Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-01-30


la March 1919 Mr.. JACOB Van Ne,s, was |
removed rom the office of clerk at the /
county OF Cuichess (: aud Mr.. Peter X. |!
Livingston senator iiom the Southern
district, publicly declared, as 1 au cred !
iblv informed, thai The then postmaster
at Poughkeepsie should be removed from
office, and MIR. Van Ness appointed i'll
his place. This event actually took place,
and indicates an understanding and co.-
operation between a department, al least,
al Washington aud political party in
this state.
Although these measures were uneQul-
vocal III demonstration, and rvprehensI>
| Die IN character, yet they we're Got deem,
| ed sufficiently energetic Tor The cri is, and,
| accordingly on the 4,h OF April, 1920,
! twenty one days before the general e.
P, lection, Mr.. Martin Van Barren, chair
man "l the meeting which nominated Mr..
| fonrkins for governor, addressed the
following letter TO Mr. Henry Meigs. the
nephew before aiiud' d 10, OF the posts
master general" lily dear sir-Our SUI
terlugs owing 10 I! g rascahiy OF deputy
| posimasiers is Noticeable and cties
aloud TOR relief. We find IL ALI, olutely
| Impossible 10 penetrate The interior with
| oar papers, ami unless We can attain tn ~
by t"u or three prompt removals, there
IS 10 limiting the injurious consequences
thai may result from il IT,, me there.
lore eu;reai the postmaster general To do
an act 81 justice, and render US a partial
service by ihe renIoval OF Holt nf Her
kinltr. anh 'he appointment Of Jabsz
Fox, EG.-Also ~ Howell, OF Bath, aud
The appointment ci on excellent friend
". Rochester, E>q. ayoung man ct
The INST rcspeClabliy and wnrIli in tte
stale,-and The removal OF Smith al i-ltfle
/ Falls, aud the appointment If iIoll,ster,
and the removal OF Chamheria,p, IN On
ford, and the appointment q! L1i Clark,
Esq. | am III extreme haste, aud can
therefore add 10 more. Use rt.t
enci"std papers according To yslr
discretion. and II any thing is dong,
lei II be quickly done, aud Yea may rely
upon II, niuch good will result trOM it,
Yours. ahectlona,,Iy, NJ. Van Burer,
April ith, 1920. The Hon Henry hltigs."
The osicn- ible obj q of this Letter, is iIse
disp'ac, menl OF &, ncrdi pos masters OF,
accoun, Of alleged maI practices, but tin
real dosigu "ss TO subse,ve the purposes,
OF party. The removal Of few diSlin.
| gulshrd pos. masters would serve aS .
n'onltion 10 The GA p 4 uIasicrs in the
state 10 come oUi a. clecttnuotr,ns par
| tZanS against he staic administration
or 10 MAINTAIN silence. THe improper
aed ,ourpl practices III pu'cd Ia posi-
| mastcrs'''y MI Vsn Buren,, are no h0ut,i
! entirely uIit0eudGd TIE priyate cri-
! racisrs of those genllemru are perfectly
| srspeciablr, aud Their official condect
had ncv'r, IS | understand, been in
peaChrd before that pertosi. 80" ii any
'lI ng Is due, ict II br qachiy doac, AMI
YOU may rel, uron l. much good viii Ne
snii flOn IL" That l., lei il be doue br~
tore the election, ana many yOies Will be
acquired.
The letter of Mr.. Van Buren, produted
The removal OF Mcssrs. Chamberlain ud
smith, twn o. The poStmasiers m'ntson
ed III II. II seems that J. X. Drxke,
then member of Congress, nIeri,.,ed
very officiously against postnlas ter
living oct OF iiis district. Aud II Is he lev
| ed tina, he removal OF Mr.. Leonard, whose
case VIII be hereafter mentioned, was ac.
complshed Though his iusirnmeuta1,y
!larppears hat Mr.. d, AXE cultivated all
influence ~!iea III Washington, sutlci ent
rot only 10 injure men much more iree-
pectabie lhan himse!i. bnt to SO are
contract With The government WHICH lie
ConsldeTed o. some consequence. ir.
Howell vas krpl III !is office, bl cy-
snnal acquaintance with DIR. Bradley al
the general post ohiee,w TO very prope X
excited HIM elf TO continue the servIce.
OF This excellent Officer Ter ihe lienctf OF
the department. Mr. Holt was noL re
moved until The 7lh of Drcemb last,
after tie resolutions OF a party meeang,
marked ID ID, held on tie 30.h October
last, were forwarded 10 the postnIas:er
general. 1t is sad by the pusimas ter
general that Mr. lioit was considerably
deIInquchi, q failed ior a number 81 gear
ters 10 reUdtr hIs accounts according 10
law. In order 10 establish tile rsaitt 4oi
s!is reason, The application st reruval
ought 10 eAist IN every similar case but
an intimaton has heru publ ~ and re
praicdly made al Il great delinquency,
aud no notice has been taken Of Il; aud
am greatly m:stakeult GIauy cases 10
not e1Isi here The returns required bv
Law have NJ been dul, male, an WHICH
have not hSiapdirg b Gu passed over |
without anImadV rsiun.
Thepdpers marked EE, probably cont lin |
the tue statement OF Tie case. 'fhp pspe,s |
marked &C, relate 10 the removal If the y osi
Master al The Little Fails, and III, affldAvcs Of
TIE hon Robert Momell and Joseph ). Ly. !
nan marked IF, will illustrate Tie geJ eIsl |
character ct the trausdctinns o., tue 18th !
Aprl, 1920 MIR. Stephen y Leonard WAS re-
moved from the Office o post master at Owe. |
go. ne letter announcing this is ~ the W )rds |
following, 10 wit :" Post Oface Derartuieei, |
18Th Apfii. ls20->ir, yOur being mail con- |
tractor, aDd toe Ouiy pIiattr in the place |
whore yOn tcsIde, u is considered that yunr
holdi'g the Office OF Posi- Master gives on an |
undue preference over other citizens and |
printers, not justified by tue usual pr Ictice |
OF Tins department. With your concAnct as |
post master, I'm well satisfied Respee tfnliy |
your. DC K. j. Nleigs jr Siephea r. Leo. |
nard, Esq The report of the Post Master /
General marked Hi, made at the present
session OF Congress, she ws that there are SO |
post masters who are at the same tiute con, |
tractors tor carrying the mail: aud IT is well |
known that IN three important cities Cue post
masters are at the same time propriep jrs and
editors OF new srape IS aud il cannot be- ure.