St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-02
The Gpclousas Postmaster.

Y. 0. Times Democrat, April "a.
The citizens of st. andry, We learn, have de-
tcriniled to hold mass meeting Tomorrow
afternoon in the courthouse of OpclOnsas, to
protest against the appnint1nent OF Harry
Bloch, cOlOred as postmaster at Opelousas
and to take such steps as the eXigencles OF the
case may require.
Tn whatever reasonable action the people Of
St. Landry may see tit to take iii the premises;
they may be assured in advance that they VIII
have the earnest sympathy ami concurrence or
tho entire white population OF New Orleans,
and. we may safely add, OF the Whole state
This thing OF infliotng coOred officials upon
white communities IL, the south, IN positions
where the said officials are thrust into close
and constant contact with the white women
and children OF the neighborhood 10 becomlns
trife monotUnous, and Will, II persisted IN,
become unbeatable, and cause serious trouble.
President Harrison and Postmaster Wanna
maker seem not yet to have learned that, IN
making such appointments, they are ylolatloS
the most deeply cherished sentiments OF oo e
are they deliberately guilty of doing brutal
outrage TO feelings which are entitled to credit
and respect. w
not nince matters, but that they will adopt
and forward to the authorities at Washington
such ringing resolutions as viii teach them
that they may appoint negroes to pOStOffces
in their own districts, if they like, but that
they must respect the traditions and sentl-
ments OF us barbarians' VINO decline to De
SO served We do not propose to have our
less do we propase to have our wives and sis
ters and a,lghterS subjected to the official Ia
lniliarity OF Senegamhans, however estimable
personally they may be-
N O. Picayune, April "A.
The Picayune has received from prominent
citizen of St. Landry parish printed placard
which contains the following:
The people of the Town of Opelousas who be-
lieve that White Men should rule this country
and hold its offices respectfully invite their fe
lOw-c citizens OF the Parish OF st, Landry, lrres-
pective of political differences, who entertain
The same opinion, to assemble in Mass Meeting
at the COuT5 House in sHtd Town, on Saturday,
April 25, 1891, at o'clock p. ~, for the purpose
of protesting against the appointment OF Harry
Bloch, colored as postmaster at Opel0usas, ana
to take such steps as the eXigencies OF tho case
may require.
The President has taken occasion in several
instances to force npon the people Ut Southern
communities pOstmasters who were known to
be peculiarly distasteful to the people. The
VicksbuTg case is especially notorious. For
the chief city of Mississippi the President ap-
pointed one Hill, negro politician from jack
The best OF prn
tested. They set forth the fact that in Vicks-
burg were many Republicans, any one OF whom
would have been entirely satisfactory to. the
main body OF the population, and that there
was something unduly Objectionable in the
fact that the President had pissed over the
entire population OF the chief city OF the State
ana mao gone TO u iiStaHU lncdllCy 10 unU q
postmaster who was obviously obnoxious to
all the people of VicksburS.
So convincing was this protest made while
Congress was III session that the Republican
Senate refused to confirm the Presidents NOM
nation. No sooner, however, had Congress
adjourned than the President. determined to
force this offensive negro upon the citizens of
Vicksburg, again appointed him, so that he
will at least have the satisfaction of harrassing
and insulting Southern community, in spite
of the Senate and the ordinary dictates OF gen.
eral courtesy and consideration for the COM
fort and convenience Of the people, when
every. pshic interest would be subserved by
granting their petition.
The ST. Landry case will hardly meet with
more consideration than did thRt OF Ficks,
burg; but the good people OF St. Landry should
all the same present respectful but firm pro-
test against Deing made the victims of a wantOn
and undeserved humiliation at the hands of
their government, We sympathize with them
in every way.
Crowley Signal. -----.- -.....~
From the tenor of Judge Lewis letter, en-
and signed officially by him, it is evident that
all republicans from the president down, hail
ed this extraordinary epistle as an. omen Of
good fellowship with colored republicans and
to share the administration OF government
with them. When 1t is remembered shat Judge
Lewis was q liberal republican in 1s70-then,
oppOsitely, White Lacquer in 1874, and, an en-
dorser OF coioref republican for office now,
all, that he is on the political fence again, He
cannot however, dodge this postOffice affair by
lottery talk and denouncing democrats who be-
lieve in white supremacy and in preserving
democratic traditions.
N. O. States: The mass meeting Of the white
people of the town Of Opelousas in St. Landry
parish, last Saturday evening, adopted very
strong resolutions condemnatory Of the ap-
p0intment of the negro Bloch, as postmaster,
and the white men who Endorsed his applica-
ton for the position were vigorously denounc
ed. This caused Judge Lewis, who recon-
mended Bloch, after the meeting was over to
make speech i'll which he objected to the res
olutions Of, the mass meeting, and said that
the town should not be run by regulators, but
he was Immediately informed that it shoald
not be controlled by negroes neither. Tho ap-
pointment OF Bloch has caused good deal Of
bad feeling, but there is no reason to believe
that ii will result seriously.
Lake Charles Echo; Personal politics are hot
In st. Landry. Judge Il. r. I.eYis is On the de-
fensive in reference to the Harry BLOCH ap |
pointment to the ostoficpe, and is not particu-
ar as to the epithets he uses when referring to !
his opponents. The people will judge prfnc- |
pally from acts and not from the language or
manifested by the parties disput- |
ing,