Morning journal and courier., 1881-08-08
Congressmen and the Spells Sys-
 tenn.
A Lesson from Rhode IsIR nd.
From the Providence Star. ]

IcEOul tno IrOVluenco bthr,
 Not many years ago vacancy occurred in a small postoffice for which there were two candidates, each strongly backed. One was an active local politician. He had long been the managing man of his party in his town. He had to be ''seen" by every aspirant for local office or for a seat in the State Legisla- ture, and to him were intrusted the funds and the management Of affairs in his locality by the State Central committee and by ambiti- GUS candidates. He was no doubt, judicious and skillful, but he was just enough of a "boss, and had just enough of boss dictatorial spirit, to make him unpopular with the mass of the voters in his town, and to cause them to wish for the overthrow of his political power.
 The member of Congress in whose district the postoffice in question was situated was not part of the machine, and would have preferred to have nothing to do with filling this vacancy, but the place was in theory his to dispose of, and he was called upon to de- eide between the rival candidates. After full and careful consideration he became con- vinced that the gentleman already described was not the choice of a very large majority of citizens, for whose benefit the postofice was established, and that the other candidate not only was such choice, but was also bet ter qualified to fill the place creditably. Rep resenting, therefore, as he supposed the will of the people directly interested, he rec commended to the department at Washington the appointment of the man last described.
 But the local t'bossn very naturally had strong political backing. Both Senators from the State were under obligations to him, and they joined with representative from an ad- joining district in urging the department to give him the place. A large majority of the State Central committee also signed psti- tion to the same effect, and, in short, the whole power of the "machine" was brought to bear not only to induce the Postmaster General to recognize" the political services of it's agent but to persuade the member of Congress, whose recommendation of the oth CT man was the only obstacle to their success, to give his consent. The representative was not convinced, but as his colleagues were men of more political experience than he, and appealed to him on grounds of personal friendship, he finally yielded and the little ''boss" got his postoffice.
 The appointment naturally gave very great dissatisfaction in the town and neighborhood in which it was made, and the member of Congress from the district, although his con- sent had been a very reluctant one, and al- though he could not expect to reap any po- Iitical benefit from it, was held responsible. A few months later preparations were made for new Congressional convention. The sit- ting member was a candidate, but did not have the support of the machine and therefore not of the postmaster for whose sake he had sacrificed his judgment while the citizens of the town in which the appoint ment had been made opposed both him and the s.machine"-him because he had yielded to the machine" and the latter because of their dislike of the postmaster. So great was the interest that, in the caucus held to elect delegates to the Congressional convention, the people took the matter into their hands and elected men who were pledged to vote against the nomination of the then member of Congress The solid front which that dele gation presented in the convention was the principal cause of the choice of new man as the candidate of the party, & man who was in every way fitted for the place, but whose choice was none the less defeat for the sit- ting member.