The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-08-14
NO USE FOR COLORED MEN
Postmaster Dickinson Gives
One of Them His Walk
ing Ticket.
THE BLACK COLONY INDIGNANT.
They Appoint Committee to See
Wanamaker, and Declare for
Cleveland and Reform.


There is great Indignation among the
5olored Republicans of this city over the
treatment which Boston F. Laster, one of
their number, has experienced at the
hands of the present national administra-
tion Mr.. Laster is bright young col
ored gentleman. living at No. 1856 Rail
road avenue, and a man of intelligence
and education. In 1888 he passed the
civil service examination. and on May 16
of that year he was appointed clerk in
the Jersey City Postoffice under Post
master Kelly at a salary of 5000 per an
mum by the Cleveland administration.
He was assigned to theduty of cancelling
stamps and sorting newspapers. He per-
formed his duty satisfactorily, and no
complaint was made against him, he
says.
Last week he received notification
from Postmaster Dickinson that his SER
vices were no longer required and that he
could consider himself dismissed. Mr.
LaSter says that he went to Mr.. Dickin-
son and asked why he had been dis
charged. Mr.. Dickinson told him that
some letters had recently been opened in
the office; that detectives from Washing
tou had come on and investigated the
matter, but the culprit worked SO skill
fully that he could not be detected. Mr..
Laster Indignantly inquired II they &C
cused him of opening the letters. Mr..
Dickinson said no, but added that if the
opening of the letters did not stop within
four or five months he would reinstate
him. To this Mr.. Laster said that now
that the matter had appeared in the JER-
sEY CITY NEWS the guilty party, how
ever he was, would take warning and
stop.
ACCUSED OF PLAYING POKER
Thereupon Mr.. Laster says the Post
master accused him of being behind n
poker game and insinuated that he could
not back q poker game and support his
family on the salary he received. Seeing
that he could obtain no satisfaction from
the Postmaster. Mr. Laster called the at
tention of his friends to the injustice
which had been done him by the Repub-
lican Postmaster The colored Repub-
licans held an indignation meeting at
their clubhouse on Hudson street and ap-
pointed committee of seven to wait
upon Postmaster Dickinson and endeavor
to ascertain from him the cause, il any,
for Mr.. Laster's dismissal.
The meeting adjourned to the same
place last evening, where the report of
the committee was received The gem
tIemen complained that Postmaster Dick
inson received them discourteously and
appeared inclined to give them no satis-
faction. He received them in the Assist
ant Postmaster's office, they said, and
did not invite them into his private
room. He allowed them to stand during
the interview, without once asking them
to be seated. The committee told Mr..
Dickinson the nature of it's errand, and
when asked why Mr. Laster had
been dismissed the postmaster eDquired
of the gentlemen if Laster had not told
them the cause. They replied that Mr..
Laster had said that he did not know
why he was dismissed.
well if he says that he lies, !" the post
master is reported TO have said.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DENOUNCED.
He then went on to say that the depart
menr did not usually tell why it dis
charged employees, but he would tell the
gentlemen that Laster's work was
unsatisfactory. The meeting dis
that the postmaster's explanation
was not at all what it should be and as it
seemed that no satisfaction could be OBJ
tanned from Mr.. Dickinson, comTittee
consisting of Messrs. Joseph I. Williams,
Josiah Gunnel and Thomas Clemens. was
appointed to go to Washington and see it
any satisfaction could be obtained there.
The various speakers were loud in their
denunciation of what they called the hy-
pocracy of the Republican administra-
fion They said that the Republicans
deceive the colored men before election
pudiate as soon as they are in office.
Laster was the only representative
which they had in the civil service in this
vicinity and he was appointed by Dem
crat and turned out by Republican adj
ministration. Several of those who spoke
declared that the colored men should sup
port the Democratic ticket at tho fall
elections.
/ saw Mr.. Laster at his home this morn
ing and he denied that he backed poker
Al In oil cntH
that he had never had any complaint
made to him abort his work.
Postmaster Dickinson said when
spoken to on the subject this morning
that he did not make public the charges
upon which employees are discharged.
That he merely sends the charges and the
recommendation that the accused be dis
missed to Washington. He had followed
that course in the Laster case, he said,
and the department ut Washington had
approved his recommendation, and that
was all there was about the matter.
When his attention was called to the
action of the meeting last evening he
sail:-
II am sorry if have offended the dig
nifty Of the committee by not asking its
members to sit down. | was too busy at
the time to think of it, But they did not
nor will not find out from me the cause
of Laster's dismissal. He himself knows
and so do the authorities at Washing
ton"
but is it true that he was dismissed
because he runs poker gamer asked.
.sWell,' said the Colonel, hesitatinglY,
II presume Laster told his friends so be-
cause / intimated to him after his dis
rnissal that had been informed he was
mixed up with paper den. He denied
he ran the place, but admitted that he
continually hung around the place
designated. But the Civil Service Board.
the first assistant postmaster general and
Laster himself knows why he was dis
charged.
"How about the accusation made at
the meeting that he was removed simply
to make room for a friend of General
Ramsey?'' l asked.
ssThats ridiculous. The man must be
taken from the list of those who have
passed the civil service examination.
zone of those. however. could be a
friend of Ramsey, could he not?'
.Well, yes; but there's no truth in that
story
AVILL FIGHT THE RING.
ffersonians Reorganizing Without
the Kern-0'Rourke Gang.