New-York tribune., 1875-08-18

The oitcnsc FOR which number OF Iost-
masters haze been dismissed by Postmaster
General Jewell within the pas; week or two
i not clearly explained by the announcement
that it was " for i,ie improper sale of postage
"ss,mps." The process ly which this % i'm
"p;Oper sale or m0ret properly ffauhliieht
salc-for that il tina hard. honest English OF 1t
was efcc,rd was detailed some months ago
in THE TRIBUNE, at the time the attention oi
the Posimastcr-Gcnc.al wdS directed to 1t, rs
one of the abuses which needed correction. Ii
is but Justice to say tat Postmaster
y. ID. Spcrry Of Ncwiiayen, WHO COM
hines the virtues of an efficient pub
lie officer with the vices Of successful
poltician, deserves the credit Of calling this
abuse t,Athe notice of thc Posin4aster-Gcncra!.
1t occurred 90 Mr.. Spcrry's acute observation
several moat,S ago that wiHle the revcnue OF
lis Office from the sale OF stampS-whleh by
.r way did not affect his own saaIy, and so
"a nct touch hs selfish ntcrc,tS-v,s not so
ss?sc ~ with the natural increase OF business
It should be, other Offices III tlic H"i%hbor-
hood of New Haven, where tioIe had been
lit,c or 30 increase ia population or business,
Showed an unusual incrcas" in the sale of
stgm,,s and Of course corresponding increase
in the pos,mastcl's salary, which was by law
contingent upon the amount Of stamp ssl"s.
4 little inqYiry let tlic Nowilaycn Post
ma.tcr into The secret 1t appeared that III
several of the Small towns and villages of
Which Ncw-I.avcm Was the mGrict and bust
.ness center the Po,t-0iice was kept il the
VILLAGE grocery or storc,' and fiir store
krcpcr was the Postmastt n. The salary OF the
L,;, ,,f N
of stamps sold, it was the custom for the Post
master and storoleeper to purchase his goods
.f the New-Iavcn Wholesale merchants
with the understanding that part or
tho whole Of the purchase money
should be paid in postal stamps. This
baptcr of course increased tie salary of tfic
couutry Postmaster, aud equally OF course re-
Guccd the sales of stamps 0i the -lihVch
Office. where tho salary was no; contingent
upon tho amount of sales Oi stamps. Here
was u very plain case Of fraud upon the Gov
cn,nont. We call il fraud. DonbtlcS, it
pns,c. among the politicians OF the period As e
bit OF business" of sharp practice.
PostmaStcr-Gcnrrll Jewell, with his business
habits and straightforward ways, took the
matter lp, anl upon Investigation discovered
that the practice was not confined To Con
nccsicut, but WIS general throughout the
country and that the Government WIS SWIM
dlrd-swindlcd is hard word. but quite
proper, we think. for this performancc-ont of
thousands Of dollars annually by it. 1t oc-
Cured to Gov. lowell that AZ his private busl-
ness he would not allow such an abuse ~
that TO go uncorIected, anl he did a. he said
ne would whcn he catered upon the duties
Of his oficr-hc took measures to stop the
leak, and save the Government several thou
sand, of dollars. We understand that in
Washington and at Long Branch. Post
master-( General Jewell is considered a "cheap
"rpfo,lncr," and that Boss Shepherd spoke
only the average sentiment of Administration
circles when he called him "b0bal clam
"Yankcc" 20 doubt there are greater states
men than Marshall Jewell in tie Republican
party, hut this little incident which comes to
us without any knowledge of his, shows his
sincerity n undertaking to run the Post
coffee Department. ju't rs he would his own
busincss as he said he would when he entered
uDon its duties. And wo are glad to be able
10 say this of any one. What we want to-day
in Government officials is just this determine
ton to do the Government business III honestly
and salaicly as they would their own