Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1883-09-14
THE POSrOFFICE.

THE POkTOFFICE.
The management Of our pestoffice,
through the difficulty which occurred be-
tween Postmaster Kelly. and the young
man Luse, has bccume quite prominent
subject of discussion in town, and hss
called out nun.erou expressions Of opin-
ion The Alert has no cause Of COM
plant against the present management
of the postofficc, nor ls it in any way par
tial towards Mr.. Kelley to defend him
against just complaint. The present
trouble grew out of clerk granting or
promising special privilege to the man
Luse, which he had no right under the
law to do, for the law does not give one
person a right over another IN obtaining
his mail at postoflicc. All have equal
rights there, aud the granting to one
person special privilege is clearly an
infringement upon the rights of others
according to the strict letter of the law.
In refusing to do this Mr. Kelley was
equally clearly On tho right side of the
law, so far rs the question of law is con-
ccrned. The manner III which he did it
is the subject of criticism, but 1t IS in no
wise q question Of law. A public officer,
however, may Keep STRICTLY within the
law and yet be the subject of just and
severe criticism ny the public for the
manner IN which lie performs his duties
with the public, and as no other officer
has SO much business with the general
public as the postmaster, it IS TO DC ex-
pccled tla, he Will be The jcct Of more
crnsure and criticism than any other
officer. The postmaster is required by
law TO keep a record Of complaints when
presented on oath by the p rson ay
gr,eved, and these complaints are re-
uuircd 10 be submitted 10 The government
inspector, when and where the complain
ants will have the privilege Of substantl
ating their grievances, and these Will he
reported bv the insp' to the depart
mept at Washington. ~
If MIR. Kelley is obnoxious to the pco-
pie of this city and vicinity as ros,mas-
ter The people have an undoubtcd right
to say SO, but there 's II proper and I'M
proper way to do it, and tho government
will take no notice of the sentiment of
the people unless it is presented in Il
prop manner. If the department
should con slider every. complaint there
would not b.: room enough in the Dis
lrict OF Columbia to file the papers. We
have gwen the proper manner Of making
complaint and the only manner in which
1t can be done with any effect If Mr..
Kelley were convinced that the people Of
this community did not want him for
postmaster he would probably resign but
If he did the appointment of his success
sor would likely ue a surprise to every
body, and everybody would wonder how
1t was done, as the recommendation Of
the delegate to congress would decide
the matter over and against any petition
that might be sent in, if he chose to- do
it. If a change should be made III the
jamestown postotfice, Delegate Raymond
will be the power behind the throne that
can say who the successor shall be. The
Ca oi,al yesterday in its usual zeal with
gu, judgment, and previousncss, nomina-
ted Mr.. Mills, which his more oiscreet
friends will regret, for it can only serve
as detrlment to his interests in that
direction. We do not know whether
Mr. Mills has any aspirations in that di-
rcctlon or not, but If there should be a
change we do not hesitate to say that
we should be pleased to sec HIM the sue
ccssor and we believe he would be gener-
ally satisfactory to the people, yet our
experience in "the ropes that lead to
the appointing power pronounces en-
phatically against agitation Of the sub
jcct, as "the race IS not TO the swift nor
the battle to tho strong" IN such cases,
but to him who has the "inside track"