Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1903-01-09
. ouEsTlONAB LK KINDNESS.

The colored woman who has been post
master at Indlanola, small town 10 Miss
isslpp, some days ago sent In her resigna
ton, and the affair has led TO the closing oil
the Office by order of the President. Speak.
ing Of this tempest in a teapot" the Balti
more Sun, of Monday last, says:
Ii seems unfortunate that the President
can find no better way of dealing with the
trouble at Indianola, Miss, than by closing
the postofflce. II is true, as reported, that
there are TO be prosecutions under an old re
construction-time act OF Congress, that, one
would think, should be sufficient, as the pen
alties under that law are extremely severe.
According TO a statement which has been
given out from the White House after
Cabinet meeting the postmaster Of Indian
ola, who is q colored woman, has been
forced TO resign "by brutal and lawless ell
ement solely upon the ground oil her color,
and the resignation was obtained under
threats OF physical violence" 1t is also as.
serted that the woman is competent and
above reproach and has served acceptably
10 the best part of the white population for
about nine years. Why after that long serv-
ice there ia this sudden outbreak against the
woman is not explained. The statement re-
ierred 10 is careful 70 intimate that the COL
ored postmaster is entirely acceptable to the
selfrespecting and law-abiding portion oil
the white population, and that among her
bondsmen is a Democratic State Senator.
tla xxylo al alannaatp af he
lation Of any place is not, as a rule, that
part of the population which has any special
use for the postofflce. So that in closing the
office the President is Furnishing the bust.
ness people and the better people for the
misdeeds of the lawless and is not in the
slightest degree Furnishing the real culprits.
We submit that this is no proper way TO
right wrong.
The root Of the difficulty would probably
be better reached by ceasing TO appoint ne
groes 10 such official positions as postmasters
and collectors of customs in the Southern
States. The President takes the position
that where the negroes constitute a consid
cradle portion of the population Of com
are well qualified TO fll official positions it
is unfair 10 close the door upon them simply
upon account Of their color. This may be
abstract justice. The negro lie a citizen of the
United States and legally entitled as such to
every political privilege, including Office
holding, where he is competent. But the
civil service reform Idea of Office and office.
holding is distinctly different from this, as
we understand IL. President Cleveland ex.
pressed that idea when he said that public
office is public trust. Public officials are
supposed to be appointed to serve the PEG.
pie and without any idea of comforting a
private benefit upon any individual or any
particular element of the population. The
faithful performance of official duties is not
the only thing the people have right to de
mand OF public officials. They have a right
10 demand that the official shall be accepta-
BILE TO those who have business In the Office,
and that he be courteous aud well behaved
The postofice at Indianola was not inst
tuted for the purpose Of indicating the POI
ltical rights of the colored race. Ii was put
there as public convenience, and post.
master should be appointed who Is not only
efficient, but acceptable TO the people. When
bank selects cashier care is always taken
to get a man who is agreeable to the patrons
of the bank. This is good business policy
and II is well now and then to apply bust
ness principles TO public affairs.
Several of the Northern cities have large
negro populations, who are, as q rule, far
better educated and better qualified TO hold
Office than the cottonfeld negroes of the
South. Boston would, no doubt, welcome
negro postmaster with great cordially, and
the President might be entirely justified in
appointing one Of that race 20 that impor-
tant position. There Is still larger negro
population in Philadelphia, and the people
OF that city might be gratified by the ap
pointment OF negro postmaster, and ii that
is 30 the President would be entirely JUST
fled in appointing one. Baltimore, we be-
lieve, has the largest negro population of
any city, in the world, with possibly one
exception, and there are many colored men
and women here who are competent TO oil
the Office oil postmaster. But such an APP
pointment would not be acceptable here
and 1t might incidentally have the effect of
destroying the Republican party 10 the city
and State. 1t Is even limited In this In.
dianola affair and in the proposed appoint
ment OF s. ii. Wick as postmaster at Wilson,
N. O., that the most bitter opponents To
those appointments are not the Democrats,
but the "lily-white" Republicans, who are
in the habit of considering themselves as
exclusive Federal officeholders In the South.
srn States by Divine right.
1t may we'll be doubted whether the Presl.
dent is acting with due regard TO the best
interests of the colored race by giving them
office at this time. Politics and the desire
for Office were for years the curse of the
black man, and II is likely that Booker
Washington is right when he says the col.
ored man had better address himself to
learning trade, acquiring property or learn
ing how TO make good farmers and let Of
fees and politics alone. The appointment
Of one negro to Office in Southern State
oCStho Va NSuAbAohNO ehOooouho VI OtuCI nG-
groes, TO make them lawless, bumptious
and disinclined to work. Perhaps the kind.
est thing the President can do Tor the negroes
is TO keep them out Of office. The appoint
ment of lew dozen members of a race
which has 100000 or 100000 members
can scarcely, under any circumstances, be
Of advantage to the great body.
a LITTLE MIXED.