitute the great majority OF its
visitors, because the whites chiefly use the
mails. Give negroes custom-house and inter
nal-revenue places, Mr.. President. if need be,
but keep the post-ofices for the whites and at
summer resorts for white postmistresses where
practicable.
This is simply monstrous. Mr.. Pier.
mas, let it be remembered, is honest,
capable, and "as good a colored man
as can be found" He has been ap-
pointed to an office where good service
to the public is required. The as
sumption of the Democratic papers is
that post-office kept by an honest,
capable colored man will be offensive
or dangerous to the white ladies OF
the town. The whites of the South
will trust the eolored man as Gus
todian of their houses, as a coachman,
as a business agent. As a head
waiter in a dining-room, or as
caterer, or as the proprietor of an ice
cream parlor or confectionery store
he will not be offensive or dangerous
to ladies. Why should such man be
dangerous or offensive as po5tmas-
ter? Why is the appointment OF
Piernas an act of injustice and oppres.
sion?-Chicago Inter Ocean.