The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-05-18
OUR WASHING ron LETTER
THE AUTOCRAT OF VIRGINIA-DIS-
PENSING THE FRUIT OF HIS BAR

PENsING THE FRUIT OF HIS BAR
GAIN.
WASHINGTON, d. c., May IA. 1881.
To the Editor Of The Morristown Gazette:
When President Garfield entered
so serenely on his four years course,
but two months ago, no one foresaw
the complicated situations of to-day.
Every one will remember how even
political antagonists were disposed
to congratulate each other on the
beginning Of q political, industrial,
and financial millennium. Robertson
had not then been mentioned, and
the portentious Malone was just
appearing equivOcally above the
horizon There is no equivocation
in the attitude Of Malone now, nor,
indeed, in the attitude of any Of the
distinguished persOnages who are
playing in the petty politics of the
day Senator -Mahone's carriage
may be seen, at almost any hour in
front of the south side of the gener-
al Post-office Department, where he
spends much Of his time, closeted
with Judge Tyner, farming out the
little post Offices in Virginia which,
regardless of the wishes of the
patrons of these post offices, both
Republicans and Democrats, have
been given to him. 1t is his policy
to place a Readjuster in ever post
office in Virginia where the post
master does not have to be approx
ed by the Senate This will make
him dispenser of hundreds of offices,
and enable him to play the despot in
hundreds of localities that the cOpn-
try at large has never heard of 1t
is needless to say that this is not
right; that it is not according to
correct civil service principles that
it is not Republican or Democratic
in principle, but what we are ac-
c4stomed to call in Europe or Asia
despotism and tyranny | lInQw OF
more than one instance where the
post master, Notwithstanding his
years of experience, his perfect
record with the Department here,
and in spite of protests signed by z
large majority Of the citizens, both
Republicans and Democrats, has
been ruthIessly removed to make
place for incompetent and charac-
terless men, whose only recOmmen-
dation is that they hold MahOnes
peculiar views with regard to the
Virginia State debt The pGternal
functions Of the Federal Govern
ment should not be felt in this way
in small, weak, and isolated COM
munities, whose protests cannot be
sufficiently loud to raise that gen
eral public Indignation which can
command redress. Neither Air.
James nor the President would dare
to appoint a post master against the
protests Of nine -tenths If the good
citizens Of st. LOUIS OK New York.
1t is cowardIy to force upon the
weak what they would not dare at
tempt with tire strGng II is nm
stQt9smanlitle and pnpatriotic to
ALLEVIATE small provincial communi-
ties, and to force them to feel the
central government only as mis-
chievQ4s internaddlpr with thair
local affairs, and as the ch&llpion Of
those whom men Of both parties
hold in the least esteem. The
people of . small village have conf conf
Dental and intimate 'relp ipus with
the post master, they advise with
him, and trust him in all business
matters beyond the limit of their
acquaintance, and to thrust upon
them a stranger or q neighbor' in
whose experience and integrity they
have not. confidence, is such. mis-
chievous and serious interference
with their business interests as
wQuld not be attempted or tolerated
in larger and more powerful COM
munities.