The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1878-01-18
wAsn:xofax. D. q. De. .

WAsu;SofoS, D. c., Dos. 95
Elaor Dcmocras.
This morning, at the breakfast table,
hal u long conversation with an NJ
pointment clerk Of the P. o. Depart
iueqf, princi ,s.lly iii reliti,n to PSst,
nlaster-Gsi,eral Key, with whom tho
clerk. from the dsit.es Of his Office, Is
thrown in intimate o.Hc;il rel;.- -ie:i I
w:ll say That tho clerk, who IS 4 south-
ern KefuliIc.sn, airl was oneo cand:7
date for Congress in his district, llaI no
ex l,eetation that would make tie con
versation a salject for u letter He be-
gan by telling me that the matter Of a
long contested postmastership, in one of
tis southern states, had Dseh ..t last
settled, that the two rival contestants
had been eqnaI well endorsed. and
that Judge Key had finally to wade
through the meshes of volnminous rec
ommenaation, and solicitation Of mem-
bei~ of Congress, and decide in favor of
the candidate whose letter Of application
exhibited the less illiteracy. ! asked
him what there was in the general talk
that Judge Key was only figure-head,
while FIRST Assistant P. M. G. Tyner
had practical charge of the Department
He replied that there could be no more
mistaken impression that Key was the
real head, and, in his opinion, the most
thoroughly able, practical. honest and
non-partizan man that had been at the
head of the Department in his expert
cuee, which embraced the administers
tions of Cressweli, Jewell and Tyner
He described Jewell as aipIomatist
and courtier, man who studied sfia-
bility as an art and practieel 1t for an
end He spoke of BIr. Tyner as a man
whose air and manner, in all his Official
relations, expressed an unrepubIiean
omnipresent consciousness of the great
gulf between cabinet miuis aud an
ordinary mortal. while ky seem = u
terly unconscious of aay distinction de
rived from office. or tlat It brought him
any prerogativss save those imposed BY
official duty that. rs Far ~ the De
partment at Washington wss concerned,
Key could be elected oye. Tyaer by o
two-:llirds majority. sfshstsnd.ns
the fact that hs Is known 70 bs Dsm
ocrnt, while the en- ,l1yes Of the De
li,rtmsut are. with scarcely i'm excep-
ti0n, Republicans. He spoke Of the
prodigious mem ry Of the Postmaster
General, and Of lis GRASP of minute de-
tails; said he: have on file in my
room documents relating to thea?point-
ment of postmasters ia three different
States, aud yoa may know that in The
great number Of petty post ifiic, 5 | can
not de;.end on my mem 5ry f. relative
facts, but mast kes. on lie infsrtnatiOn
IN relation t. each Tie Postmaster
General sent igi. me last week anl sal!
Ls thousht it was time to sestle the
matter Of the a point III, mt at - t.
save Hy life cJulI remember nothing
about it, 50 l tpld h.n l wouli exutaine
the file, which, when l had done, re-
membeFed that about month before be
had called on me for information, when
he had the matter under consideration,
and was surprised to see that be re-
membcreI everything that had been
brought mp then. This vii appear
more remarkable when it is remembered
that it was very Insignificant post
Office, and that he has to survey the
field Of appointments, not only in my
division, bat in all the States"
There have been sweeping changes in
the postotfices throughout the South
since the advent of the present A lmin-
istration, and the offices have, in many
instances, been filled by Democrats, bat
this has not been done for partisan ends;
in many instances there have been no
eligible Republicans for the places The
itlea that has controlled appointments
has been the good of the postal service,
and not the good of any political party.
There were many other things said, aud
Incidents cited which l have not time to
relate, and give the above as matter of
interest about public man whose posi-
ton is unique, from the facts that he
has never risen to prominence through
the usual gradations, and holds bis pres
ent position from bis political enemies.
While he may net have fsured as prom
inently as some other members of the
Cabinet in the political history Of the
last years, he is by no means a minus
quantity in the political equation, and
while some other members may be cred
tied with more genius and greater brill
! liancy as speech makers, aud with finer
theories, professions and ideals Of re-
form, he has perhaps attained more than
any other member in that onl. arseti-
cal reform-thc Improvement which
each one commences and perfects in his
special province.
SOCIAL GOSSIP.