The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-09-29
Postmaster Goddard.


munications that are not used.
- -
Postmaster Goddard.
For day the lovers of the sensational
have had their curiosity stimulated by spec
ial dispatches from Washington to certain
Boston papers alleging grave Irregularities
In the official Conduct of Judge Goddard,
the Postmaster in this city. None of the
senders of these dispatches pretended TO
know anything about the matter himself, or
to have any official authority for the state
ments made. They were all careful to say
that it was the Washington Post which al
legged that there had been misconduct on the
part of the Portland Postmaster. OF course
there was nothing to be said GU the subject
until the Washington Post was received and
1t could be known precisely what the speci-
fcations were, how they were made,
and what authority was given for them.
The article came to hand yesterday after
noon, we reprint 1t in full in order that in
telligent men may see for themselves, its
real spirit and malignant purpose.
The Washington Post, it should be said,
Is Democratic party organ at the National
Capital We have never heard that any
body who knew it suspected it of being in
corruptibly honest. 1t was one of the Wash
ington journals, the Republican and the
Critic being the others. which sided with the
star route thieves and abused all who were
engaged in prosecuting them, and it is ex-
pected to be an advocate of any fat job
which maintains lobby. So much for the
character of the accuser.
Now let US give attention to the circum-
stances of the accusation. Postmaster Gen
eral Gresham has given evidence that he
proposes to have the laws obeyed and he
has shown himself business-like, aggres
sive and courageous reformer. Among 9th
er things he has set ont to enforce the laws
forbidding the use of the mails for conduct
ing the lottery business. For this, and, per-
haps for consideration in hand, the Wash
ingson Post is his enemy. We mean that it
is especially and particularly his enemy ON
this account, for naturally it would be the
enemy of any man in his place who made
Wdt VA VIC JOOuCic OOJ Vi WuUu botGIdi
Washington journals make an income.
This temper toward the Postmaster General
crops out in the article in question. 1t is
headed "a Reform Opening-Where the
P. NJ. General Can Do Some Honest Work.
Then comes the opening sentence Gas the
Postmaster-General is attitudinizing before
the country as great reformer and has
made one or two dismisals, and each one to
the chorus of full band and noisy claque,
the Post proposes to call his attention to
tail of the article, as in its head, the same
venomous motive appears. 'sIt is also pos
sible that the Postmaste-General will be I'M
able TO pay any attention to any misconduct
of his subordinates while stimulating and
fertiliziug his Vice Presidential s'boom'' in
his home State" How like this is to the
sslcitude of the Washington papers when
they were trying to persuade President Gar
field and President Arthur to let up on the
star route thieves and devote themselves to
genuine" reform, such as throwing over
: board all members of the cabinet who were
in favor of prosecuting the sweet saints,
Dorsey and Brady! The sneering tone of
insincerity is the same. "Genuine" re-
form, as these scavengers understand it, is
to turn out every body who interferes with
their plundering.
Let us regard now the source of the accus.
alton, the authority upon which it is put
forth. SIT has come to its 1.-THE Posts) know
ledge-how, is nobody's business-that an
official of the post Office department, recently
on tour of inspection through the New
England States, found the post office at
Portland, Me-, in an unsatisfactory condi-
tion." This in the beginning But at the
close, latter the accusations Of corruption have
been sci forth il phrases carefully framed to
seem to screen the Post from responsibility,
this scandal monger says, 1T is possible that
the Postmaster General has not had report
from the special agent of the department
and it is also possible that when it is made
BILE assistants" What man who has his
wits about him will give any credit to
charges against an officer of fair repute on
such fimsy authority? The Post aims 10
create the impression that the matters it
makes public have an official basis, and then
proceeds to insinuate that if there is nothing
on file substantiating them it is because of
artful secretion by accomplices in the post
office department. This is as absurd as it is
cowardly. It is confession that there is no
authority to which it can appeal for the
truth of its charges, or to which anybody who
wants to know the truth can refer. Malice
is their motive and apparently no man dares
avow his responsibility for them.
What the charges are may be seen by ref
erence to the article. Everybody here knows
that the statemen that Judge Goddard gives
no personal attention to the business of Post
master is false. That he was employed by the
State to prepare revision of the statutes the
world has known for two years. 1t has not
been just found out. That his performance
of that work was holding an Office of kind
forbidden by the regulations of the depart
ment, will surprise legal minds. 1t would be
q "discoverv" indeed, but the announcement
of it will not be left to an anonymous special
agent. The other charges affect the official
and personal integrity of Judge Goddard who
is entitled to deal with them in his own time
and way. He declines to enter upon any
newspaper defence of his official and person
al honesty, but when any accuser is disposed
to meet him where an investigation of his
conduct can be properly made, we have
notion that he will make warm work for the
man who may venture to impeach either
Meantime the people of Portland, among
whom the Judge has lived some sixty years,
will not change their opinion of him on ac-
count of accusations which come from the
source of these, and are without creditabe
support.
Last Thursday the people of Portland
were informed by the Argus that the city
marshal had made a large seizure OF liquors
at James Cady's in Fore street, and that the
bar was run in open defiance of law. The
Argus intimates that for some mysterious
reason the sheriff made no seizure there.
What we would like to know is whether the
CITY marshal made the seizure becalfse Cadv