Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-07-09
The Portland Post Office.


The announcement IS made elsewhere that
the President has suspended" Mr. Clark j.
Barker. postmaster at Portland, and APP
pointed in his stead Mr.. Joshua ). Palmer.
The removal Of Mr.. Barker !, a clear viola
'iau Of Ma spirit Of the Presidents famous
civil service letter to George William Curtis
and other Mugwumps. Il needs no argu-
ment 20 prove that post office j. one OF
the positions referred TO BY Mr.. Cleveland
in that letter a not requiring that lis IN
cumbent should be III political sympathy
with the Administration and from which he
pledged himself not 10 remove faithful and
efficient occupants before their term, were
completed except for offensive partisan
ship"
NIr. Bankers term in the Portland Post
Office is not completed. He Is suspended
IN the midst OF it. That be has been an eN-
ceedingiy faithful and efficient officer nobody,
not even the gauutest and most iamished
Democrat has ever pretended 10 deny. lie
has given the citizens Of Portland the most
complete mail service they have ever en-
loved and has iaDored cary and ate tc ac-
commodate the patrons Of the office. ln-
der his administration The number Of driiv-
cries has been increased from three to five
daily and several branch office, have been
established by which the genera. public has
been greatly cunyCuienced. Having been
merchant himself be thoroughly compre-
hended the needs Of business men and dill
gently looked after their interests IN the
matter Of mail facilities. His conduct Of
the office, there j. every reason 10 believe
has been as satisfactory TO the Post Orlce
Department "a it has been to the general
public. There has been no IntlmatiCn from
any source whatever of @ant of capacity or
lack Of failh.ulness or efficiency on III, part.
It Is perfectly safe to conclude, therefore,
that he is removed for none of these
things.
The only remaining ground on which his
removal can be placed IS that Of offensive
craftsmanship ana that no doubt will he the
reason ass .gned when it becomes necessary
to assign a reason. Under fair reasonable
Interpretation of that phrase, under the IN
depreciation President Cleveland intended
the Mugwumps should put upon it when he
wrote il, and which they did put upon il,
Mr.. Barker has not been an offensive par
tisan." He has not prosttuled his office to
accomplish partisan ends, he has not spent
the time that belonged to his official duties
in political work, he has not made the post
office obnoxious to Democrats. He has not
served on a campaign committee. He has
not edited Republican newspaper. In
short he has done none of the things
specified in the Postmaster Generals let
ter as constituting Offensive partisan
ship"
But the phrase is very elastic one, and
Z H. i.
| d hungry Democrat who wants an office. 1t
has already been made to cover number of
cases of officers " hose only offensive partisan
snip consisted in not voting the Democratic
ticket. 1t did not need so violent a stretch
ing TO include Postmaster Barker ; for while
he has conducted MS Office on strictly bust
ness principles and has not used il himself
nor suffered others TO use it as political
machine, he has not sought to conceal the
fact that he was a Republican, or that he
desired the success of Republican principles
| He has not tried to keep himself in office BY
turning traitor to his party.
The precise charges made against him
neither the public nor he himself, even, are
permitted to know. The star chamber svs-
TEN introduced BY this reform Adminstra-
ton, tries and conylcts a man without al
lowing him an opportunity TO be heard in
his own defence. There is time coming
however, when these things which are now
done in the dark will be exposed. When
the Senate meets the reasons for the remov-
al of faithful officers in the midst of their
terms must be made known. and tina,
body will be the judge of their suikcency
1t will be the duty of the Senate to seruii-
nize them carefully, and if 1t is found, as i,
frequently will be, that the President has de-
waited from the spirit of his civil service
/ -etter, it will be its business to compel him
70 retrace his steps. The hypocritical mask
which the Administration is wearing i,
will be the duty of the Senate TO tear off