St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-09
TEE s.0aTMkwTEE QUESTION.
Crowley Signal,

cftdings which coIltIaflcted any charge OF III
tinijGafion against the citizens or OF their as
sn1uinr the role of regulators y and Offering
any violence to Bloch, the appontee: Bloch.
himself ignored any such apprehenslons ana
pmphaticay stated in New Orleans That he
did not leave through fear Of any personal VIC
lencp and that he would dread no bodily harm
on his return home" The people never CON
telnplated any disorder or violation OF law from
the first, but did want to let President Harrison
and others know that q negro postmaster was
not desired by them. and that the humiliation
would not be acqulesced i'll without most
emphatic protest from them.
Here. again. Judge Lewis made grave po-
litical bundcr by mounting the rostrum ard
boldly intimating that his constituency in
tended to intmidatc Bloch and drive him from
the field by regulator methods.
The people have the legal right OF protest
against any authority, or public functlonary'
when theY feel they have been aggreved or
that they have been msrepresented. The
people are the source of all authority in re-
publican form OF government and the oficlaLs
from the highest to the lowest-are the pub
lie servants and should have some regard Tor
the feelings and privileges OF the people, VINO
honor them with delegated power. This last
act in the Opel0usas pOstotfice drama. Will 40
Judge Lewis more harm than ever. His over
zeal for Bloch and unwarranted insinuations
of force and violence by the people will not
pass UNDECIDED by them. They will not submit
to dictati0n nor to detraction.
Shreveport Times: The citizens OF Opelousas
are Justly indignant at the appointment OF
| negro as postmaster at that place over Mrs.
| Bailey, a most estimable white lady. and the
| widow OF a strong Union man. A meeting of
white citizens was held last Tuesday, protesting
| against and denouncing the appointment, and
| will probably result in the negro Bloch, the APP
| pointee, declining the Office. The paradox OF
the case is summed up by the States in the tact
that Mrs. Bailey was endorsed for the office
| COY such influential Republl cans as Judge 4. G.
Billings and Uhauncey F. Depew." while tie
negro Bloch's appointment WAS made upon
the recommendation of democrat, Judge
Lewis" In its comments upon the appoint
| mpnt, the States pays its respects to Judge
| Lewis i'll the following fOrclble language:
at is to be regretted that Judge Lewis
should have prosttutcd his official and social
position i'll order to insult the white people OF
| Opclousas. and to turn out Of office a respect
able lady, the sole support OF several fatherless
| children, in order to make place for AL oh
| scure negro politician. 1t is not to he wonleT-
ed at thai the white citizens, Republicans and
| Democrats, are Indignant, and II we are not
| very much mistaken, Judge Lewis will never
again receive political honors from their
hands"
The States should have also devoted attention
to the vindictive policy Of the little president.
as evinced towards the South in the appoint
! meuts of bot. negroes, .iill and Bloch, to post
nasterships. The nominations were an insu t
to our people, as well as to Republican Senate
and the best elements of that party. and will
rec0il with tremendous force upon the presl-
dents hopes for a second term nomination.
| Harrlson'S policy seems to be tending towards
| a political suicide, while his ohliteration from
public life is only question OF time. and Will
DC equally welcomed by the Southern people.
whose sentiments he has so grossly outraged
and the hest element OF his own party, who can
not lie D but feel ashamed of his petty malice
and gross incompetency Tor the posltlon Ne &C.
cuples
Baton Rouge Advocate: There ls politica
side. show in st. Landry parish that has deycl-
oped some very lively features. 4 colured
,ulstmaster was appointed for OpelOusas, and it
was ascprtained that his petition WAS signed by
Judge Z. 7. Lewis, wfiu was rather profuse i'll
his endorsement. Judge Lewis was leading
white Lacquer Of former days. and holds the Of
fee of district Judge ut the present time. He is
also an intense anti-lOttcry man and the con-
trolling spirit ofthe Clarion, newspaper estai,-
shed by him with II the past year ior the ads
yccacy and defense of his political ideas. The
situation in the parish seemed to be rather Qui-
cscent until the appointment OF the col0red
| postmaster, when the usual excitement follow
ed, ending in numerous protests by the Farm
crs' Uuions and finally eliminating in mass
meetings at Washington and Upelousas, where
denunclatory resolutions were passed, not only
against mis- appointment but against those who
recommended it. This general movement on
the part OF the white people put Judge Lewis
iu an awkward position, where he will find it
difficult to defend or excuse his action. In the
meantime the coiored postmaster, WHO seems
to be q rather worthy man Of respectable char
ac:er left st. Landry parish and sought refuge
in New Orleans until tile excitement subsidies,
| being perhaps influenced by fear OF personal
violence also, though no such design was prob
ably entertained against him. The farmers Ut
st Landry are evidently wrought up to q con-
siderable pitch IF feeling and indignation over
| tht matter, and Judge Lewis, as the leader of
! The antottery faction, can hardly hope to re-
! tam his hold on them after his bad break in the
! direction Of restoring negro government in the
| parish. His opponents have got me inside
trark on the situation, and they are likely to
keep it.
Bastrop Appeal Anti If Benjamin II arrison
has disclosed any one thing conspicuously since
his occupancy Of the great Office held by him it
ia his prejudice toward the brother in black.
| He bounced" all the negro servants from the
White House Immediately after he took charge
/ He bas responded to no request from the black
leaders in his party for fat and lucrative ap-
the Prcsdenal but to
for positions which should be considered highly
ornamental in more ways than one Harrison
| has turned deaf ear.
Upon the people of vicksburg, Miss, and
| Opelousas, La, two offensive negroes have heen
| inflicted. not because OF the Administrations
respect for the app0intees, but evidently for
| the purpose of humiliating the white people of
| those two towns. And those people do not
propose to be subjected to such humiliation.
Vicksburg has filed protest against Jim Hill
which means, when literally translated, that
| Hill had better not take possession OF his prize
| drawn from Harrison's lottery; Opelonsas
people are making vigorous kick against
| their mail passing through the hands Of HAIRY
| from the muddy political ponds of our great
| Presidents shop. Bloch ID odi0us to every re-
| spectacle man and woman IN Opelousas as the
| Inspector and manipulation OF their mails. Har-
| risoi would never have thought OF making In
| Indiana such an appointment. Ii he had any
respect for Hill and Bloch he would not have
placed them Were he has. 1t may be the
best and speediest way to get permanently rid
| of them
Hoap,a Courier; II seems that the appoint
ment of negro postmaster at Oael0usas has
created strong feeling OF indignation through
out the parish OF st. Landry, and the people
were further incensed upon learning that Dis
trict Judge Lewis reform Democrat) had
written q strong letter of recOInm endation In
favor of the new appointee.
Last Saturday nass-meeting Of the citizens
of 1T. Landry was held at Opelousas to protest,
in vigorous terms, against the appointment.
The meeting was largely attended and resou-
lions appropriate to the occasion were unan-
imOusy adopted. !
Now comes the New Delta, the official organ
of Reform and anti-isms, with what pnrports
to be special from OpelOusas under date of
April Goth. The special has flaming headlines
aud the gist of the article Is to make the people
of the State believe that the whole affair was
gotten up i'll the interest OF the lottery but the
real object of the special is to cover up the
real issue-tpe recommendation of Bloch by
the anti leader Of st. Landry, Judge Lewis If
the meeting was gotten up in the interest of
the lottery, why is that the Farmers Alliance
of that parish have protested against the APP
peintment, and denounced in severe terms all
those connected with said appointment, and
pledged themselves not to support for office any
man that had. In any way, been Instrumental
in securing the appointment OF Bloch.
The New Delta should caution its correspond
ents to use little more discretion in mixing
up lottery matters with politics.
st. Martinsville Messenger: The appoint
inent vi Harry Bloch, a eolOred man, us post
master at Opelousas has created quite sensa-
ton i'll that town and the entire parish OF st.
Landry. and several meetings have been held
in ,tifferent parts OF the parish protesting
against the appointment and demanding his
resignation 1t looks very much, however,
that BlOch's appointment was secured by the