The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-24
PROGRESS OF THE NEGRO,
Conditions Favorable to His Deyel.
opment at the Capital Of
the Nation.
Making Money in the Depart
ments and In the Various
Professions.
No AmaIgamation with the Whites and
no Opportunity to NEEDLE With
Local Politics.

The census office has recently announced
the statistics of population for the CITY of
Washington, says the New York Times. OF
tire total population of go, 1892 persons
1921 are colored. In 1880 there were 11ss-
0 whites and 1886 colored. The white
population in the last ten years has in
creased $3.50 per cent, whereas the colored
population has increased only 27.4O Der
cents There is. then, no prospect Of Wash
ington becoming q colored city, but, never
thelsss, one-third of the residents are col
ored. Thu large influx of negroes occurred
between 1860 and 1870. During tho war
they came in from the surrounding country
hi even from more distant points for
safety and Immediately after the war many
Of them were attracted to the capital by
the allurements Of holding Office under the
government. Others followed because their
friends had proceeded them. Because of
the liberal distribution of government
Offices among the better educated negroes
Warrington came to be the center of
the most intelligent men Of the race, and it
has continued to be so up to the present
time. They have had no opportunity to en-
gage in local politics, because in Washing
ton there are no local politics. They have
had no opportunity to become the tools of
interruptions politicians or to discredit
themselves by m~ismanaging the city gov
eminent. The prejudice Of the white pOpu-
lation has not been excited by their p~artici-
patton as q political body in city affairs.
Only once every four years does the Dis
trict of Columbia assert itself in politics,
and then it is to send delegates to the con-
ventions which nominate candidates for
the presidency and vice preside ncy. On
the occasion when these delegates are chosen
by the republicans the coIored population
comes out in force and the republican city
convention is. to say the least of it. a dis
ORDERLY assemblage. rejecting no credit
upon the city. But these conventions oc-
chr at such distant intervals that their i'll
effect upon the colored population 10 slight
and immaterial.
In the different Offices of the government
nearly all OF the messengers arc colored
men. II anybody has occasion to 20 to one
tender mercies. Somebody has said that
they recognize but two classes Of persons
who frequent the departments. The first
class 10 composed of those WAC have rights
of free inRrsss everywhere. These nre cab
met officers. senators and members of con-
Rress. The serond class compriees those
who are not cabinet officers. senat ors or
members of congress. and who have no
rights at all. 10 high government officials
tho negro messenger 10 most obsequious:
to all Ordinary people ho is highly indie
pendent. He il not prone to exert himself;
in short he is lazy. As q matter of fact, the
negroes in the government offices who are
clerks are far moro efficient than those who
are messenger. Frequently an intelligent
negro rises from the latter place to the for
Msr, and from having been an indifferent
messenger becomes q good clerk. In all
the departments, with ono o r two excsp-
lions, thers are coiored clerks. Some of
them are sx-members Of the legislatures in
the s0uthernI states. some are men with po-
litioal ambition Who regard any govern
Dent Office ~ higher than a private bust