The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-16


pendent President what man he shall appoint to
office.
DEPUTY PosTMAsTERs-THElR ELECTION BY THE
PEoTE.-By private advices from Washington, we
understand that the administration, and especially
the Secretary of the Interior, overwhelmed with
letters, petitions, recommendations, complaints,
and every other kind of document, concerning Of
fees, dismissals, removals and appointments, and
emanating from every town, village and hamlet in
the thirty States Of the confederacy. Indeed, so
great is the pressure on the administration from
this cause, that the real and important business of
the country cannot receive the share of attention
which it demands, and will not, until the dispense
ton Of Office is finally disposed Of An idea of the
immense quantity of business of this description
on the hands of the administration may be obtain
ed, by rejecting that there are nearly forty thou
sand post offices scattered throughout the country,
and that the successful party invariably expect that
portion of the spoils to be taken out the hands of
the defeated, and distributed among their partsans
and needy ones, who contributed to bring about
the victory.
We shall confine ourselves to the distribution of
the post office patronage, although there is an inf
mite number of other Offices to be disposed of and
then submit that this is business which must in
terfere materially with the administration of the
affairs of the country, and might with great pro-
priety be taken off the hands of the President and
his cabinet, and left to the people. If this were
adoptedif it left to the people of every city,
village and town to elect their postmasters, it
would be attended with great many advantages
The general administration would be relieved of
mass of labor, which would enable them to devote
moro time to their more appropriate duties, and
IN great many cases, better, safer, and more re-
liable men would be selected than the government
could hit upon. 1t cannot be expected of the gen.
eral government, that they will appoint postmas-
ter without previously inquiring into his character
reliability, and fitness for the office to which he
wishes to be appointed; if they acted otherwise,
no degree of censure could be too great for them
Having to make such inquiries, then it follows
that great deal of time is occupied, which Ger.
tainly might be devoted to a better purposc-espe-
cialy in cases where the offices are worth
only two or three hundred dollars year. Again,
in making such inquiries, they must seek informa-
ton of their political friends and supporters, and
those whom they address on the subject are most
likely to be politicians, who, remembering only the
services which the candidate rendered the party.
would, IN great many cases, have no hesitation
In recommending person who did not possess a
single qualification for the duties of postmaster
Under the present system, likewise, it frequently
happens that really competent men are overlooked,
and deputy postmasters are appointed, who know
nothing of the routine of the department, and
whose ignorance, imbeciy, or inaptitude for bu-
siness produces blunders mistakes, and omissions,
that in many cases result in bad consequences
Now, if the deputy postmasters throughout the
country were elected by the people, the government
would not only be saved all this trouble and annoy-
ance, which prevent them from attending to more
important business but the business of the post Of
lice would be better attended to, because the most
capable men would be elected. Let 1t be left
10 the people to elect their pest masters, and
there will not only be better men selected
han the general government can appoint, but the
business of the department will be better perform
ed, and there would be less cause of complaint
han at present exists.
With these considerations before us, we are of
opinion that the this reform is carried into
effect the better it will be for both the government
and the people. In addition to the points we have
urged 1t would take from the hands of the go.
'efnment the dispensation of large patronage,
"hich ought, according to the spirit of our nstitu
uons' TO be vested in the people themselves 1t
would make our elections purer, because it would
compel large portion of that class of the commu.
NIFTY who are politicians by profession, to sock
livelihood In more honorable and praiseworthy
way In addition to this, the deputy postmasters
should be elected not for the duration of any par
ticular party in power, but during good behaviour
This would remove all temptations for people be.
coming pothouse politicians in our towns and vii.
lagos, and induce our citizens to vote more on
principle than ever. We commend these sugges-
tions to the consideration of the people.