Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1861-01-31
From the 81. Joseph Valley Register
Letter fiOm Mr.. Colfax.
III. r.. WAsmIxoros. Jan. Is. g


FGIESp WHEELEn:-I was glad to no
tice your Editorial in the last Register il
favor of the Republicans of each localit,
deciding by popular vote their choice 70
Postmasters wherever there is serious ri
valry Tor the appointment. and the Office i,
one Of emolument sufficient to Justify thi
course.
No other mode of selection could b,
fairer to the competing candidates. or fair
er to the people. who really patronize tht
Post Office far more universally than the,
do the Sheriff's or Clerks Offices, the in
cumbents of which they first designate b,
their Nominating Conventions, and thcr
elect by their votes. and in very large ma
jority Of cases most wisely. But for tn,
provision of the Constitution which de-
clares that "thc appointment Of inferior Of
fees may be vested by law in the Presi
dent. the heads of Departments or tho
Courts of Justice" without authorizing it,
confcrment by positive law on the people
Congress would doubtless have long since
in accordance with the almost unanimous
wish OF the people. authorized the election
of Postmasters-fo the power of removal
reserved to the Department, would be q
sufficient safeguard against the retention o
unworthy men.
1t is SO easy AMI SO just for the Repub.
licans within the sphere Of the delivery o
any Post Office. designating their choice
for. Postmaster. at some time fixed by their
Central Committee men. anil the town.
ships to participate therein designated by
the same authority. that / am surprised
any one should object to il. And Irisx
my constituents to knosr that, IN erery case
schere there Is an acfine contest for the an.
poinfmenf. 4 hare earnestly recommended
this course, and that IL pW not Be nav fauL
y II is not adopted. II is much better ex.
preston Of public opinion than petitions,
as some persons sign all papers of that
kind: and far better than to leave it to a
Representative in Congress to determine
who. amongst dozen valued friends. he
would recommend to the Department.. and
which itself can know even less of the pop
ular preference than he does. Whatever
objections there may be to an informal
election Of this kind. are all outweighc,l BY
the fact that it declares unmistakabIv the
popular will, at least of the party partici-
pating; and its decision will cause much
less discontent to those who are defeated
by this test than il their aspirations had
been defeated by an exercise of power by
any one man. who is quite as likely to err
in his selection as the Republicans who
are to be brought in daily intercourse with
the officer elected. Some persons might
think this power desirable; but for nv
part, lpreier that il shall be exercised by
the people themselves, IL our opponents
had ever exhibited. when in power. a will
lingness to allow Republicans to partici-
pate in the selection Of their Postmasters
should be in favor of making the election
general one. in which all parties should
vote. As they have not, they would not
OF course expect it; and many. of them
would not desire it. .-.ss'.s,...
May ask the Republican papers of the
District to copy this letter and obliee
.srf Yours truly,
,.t4 4sdt i ,-,e SCHUYLER CoLFAx..