Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-04-16

The accession of the new postmaster oil
Burlington to his Office furnishes proper
occasion for word or two of explanation,
which would probably have been said at the
time oil the appointment, but for the illness
oil the editor at that time. Mr.. Benedict, as
many of our Burlington readers are aware,
did not suppose it to be necessary, nor deem
1t altogether consistent with due self-re
spect, that he should make a general can
vass OF Burlington, in order to determine
whether or no he should be crowded out of
an Office which has been confessedly well
managed under him and the emoluments of
which he has for the most part returned to
the public, in order TO make better place
| for his head clerk. Such a canvass, on his
| part, he believes, would have demonstrated
| the fact that majority of the Republicans
OF Burlington did not definitely desire any
change in the ofhee-if that fact does not
indeed sufficiently appear from the circum-
stance that the most untiring and exhaus-
tive canvass ever made for an office in Bur
Z
joritY of the Republicans of this city, on
his opponent paper. Ii would certainly
be reasonable to suppose that a majority of
the sound ami reliable Republicans of Bur
lington were not anxious to see the control
Of the party and its appointments surren-
dered To the set OF local politicians who
have been most active in securing this
change
Why, then, it may be asked. was Mr.
Benedict a candidate for a re-appointment,
which it seems be was not to have with
the practical effect Of preventing that ma
ioriiy from putting in the field a candidate
who would have been willing TO do more to
secure tine place? The answer j. very sim
pie one. Il was because Senator Edmunds,
who absolutely controls the appointment of
postmaster in has own town-as absolutely
as he does the selection OF his own coach
man-gaye to Mr.. Benedict his personal as
surance, carly expressed and repeated al
most up to the time OF toe appointment,
that he desired Mr. Benedict to retain the
Office. Why Mr.. Elmunds did not do what
be averred he wanted to DO. We need not at
tempt 10 explain, further than to remark
that the result OF the matter furnishes one
more illustration Of the peculiar trait of un-
seldshness in the Senator character
whith leads him to snub his best friends
and to reward his bitterest enemies. Few
public men, surely, 50 faithfully obey the
Scripture Injunction: do good 10 those
that despiIelully use you"
Mr.. Benedict is proud OF the indorse-
mcnt which be received and he would not
have considered it anything more to be
proud Of, if there had been added to it
three or iour hundred names" secured by
Misrepresentation or by persistent teasing,
or attached to the paper because it was the
first one presented. or because the signer
saw a string of names before his own lie
is equally proud Of a considerable portion
tani that the most effective portion) Of the
opposition to his re-appOintment. lie Is
proud Of the czultatiOn with which his re
tirement from the Office has been received
By Democrats. drunkards and disorgau-
izers. lie valued the Office chiefly because
It enabled him to give to the readers Of this
paper a better paper, with more of tele-
graphic news and reading matter, than he
could otherwise have done The direct pc
cuniary advantage TO himself, from holding
the Office. has been small And rejecting
that it, REIMBURSEMENT relieves him from
serious care and heavy responsibility
well as from some obligations OF supposed
iriend>hip-he leaves it with entire equa-
uimity.