Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1860-03-02
The Post Office Department and
its Corruptions.


In the Senate Of the United States on the I5tl
inst. Mr.. CHASDLKR, of Michigan, gentleman of al
unimpeachable integrity as auy in that body, thu.
advertcd to the abusesand corruptions Of the Post
Office Department.
Mr.. President the Senator from Maine has point
ed out few of the reasons why the Post Office De-
partment Is not sef-sustaining but be has no,
pointed them all out, In my estimation, one chiei
reason of the great deficiency Of our Post Office
ceipts is owing to the system Of jobbery that ex-
tends all through that Department. We have this
morning cut off one great leak. We have passed a
bill which willsaVe the Post Office Department some
thirty-two thousand dollars year on one cass of
printing alone That gross wrong, which that bill
corrects, has existed for years il was not a wrong
that has grown up unobserved for has been known
10 the President Of the United States and to the
Postmaster General and yet it has been allowed to
go on from year to year, swallowing up the reven-
uss of the Department.
THE WASHINGTON CONSTITUTION.
II is notorious that newspaper published in this
city was purchased for a portion Of the patronage
Of one single job, other portions being employed to
subsidize and corrupt party organs in other cities
desire, on all occasions, TO parliamentary lang
uage but in what truthful language shall describe
such transaction, lift be not robbery of the Post
Office funds under color oflaw? Post Office reven-
ues or moneys in the Treasury of the United States
are diverted from their proper uses, to which they
stand charged on the books of the Department to
the purchase and support ofservio newspapers with
the knowledge of high official personages. The
crme-for is it less than criminal7-is to be depre-
Gated not merely because the Government loses
some thousands Of dollars in branch of the pub
lie service, but because the turpitude at the head
has corrupting moral influence down through the
-.. AZ. -
in station. We have witnessed its effects in De-
goit.
THE POSTMASTER AT DETROIT.
Our postmaster, knowing that the Constitution
was subsidized from the Postofice blank printing
fund, and owning sound Lecompton newspaper
himself supposed he had perfect right to subsidize
that paper by placing il upon the revenues Of the
Postofhce Department.-The example before him
bewdered his moral sense, and he created snccures
in the post Office for services to his newspaper In
process of time, his political faith wasnot deemed
sound, and he was not only turned out but prose-
euted, ostensiby for subsidizing press, in imia-
ton of one who holds the high Office Of President Of
the United States
THE DETROIT FRKE PRESS,
There is another newspaper in my city, which
is not very well sustained. It is the leading Demo-
cratic press of my State but it cannot very we'll
afford to pay its editors. In that city there is
office-I will call il an ofice-of porter messen-
ger TO the Posto6ice 1t is salaried office, the
duties of which to transport the mails from the
Postoiice to the A gentleman connected with
the Democratic Free Press is this salared Postoice
porter. He receives 81, 200 year as porter TO the
Postoice but he hires cartman for 20 dollars a
month 10 do the work. Four times year, at the
end of each quarter he draws his $780, and pays
over his sixty dollars to the man who does the work
He thus pockets his salary from the Postoffce De-
partment Of 81, 200 year. less $240, which he pays
to the man who performs the service. Nine hun
dred and 60 dollars per annum therefore paid
for no other earthly service than the partisan sup
port of corrupted press and this is no exceptional
case for throughout this broad land Postoices and
custom-houses are made to pay tribute for the same
sycophantic and degrading prostitution of that
engine which should dffuse both light and truth.
ANAL RoBBER APPOINTED POSTMASTER.
But again, sir, have little further experience
in my State. In the summer of 1857 a man in the
town of Lexington, in the State of Michigan, was
detected in robbing the mail. 1t appeared that he
was deputy Postmaster that is to say, the Post
master lived some mile or two away from the Office
and deputized him to act as postmaster under the
plea that owning the Democratic paper, he must
receive the revenues of the Office to enable him to
his press. Mhe facts of the case were set forth
at the Pestofice Department. How was the guilty
moved, and the identical man who had robbed the
mail was appointed TO succeed him. supposed that
this was mere mistake; supposed that they had
taken the postmaster who had been removed for the
thief, and applied at the Postofice Department to
have the mistake rectifed. brought the papers
along and submitted them to the Postmaster Gen.
eral, and said "this is clearly mistake and ask
that 1t be recti6ed and that this man be removed
He said, livery well will have it investigated"
This W du,inO the refQ session 0f fha
gress and some months after the man had been de-
tected. went to the Postofice Department from
time 10 time but was turned away and sent To
one Of the Assistant Postmastsrs General to see
what Progress made in the investigation Final
ly, the Assistant Postmaster General drew out a
large quantity of letters from leading Democrats in
my State and said that Il was necessary for the
Democratic party that this man should he kept in
Office. "But" said /, 'this man is Postoffice rob-
Der, thief and demand that you have him re-
moved. | do not ask that a Republican be put in
his place, but that you have Democrat appointed
who will not steal" Well, sir the demand was
deemed unreasonable. [Laughter.1 He was not
removed he was retained in Office; and more, sir
he was promoted-he was promoted to be the dep
uy United States Marshal for that district after these
charges were made and proved. 1t "-as very
lucrative place for him. Under the postmaster he
could rob the mail and being deputy United States
Marshal his very first act was to establish Immense
mandatory Of counterfeit money, [laughterl but
he held bis Office there for two years after these facts
were established. True he was a liberal man he
owned a newspaper press, and they could not have
Democratic press there without giving il the pat
ronage of the Postofice. He spent his money freely
and he could afford to do So for he made il himself
laughter OF all beyond what he got by robbing
the mail.
II is these abuses, extending from the highest to
the lowest officer under this Government connected
with the Postofce Department, that prevent II from
becoming self-sustaining concern.
Marriage ought always to be question
not of necessity, but choice. Every girl
ought to be taught that a hasty, loveless