National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-15
Tho postmns,or ON HorsebnoIr.

forts of the Pennsylvania Independents
were wholly confined to the reformation
of the civil service those doubts have ut
last been dispelled The rebellion against
the Republican party organization is for
the purpose of purging that concern of
the oflicious intermeddling of postmasters
in political campaigns. The activity of
Federal officers in aid of the Republican
party was regarded by recent Admins
tration as very damaging to the public
veal, although their efforts in a contrary
direction was not looked upon with any
special disfavor Tho civil service al
ways stands the best show for reform at
the hands of those who have failed
TO get a good hold upon it. The
disgusted and the disgruntled seeker
for office is opposed to what he
calls "bad methods" chief among which
is the Intervention of Federal officers in
political conventions for the purpose of
upholding the United States Senator to
whose fortunes he is most friendly. The
mild and watery power which beamed
so bonignantly upon the neglected, the
uninauential, and the unloved ones who
had beforetime sat upon the back fence
ofthe Republican party, wistfully cycling
the strongly-guarded garbage barrel,
which they lacked the powers to assail,
did much from 1877 to 1881 to sever the
unhalowed tic which bound the post
offices to the Republican, party. Civil
service order No. had its uses, as the
debility of the Republican party during
that period clearly showed. But let us
not meandcr. We were telling of the
Pennsylvania Independents. They are
on the march. They will stop
in politics The postmasters shall learn
that they are to attend to official
and not to party work. The grand
army of Reformers is in arms and
eager for the fray. AT the head of its
advancing columns we see stern
Office Service, and as he prances on
where glory awaits him, he issues an
order which would have excited the envy
of Napoleon the Great. 1t is intended
for the people, but is addressed to a
United States Senator from his State.
Every word he utters is like the crescendo
of an entire military band. He is the
postmaster at Wellsboro, Tioga County.
Pa, and thus he proclaims:
wELIsnopo, PA, May 10, 1882
II on. JouN ]. MIToHELL:
"And having done ali, stand" Call for mass
convention issued TO be held at Wellsboro', May
90 You are everlastingly right, and Tioga will
speak no uncertain sound. You are Senatorial
delegate My coat is of aud war paint on. The
foundation will move and the hill-tops blaze.
GEO W. MERRICK.
Oh but he's hopeful. His coat is off
perhaps for the convenience of turning il
and his war-paint is on. He prefers the
paint to the coat. He is a good Indian
Oh! what visions of tomahawks anC
scalpingknives, to say nothing of bead
and blankets, those words conjure up
What words of encouragement they ar,
from postmaster to his Senator. TIL,
song of Miriam was tame compared will
it. 1t should be set to music. The founda
ton will move and the hill-tops blaze
We do not know what foundation is {,
move, not do we care. Merrick knows
and being an Independent as wei
as q postmaster we need fea
no evil. We may be sure it j
not the foundation of the Wellsboro
post-office that is thus to be upheaved
1t may mean the foundation on whicl
the war-paint now rests. But when TIL,
hill-tops blaze, then oh, you who arr
) against Bossism, be swift to answer, an,
be iubilant your feet Merrick will re
deem you from the rule of rings compose,
of postmasters and their senatorial pa
irons if you will but follow him. If yov
fear that this loud-voiced postmaster ha
not his Senator at his back read the reply
) to his dispatch. 1t is from the JUNO
) United States Senator from Pennsylvania
| and reads thus.
WASHINGTON, May IS, 1882.
! Major GEO w, MERRICK, Wellsboro, Pa.
9 Right Is mighty and ever triumphant. hay
done all for peace, but war is inevitable, not upo
men, but upon candidates who have lashed them
selves to an unrightcous cause to curry the fave
1 of bossism, machineism, and the use of the spoi
system 10 bolster up stalwnrt usurpation. l al
l against this everywhere and forever. II is plai
patriotic duty to put down this stalwnrt oligarch
g at any cost, that true Republcanism ana tho Re
I; public itself may live aud thrive. Organized ol
= ganize Work and fight to the end.
(signed) JOHN l. MITCHELL.
. The circle is complete. The charm
wound up. This Senatorial delegate
to the Independent State convention
chosen by the machine erected by his i
, O. friend for Tioga, will doubtless hay
leave of absence from the United State
Senate while he wends his way to di,
, charge his duties as aleader in new part,
a In that convention he will, as in his telC
| gram, give battle to bossism, which mean
an alliance between United States Seni
tors and postmasters. Down with Can
g eron and some ef the postmnsters. U
, with Mitchell and the other postmasters
Pire Ia humbugl But what objection i
there to Beaver?
Hnnnp Tho RpnVa and U'fua