The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1891-05-02
oPEIoUsAs, PARISH OF ST. LANDRY, La, MAY 2, 1891
The Opelousas Postmaster.
N. o. Times-Democrat, April "a.

n. 0. Times Democrat, April "a.
The citizens Of st. andry, we learn, have de-
termined to hold mass meeting tomorrow
afternoon in the courthouse of Opelousas, to
protest against the appointment OF Harry
Bloch, colored. as postmaster at Opeioasas,
and to take such steps as the exigencies OF the Il
case may require.
In whatever reasonable action the people OF
st. Landry may see fit to take in the premises.
they may be assured IN advance that tney VIII
have the earnest sympathy AND concurrence OIL
the entire white population Of New Orleans,
and. we may safely add. Of the whole state.
This thing of tnfiicting colored ofnclals upon
white communities in the South, in positions
where the said officials are thrust into close
and constant contact with the white women
and children OF the neighborhood is becoming
triie mon0tonous, and will, II persisted m
become unbearable, and cause serious trouble.
President Harrison and Postmaster wanna
maker seem not yet to have learned that, IN
making such appointments, they are V1olatlog
the most deeply cherished sentiments of South
ern people or, il they are aware or 1t, tnen
are they deliberately guilty Of doing brutal
outrage to feelings which are entitled 70 cfeolt
1t is to be hoped that the st. Landrians will
not minee matters, but that they Will adopt
and forward to the authorities at washington
such ringing resolutions as will teach them
that they may appoint negroes to postofnees
in their own districts, If they like, but that
they must respect the tradltlons ana sehst
so served. We do not propose to have our
mail scrutinized by colored postmaaters rar
less do we propose to have our wives ana SIS
ters and daughters subjected to the ofiiclal "a
miIiarity of Senegambians, however estimaple
personally they may be.
N o. Picayune, April 24.
The Pieayune has received from prominent
citizen of St. Landry parish o printed placard
which contains the following:
The people of the Town OF Opelousas who be-
lieye that White Men should rule this country
and hold its offices respectfully INVITE their fel-
Ioyy.eitizens of the Parish Of St, Landry, Irres-
pective of political differences, who entertain
the same opinion to assemble @ IN MASS Meesins
April 25, 1881, at o'clock p. M, for the purpose
OF protesting against the appointment OF Harry
Bloch, eolorsd, as postmaster at Opeiousas, ana
TO take such steps as the e1igenetes OF the case
may require
The President has taken occasion IN several
instances to force upon the people OF southern
communities postmasters who were known to
be peculiarly distasteful to the people. Inc
Vicksburg case is especially notorious. For
the chief city of Mississippi the President ap-
pointed one Hill, q negro politician from JACK
regard TO party, held public meeting and pro-
tested. They set forth the fact that in Vickss
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 ia the
fact that the President had passed over the
and had gone to a distant locality to find a
postmaster who was obviously obnoxious to
all the people of Vieksburg.
| SO convincing was this protest made while
Congress was iil session that the Republican
Senate refused to confirm fne PresleenTs nom.
ination. No sooner, however, nau Congress
| adjourned than the Pfesaent' aeteImlnea W W
Iorce bhls ouenstVs negIo upon .no 1,s =
| ViekGburg, again appointed him, so tnat ne
Will at least nave tns saIlsIacLlon y!
ana insulting southern colnln9Iity, II y spdse M
era1 courtesy and consideration for tue com
fort and convenience of the people, when
every pupne, anteiesI Weuiu W rsoo w
grahelRs t1elr Resieaon ;,, ho,a1,- neat with
Inc st. LanaIy cass VIM zia a@lHS tS+ s vii
mere eonslosraen bnan aiS 9nas " 1,nn1S f0n5
pufg W pue eae govs ptTl VI %t tna ,,ro
~ tns SANE pi1ses 8 ~ t; ~ a. -
ses5 at 4ba fans 81
anu unussergsS M e. IT,, .ao iti thar
men government No Ss ihpe'iiiAo "1en esssl s
lhe every way.
/ N n states. The mass meeting of the whit,
neenle Of tibet the town of Opelousas In st. Landry
| RRoriHsh last Gatnrdav evening adonted yerS
strnnr resolnfions eondemnatory Of the an
a,,a t Write en Sho inGarsed ls apDIca
finn fnr tiaa nnsifion were yf0orOusly 1enOunc
/ cd This earsed Indes Lewis who recon
mended Bloch, after the meeting was over Z
make speech in which he objected to the res res
olutiOns OF the mass meeting, ana said Una
1 the town should not pc run by reguiatofs, pu
4 he was Immediately informed that snoull
not be controlled by negroes nelther. Inc "
/ pointment OF Bloeh mas caused gooas iea aeaa
1 bad feeling, but there Is no reason 70 peneV
that it will result seriously
4 N. v. hepnplcan.
i Readers OF the Republican will be astonishe
\ to learn that Judge Lewis, OF st. Landry, ha
4 found cause to show bad temper toward Jn
4 Republican because OF its publishing mis- iette
endorsing Postmaster Bloch.
If we have done Judge Lewis an lD1ustice
was certainly nnintentionat. Far be 1t frof
orr intention OF infiicting an injury upon
gentleman who has the breadth OF character
i accord to Republicans the right OF undisturbe
suffrage, and who is brave enough TO denounc
the transparent hypocrisy displayed In IA
81 continued howl set up by scheming Demoerati
Il politicians to the effect that tho country is l
great danger from negro domination. When
n said, !. 1t is insulting to the intelligence OF IN
people to suppose thar they do not unQersJan
this false cry of alarm, and the political pul
poses to be subserved thereby, he Shove
himself brave enough to face one OF the mos
groundIess as well as one OF the most fraudu
ent claims made by a party Of demagoguei
What possible injury We have done the Juoge
beyond our ken. His petulant reference 20 bh
editor of the Republican IN an article wnich Q
communicated to the St Landry Clarion, "
can scarcely believe was the product OF eone
and conservative hour.
SO far as the publication of a !. garbled copy
of his letter endorsing Bloch lis concerned, IT.
CLAIMS 20 ne gotrecs sopy n aaaS M
sitFaronea ~ y5aSgaa from RenIIhica
saan4nairt az aorse no one exnected him
ask for the removal of q Democrat, aud his el
, dorsement OF Bloch was only meant to sh0