The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-02
MORE nFRBNoHu BULLETINS.


to the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, printed
yesterday:
''The commission to inquire into the man
agement Of Mr.. French, superintendent of
railway mail service, at Cincinnati will meet
in Indianapolis next week This place is Sc
lected because the complaints nearly all origi-
mated there. They charge tyranny, injustice
and dishonesty in weighing the mails The
record of Mr.. French here is that Of one Of the
very best officers in the service This could
only come from enforcing strict discipline, and
this really constitutes the basis of the COM
plants. The charge of dishonesty in weigh
ing the mails is made in ignorance of the fact
that he has no responsibility whatever in that
matter. The authorities here appointed the
commission solely to effectually dispose of
these persistent attempts to cause a good Off
Ger trouble"
Now, who sent or inspired this. speciali 1t
assumes to speak for the department, and says
Mr.. French is regarded as Zone of the very
best officers in the service" and that the com
mission ''was appointed SOLELY to effectually
dispose of these attempts to cause good Off
Ger trouble" This is very fine statement
indeed, and will still further add to the en-
barassments under which the commission
will meet 1t is here announced to them that
their business will be "solely" to affirm the
opinion asserted to be entertained by the De-
partment, that " Colonel French is one of the
very best officers in the service" Could
a greater farce be imagined7 That these
dispatches represent the department need not
be assumed; but we know, and everybody
else knows, that they have accomplished their
purpose, and that is to bolster up Colonel
French, and to intimidate every postal clerk
and employee from saying word in complaint
against this ''model officer" The clerk or
employee under Colonel French is fool
who will appear before the commission under
these circumstances, and we do not believe
there is one in the entire division who will do
SO, either in person or by letter. What the
action of the commission will be when they
meet, under the extraordinary circumstances
is for five honorable and conscientious gentle
men to determine.
We cannot recall a case so remarkable as
this French case. Conceding all that can be
claimed for him as an officer, he has so admin
istered discipline as to cause him to be 70
garded as tyrant by large majority of the
men under his jurisdiction. His con-
duct has been the subject of inves-
tigation by the best men in Indianapolis
and what they and the public generally think
of it. who are informed, is evidenced by the
applause which greeted a significant remark at
the meeting of the Grand Army boys this
week, in honor of Commander Beath But
no sooner had the department determined
upon an investigation than certain newspa-
pers, assuming to speak by authority, declared
and continue to declare that Colonel French
is ga model officer, and those who make COM
plant against him are ''disgruntled." General
Gresham is too much of Judge, and alto
gether too honorable and just a man, not to
see how absurd an Investigation" is, under
taken as this one will be. The Postoffice De-
partment has been baked in its efforts to Sc
cure justice, by persistent publications, which
have appeared to come from some one in the
confidence Of the authorities, but evidently in
the interest, if not in the service, of this
Colonel" French