Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-13
Selecting Postrnasters by Ballot.
SOME INTERESTING sUGGRsrIoNs-THE CAST
AT MANASSAS.
MANASSAS, VA, December 9, 1873.


AT MANASSAS.
MANASSAS, VA, December 9, 1913.
To he Editor Of the Star:
observe in your issue for Saturday a letter
from this place in reference to the election for
Postmaster at this place. 1t is perhaps due to
the Post Office department that should state
the circumstances which gave rise TO the cleo
ton. When 1 resigned the position of post
m lster was asked by the department to recon-
mend suitable person as my successor. On
account of some peculiar circumstances sur.
rounding the case, l was unwilling 10 recon-
mend successor without testing the desire OF
the people. l therefore recommended an cleo
ton, to which the department acceded, not, as
understood it, absolutely binding and con
elusive, but as a guide for me in m aking a
recommendation. The regulations governing
the eli ction, allowing all persO ns over I6 wears
of age who obtain their usual mail at this Office,
TO vote at the election, were made by ne, and
not by the department. In my capacity of
country postmaster, 1 have observed il as a
remarkable phenomenon that it is about the age
Of 16 that the geRQs homo become especially in
terested in the Post Office department; also that
the better half of mankind are almost univers Al
Iy more particular concerning their mail than
are their deprayed brethren. Whatever obIec-
ton can be made against universal suffrage"
at ordinary elections, | am sure that there
could be no valid objection in a case OF this
kind. 1t is certain that in nothing that per-
tains to government does erery member of socie-
ty have a more intimate, constant and acute
interest than in the little white winged messen-
gers OF business, courtesy and love that Y into
the Post ONCE W indow and perch in the boxes
looking out for the faces of their owners.
The result of the election was very much as
anticipated your correspondent A larger
vote was psS d than was ever cast at any
Presidential Or state contest at this precinct
The following data may be interesting to the
friends and enemies OF universal suffrage :"
Whole number of votes cast .................32s
Number OF white voters. .....................2l3
colored " ......................Il5
" male % ......-.....,.,..2 3I
female 90 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. "a
voters between 10 and q . p
The result was as follows:
For Mrs. l.. Adelia Pine, the present assist.
ant postmaster. ..............,......9 SOB
For Mr.. Jacob Depue. ...........,..,.,..2 5
The voting was without reference 10 party
uhes, ana although there were few ladies' in
toWn from the country on account of the threat
eniDg weather, yet there were very few of the
wives and daughters of the prominent citizens
OF the village, either OF the northern or southern
families, that did not improve the first chance
virginia ladies ever had to exercise the right of
suHIage mention this as il is contrary to the
to vote.
Permit me to suggest through your columns
70 the Lawmakers among your readers whether
It Is in strict accordance with the genius of our
institutions that the tens of thousands of post
masters from Maine to California should be ap-
pointed by one man who cannot possibly know
more than one out of thousand Of them. Why
should not the choice be left to the people who
are interested and who know the candidates?
IL seems to me to be on par with the law in
our State giving the governor the power of APP
pointing the school trustees for the whole state
Even though the appointing power be cOnfded
10 gentlemen of the capacity of Postmaster
General Creswell or Governor Walker, is IL not
contrary to the genius of republican govern
ment? The Empire State of New York after
trying the system of electing their judiciary
have determined by Tremendous m Ijority to
continue the system. Surely the citizens of
New York aud Virginia are better qualified to
elect their postmasters than their judges.
1here is Just now a great demand tor the es-
adjustment of postal savings banks and of
postal telegraphs and a reform in newspaper
postage. But the valuable time of the heads OF
the Post Office department is taken up in ex-
aiming long petitions manufactured TO order,
and which seldom express the wish of the peo-
pie. IL neighborhood quarreis between indi-
V1duals and stores were settled at home, would
Il not relieve the department of a very irksome
ana unpleasant duty? Could the republic an
party DO more popular act than BY adapting
our post office system to republican principles?
he great objection against the proposed sys-
tems OF postal telegraph and savings banks is
nat they VIII tend TO cenfrGlize our government
MAKE the postmaSters etscfige and you rob this
objection of all its force; you relieve members
OF congress and the heads OF the Post-Ofice
department of their most disagreeable duties;
you Will have, in my opinion, better working
force OF postmasters, a more efficient depart-
ment, and better satisfied people. WHO in
our national legislature will lead in this reform?
respectfully, &C., GEO, c. RoUSD.