The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-04-10
POST MASTERS AND THEIR DUTY.
THE PRESIDENTS LETTER.

PosTMAsTBRs AND THEIR DUTY.
THE PRESIDENTS LETTER.
The postmaster at Rome, n. Y. has
been suspended by the President, and
James B. Corcoran has been designa-
ted to perform TIE duties of the office.
The president proposed the removal OF
the postmaster, and nominated Corcor
an to the senate at the recent session,
aud as it failed to take action on the
nomination the postmaster general ap-
piled TO the president for his directions
in the case, and received written COM
munication, which is as follows
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON,
d. G. April 4, 1SS5.-HoN. WM. r.
Villas, Postmaster General-Dear Sir:
In answer to your inquiry as to the dis
position to be made of the case of the
postmaster at Rome, Oneida county, N.
Y, which was presented to the senate
on the 26th day of March, with prop
osition that he be removed for cause,
and which proposition was not acted
upon prior to the adjournment OF that
body on the I'd day Of April, have to
say that to me it clearly seems to be
my duty to exercise, by prompt action
in this case, all the power which the
present condition of the law has left in
my hands, so far as it may be done in
dependently of the state to protect the
interests of the government, to vindi
cate the laws which have been enacted
for the regulation of the postal service,
and to impress upon the federal office
holders the fact that no indulgence will
be granted by the executive to those
who violate the law or neglect public
duty.
This postmaster, under section 4014,
United States revised statutes and reg
ulations of the post office department,
was required to transmit to the depart
ment weekly report of the business
done by him in the money order branch
of his Office. 1t appears from the Off
cial report of an inspector of the post
Office department now before me, and
which was submitted to committee OF
the senate, while the proposition to re-
move this official was before it, that an
examination of his Office was ordered
on the 26th day of January, 1885, 10
consequence of the fact that no such
weekly reports had been made since
the 9th day of December, 1884. 1t
further appears from this report that
such examination developed the most
disgracaful confusion in all that per-
tains to the accounts and financial con-
dition of the office that there had
been no entry in the money-order book
since July, 1884, and that, as might
have been expected, there was defien
cy in the money-order account of more
than 500 and in the postal account of
more than S4O0. There is, / think, no
dispute touching these facts. The de-
ticiency has been refunded to the gov
ernment under an arrangement with
one of the sureties of the delinquent of
cial, and he attempts to excuse the
wretched condition of his office by al
leging that his assistant had the entire
charge of the money order business as
well as all other details of the Office.
In making such an excuse this officer
admits, it seems to me, violation ct
the plain duty in turning over the
operations of his Office to an assistant
without any pretext of the sickness or
unavoidable absence of the postmaster,
which is contrary to reasonable con-
struction of section 40Sl, revised stat
utes, which provided that sin case of
the sickness or unavoidable absence of
the postmaster of any oney-order
post Office, he may, with the approval
of the postmaster general, authorize the
chief clerk or some other clerk employ
ed there, to aot in his place, and to dis
charge all the duties required by law OF
such postmaster. By the claim now
made, that the assistant, having had
full charge, is responsible for the de-
inquencies and irregularities complain
ed of, the postmaster also appears to
contradict his owr sworn statement,
made to the department as late as Sep
tember 80, 1884, to the effect that he
himself had performed, for the preced-
ing quarter, all the money-order bust
ness in his Office, except when necess-
arily absent. / shall do all in my pow
er to rid the public service of officials
who ehxibit such loose ideas of their
duty to the government. The fact that
have before me documents signed by
many residents of the city where this
postmaster is located, and who belong
to both political parties, asserting their
entire confidence in his honesty and e.
deity, demonstrates the unfortunate
facility with which papers may be OBJ
tanned. and gives rise to an unpleasant
suspicion touching a too prevalent stan
dard of political honesty.
If | cannot remove this delinquent
postmaster, | can surely suspend him
This / have determined to do, promp
tly, and | desire you at once TO present
10 me the papers necessary for that
purpose, with a designation of james
B. Corcoran to perform the duties oi
postmaster in place of the official thus
suspended
Yours truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
A member of the senate COMMITTEES
on post Offices and post-roads, who was
asked by an Associated Press reporter
for an explanation of the failure of thai
committee to act upon the nomination
of Mr.. COrcoran to supercede the in
cumbent of the postmastership at Rome
N. Y, in view Of the presidents state
ment that the charges against the in
cumbent were laid before the commit
tee, said be is under the impression
that the committee agreed TO report ia
vorably on Corcoran's nomination, and
in the hurry of the closing hours of the
session the members having the report
in charge failed to make il. Such fail
ure, be said, did occur in the case of a
nomination TO fill a vacancy in Penn
sylyanis, and he added that he is con-
firmed in his belief that it occurred in
tbia oaaa hecansa il il an iron clad rnle