National Republican., 1882-12-28
The Delegations from podunk.

selected to transact the public business The
offices are for the most part filed with very
respectable people, and the nations business
in every branch goes on like clockwork.
Nothing is stolcn nothing neglected. Our
revenues are honestly collected and honestly
disburscd. Some worthless barnacles adhere
to the ship of state OH the civil service reform
principle Of permanent tenure, but these arc
mere supcrnumcrarics. Notwithstanding the
general excellence of the public service-far
above the average in private business
the people are told that, no matter how
honestly they are served, there is great
need of reform in the manner of selecting
from among many honest men those particu-
lar ones who shall do the work. The busy
egotists who have never been called upon by
the people TO represent them, or been trusted
by them in any capacity, however much they
may themselves have sought political prefer
mont, arc engaged from one years end to the
next in tearing down the men who are author
lied by n majority to act for them. Every
beaten otfCc-secker and every rejected dcma-
gOgue is Il shrekcr for reform. These worthless
are never dashed by the rebuffs they get at
the hands of the people of theif party. They
are most triumphant in disgrace. They are
ever ready to symathize with the majority
which has been foully dealt with in being de-
prived of their valuable services They are
ready to overlook the Sights put upon them,
and to represent the party which in n moment
Of alteration selected another to represent ii.
\ Al Al.
master at Podunk, in the state of Connecticut,
should die. The sad intelligence comes to the
Postoffice department. The postmaster gen.
cral, who is from Wisconsin, is perhaps
but very slightly acquainted in Podunk. He
must select a good citizen, even if he has to
take republican. The President does not,
under the law, appoint postmasters for places
so small as Podunk. The exigency must be
met. If five alleged Podunlers should
present themselves and name a man for
postmaster the question would be raised
by somebody whether they were genuine
residents of that place, and, if so, whether they
were honest men or pickpockets. The situation
is complicated by the arrival of o delegation of
seven alleged Podunkers, who declare that
the five are pickpockets and their candidate
a burglar. To this the five respond that the
seven are escaped convicts and the man they
propose horse thief The postmaster gem
eral, having been for many years senator,
and acquainted with public men, suggests
that amid this conflict of testimony some in
formation might be obtained from the men,
Der of congress from the district in which the
vacant postOtiice is situated He accordingly
addresses him note asking his opinion as
to what had better be done.
The member writes to men in Podunk
whose word he is willing to accept, and the
reply comes recommending leading citizen
for the place who had not before been named
Whereupon the man who wanted to come to
congress at the hands of the dominant party,
but who could not obtain the boom advances
upon Washington and vehemently denounces
the interference by congressman with the
patronage Of the government He pufis and
swells with reform. If he had been elected
instead of being defeated he would have
favored such interference. As it is, he thinks
rcformers should name postmasters. In that
sweet by and by when he shall by such arts
win the coveted seat in congress, then
he will see things differently. But
what shall the postmaster general do? He
must choose between man who is denounced
by seven strangers as burglar, another who
Is by five strangers labeled a horse thief, and
third who is vouchcd for by member OF
congress, who in turn is youched for by a
majority Of the people of his district If he
fears that the people are FOOLS or that the
congressman is liar, or that, being a good
man, the appointment of person upon his
recommendation might SO intatuate that per-
son that he would support the member for re-
election, or if there is any other impediment
to be considered he may send a special agent
to spy out the land. Fare to Podunk and
back, twenty dollars salary and per diem oi
agent for four days, say thirty dollars. Fol
| fifty dollars he can thus have the opin'
! ion of man, himself but mortal
who lights in a strange place for two
days and learns only what he is told
If the agent should happen to be
less honest than the congressman, as
might sometimes be the case then where 4
| the remedy? The proposed remedy Of the
reformers is that the editor of the Podunl
Gazette shall decide the controversy by max
ing it warm for any who shall dare to oppos'
the man whose cause he espouses, AnC
bearded men are asked to give their adhesion
to this nonsense. We have described th
difficulties surrounding the selection of Off
GERS of the most numerous class in this coun
try. As to clerkships in the departments, le
us have them open TO all, ON competitive
examination. Then as for each one ther
will he eighty applicants, Of whom seventy
five will he found perfectly competent, let tn
choice fall upon that one Of the seyenty-fv
whose friends have most influence with tn
board of examiners
If good common sense is brought to bea
upon this business of appointments to ofiic
it will illuminate what many are trying I
confuse. We do not question the good fait
of any. But no harm can come from sugge'
tions of q practical nature, The country
, not suffering from faults in the public SCI
vice or in the manner of appointments
is suffering for the Tant Of legislation whic