The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-08-28


The bourbon residents of the city Of
Atlanta, Ga, are much and unreason-
ably torn up over the appointment of a
colored man to clerkship in their post
Office by the new Republican post
master, and have expressed their in
dignation by burning iii efiigy General
Lewis, the postmaster, and Colonel
Buck, the Chairman of the State Re-
publican Executive Committee. The
latter was insulted in this public man
ner only because he had secured the
appointment of the postmaster. At
least no other charge Is made against
him. Probably his Republicanism
alone was sufficient cause for the out
rage. Mr.. Lewis, however, was the
victim of this demonstration for obey
ing the regulations of the civil service.
He had but two positions TO fill, one in
the money order and the other in the
egistry department, and applied to the
local board for the names OF applicants
who were eligible. They gave him but
two, one white man named Sturgess,
and the other a black man named
Penny, who was graduate of the
Atlanta university and superior pen
man and accountant In his public
statement General Lewis explains how
he came to make these assignments.
He says:
/ then considered the character OF the
two positions to be- filed. That in the
money -order department would necessarily
throw the clerk in contact with the patrons
OF the Office. while that in the registry de-
partment is entirely different. the clerk
occupying desk out in the large mailing
room away from the public. Realizing the
tendency OF public opinion, / thought it
would be best 10 give Penny the place in
the registry department, where, as 1 say,
he would not come in contact with the
patrons OF the office. The other position
that in the money-order department-I
have given to Sturgess. Under the civil
service law these two men are the only
men whom i could possibly appoint to
those two positions. / think did the best
thing possible under the circumstances.
Gen. Lewis has strictly followed the
lines of the civil service. Penny had
passed the examination and was clearly
eligible. The appointment, however,
did not suit young woman who was
employed in the registry department,
and who would have come into bust
ness contact with Penny, and she
thereupon resigned. Her resignation
was the signal for the public "indigna
ton" which resulted as we have de-
scribed Mr.. Lewis, however, proposes
TO stand by his action, and Mr.. Buck
sustains him. 1t goes without saying
that the Postofiice Department will
also indorse his conduct, as he acted
clearly within the requirements of the
law. 1t is difficult thing to make Mr..
Grady's New South understand that
black man has the same right TO earn
living that a white man has, and, all
other things being equal, that he is
entitled to the political privileges
which are so persistently denied him
in that section. The argument of the
young woman and her friends that the
appointment was an attempt to set up
the social equality of the races is alb
surd. as she was not obliged to have
anything but business relations with
Penny The objection was made be-
cuuse he was black, and, as a Southern
contemporary remarked the other day,
because the negroes have no business
to exercise the suffrage or to hold Of
fees The same objection would have
been made had he been appointed to
any other position. No charge is made
against Mr.. Penny's character; on the
other hand, it is conceded to be exem-
plary Would any scrutiny have been
made into the character of a white
man had he been appointed?
The truth of the matter Is this ::
| This cutlery has been made because of
race prejudice and the determination
of the Southern people to resist as far
as they can the appointment of any
colored man to Office. 1t is more con-
spicuous in this case because the
country has been led to believe that
Atlanta was liberal, progressive
place, and the center of the New
South" which Major Grady described
so eloquently In his New England din
ner speech, when he took pains to
notify the North how affectionately
the South regarded the negro and how
determined the South was to stand by
and protect him and watch over his in
terests; and yet at the first opportu-
nifty we find Atlanta reviving the old
preiudices against the negro, and dis
| playing all the bitterness and hatred
of slavery times. Such manifesto
ton of feeling might have been expect
ed In negro-chasing and negro murder
ing Mississippi. and it would probably
have been emphasized with bludgeons
and shotguns; but we had expected
better things of Atlanta, and we are
particularly astonished at the policy of
so able and usually so fair paper as the
Atlanta Co1lst tuition which has in
duced it to support and encourage an
unreasonable mob in this demonstra-
ton instead of courageously defending
the law and the equal rights which it
| guarantees. Chicago Tribune.
GeOrgia Civilization.