The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-12
JEWELL ASKED TO RESIGN
THE PENALTY OF ATTEMPTING TO
PLAY THE REFORMER.


tns TO the President Of no Avail Whatever.
WARRINGTON. July ia few days ago
prominent Democrat on bis way to New York
city met Postmsster-General Jewell, and the
latter, speaking Of the retirement Of Secretary
Dristow, said that he did not know how long he
would continue In the Cabinet himself; but one
thing he did know, he had eudeavored TO do bis
duty as he saw Il. aud II he had made any er-
rors In the administration Of his department,
they were OF the head and not OF the heart.
He knew bis conduct had not squared
with the ideas OF certain class OF poll
ticians Of his own party, and their In
nuenoe seemed Just now to be decidedly
In the ascendancy. The gentleman to whom
this statement was made. although Of different
political faith, was . friend Of many years.
standing, and In reply to Jewelrs remarks, said !
Il hope you will stand or fall upon the princi-
Piles you have laid down, and compel the Presi-
dent to ask you TO step down and out II he does
not approve your policy OF reforming the Post
once service" "You may depend upon that"
replied Mr.. Jewell. ~ will make the President
put bimsslf on record; I have already made
mine"
At the time this conversation occurred Mr.
Jewell was on his way TO the meet
Ing oy the Republican National Commit
tee In Philadelphia, and be was very
xealous In urging the selection of Zsck
Chandler for chairman Of the committee, vice
Mr.. Morgan Of New York. His language to his
Democratic friend In regard to bis probable
resignation does not oomport well with his con-
duct in advocating Chandler for this position.
1t seems singular that an honest, fearless man
| could entertain the opinion OF the President
and bis policy which MIR. Jewell clearly tndi-
Gated that he held, and at the same time favor
Chandler for Chairman OF the n ational Repub-
cord with the present policy Of the President,
and zeaiOusv seconds all that he suggests IN
Kidding tue public service Of the men " no stand
Yesterday the Chairman OF the Committee on
Post Onices and Post Roads OF the House Of
Representatives caused n suOpDna to be served
upon Postmaster-GeneraIJ Jewell to appear be-
fore that committee to testify In regard to GER
| tain matters which required exclamation. At
the time the SUBPOENA WAS issued the Ch-irman
did not dre III that MIR. Jewell had D. cen request
ed t. resign. but the { ct that hts resignation
hau De-n requested, rendered, and accepi ed. WAS
made known to the committee priOr to Mr.. jew
ell appearing before tito testify. II was yery
natural. therefore, that. at the termination Of
Mr. JEWELS examination. tho subject of his res
ignation should be touched upon. lbe follow
| Ing Is what occurred.
Postmaster General A. set IN, letter OF rcsigna.
sSdn Noon 20 s as ne M %
| q awss your resignation yoluutAr, Or iorced2 A.
nation would be agreeable TO hi. sGd innediateJ y
Q-were you svs-. that any charges had been made
assnst you that the President should have asked for
g you KNOW any reasons why he should have
seized for your resisnsiionp Al sm not Sare Of
sSs .ss out must decline answering questions upon '''
Representative Cannon objected to this line
OF Interrogation. Chairman Clark thought II
would be interesting To Know the Intentions OF
the President, and thought IL might have an i'm q.
porte ut bearing upon the Post once Investiga-
ton. II fPostraster.G General Jewell was cnarsed
with fraud. II ought to be known. IL ne was
not. he ought TO be vindicated.
Odd the President Intimate to YOU any direhcton
sir. Without Wishing 10 give any Information de-
o.Do vow know ,e., any .harge, we're m de ,hss
H"So. sir sno. OF ~ ,Si' eh ,rss '','"
Y. Your resignation wac mo- asked. then. 80 far az
masicr.Gen,r4I3 Al do not KNOW thst III wa..
The simple truth about Nj. Jewells career as
Po-tmast er- General is this He started out Ms
reformer and zealously supported BrsstUw In
bis war upon corruption, but oy anu by he dis
covered that tins policy was distasteful To the
great majority of the Republican politi-
cians. He Is not either q bold OF great
| out TO reform his own department. to break
up the straw lid Ring, and TO reform the postal
he nad stirred up very big hornets nest. and
| that II he continued To tght II out on
that line he would have consideralIe
courlged BY Bristo~,. who knew that he
would soon have need for friends in the Cabi
| net, and thus sought to get Jewell committed
To this line Of policy before be maoe his ten
| strike against the whiskey Ring. Thus en-
couraged and nattered, Jewell PLAYED reformer
| with great zeal aud no little success, but no
soon struck some OF the Presidents dearest
friends. b. II. @ @Peierson w.s particularly
IN old friend Of Delknsp, and had
made himseli useful useful 70 BrOthsr-in-law
| deeply Interested in Peterson's welfare, doubt.
loss for the same reason that Casey was. There
fore, when Jewell broke up tue nice arrange
ment by which Peterson, under pretenco OF car
| rying the mails on the Mississippi river, robbed
| the Government Of $4,000 OF 5000 year. there
was tremendous ouIcry ralseu, and the pres
sure was at once brought To bear on the Prss-
| dent to put MS foot down on Jewell. IL was
| done, but not until Peterson's contracts had
been revoked, and heavy tines had been as
| sessed against HIM for failure to perform the
service according To the terms Of his contracts.
These fines were to be deducted from tue last
| quarters pay due Peterson, tut they were paid,
| and. moreover, the clerk In the Post Once
| Department who had been most Jealous ana ef-
ncient IN looking up the case against Peterson,
was requested by Jewell to resign. In request
ing THIS resignation Jewell plainly showed that
| he did II reluctantly, and TIE intlmated TO the
clerk tbat he did II IN obedience To the com
mand Of higher authority than himself. But
| this not all. Peterson's contracts were In a
measure restored to hin, and thus Jewell s
humiliation In this Instance was complete.
| His next operation was with Hines. the friend
| of Senator Spencer. Everybody remembers
| how Hines and Kettle, Two mail contractors,
| one from Alabama and the other from Iexas
| were detected IN brlbinR clerks to abstract the
bids OF mail contractors from tho nles Of the
department and bring them TO Illness house,
| WDeTo tueJ Wefe ihspccbcu iONef
proposals slipped in the next day. a
| aud thus giving them the sembancs OF
| regularity having been obtained by the thieves.
| When this discovery was made Jewell was very
| loud IN his declarations In regard thereto, and
| perhaps was honestly indignant at the rOgues
| and determined that Justice should be fearless
| " meted out to them, but all this ended as
| Peterson's case had terminated.
| The chief rogues not only got on scot free,
| but contracts were awarded to them, and they
| are at this very time performing them. Fines
which were assessed against them for non-con-
| plianoe with the terms OF previous contracts,
| have been remitted, and the clerks who were
proved to have been coRnizant OF the opera
| tiOns Of these WORTHLESS were retained In the
| department..
While all this was going on in his (Jewell's)
| department, Bristow had his hands full with
| the whtskey war. He had his trouble also with
| Jewell crinRed and covered before the wrath
| Of his master. BristOw had given Jewell coun-
tenanoe and announcement in the hour OF his
| need, aud had stood up stoutly for him IN the
Cabinet meetings; but when the trial Of
the brave Secretary came, Jewell was
| silent. While KODeson Belknap, and Fish
stood by the President, and Bristow naturally
looked to Jewell for announcement, he met no
| response. In privete he was prOfuse In his
| declarations, but In the Cabinet meetings he
held his peace, and did not dare to act the
manly part. He had tasted the sweets of once.
and tTembled at the thought OF losing them.
| For months past he has really been crlnginR be-
| fore and flwniDg on the President, In the hopes
| OF beng suffered TO remain in ONCE.
| He entered heartily IN the schemes TO secure
| hair IlV aN..