The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-09
A PAINSTAKING OFFICIAL.
The Keen Judgment of the President Fully
ExempIified in His Selection.

The Keen Jud gment of the President Fully
ExempIified in His Selection.
Postmaster-General Villas has accom-
pIished vast amount of work during
the three months he has been in Office.
In no instance was the keen judgment
of President Cleveland exemplitied
more fully than in his selection of this
hard-working, capable official He
threw himself into his work from the
beginning with a zeal and activity
that have been crowned with gratify-
ing success. To this zeal and activity
he has combined excellent judgment
and caution. earnestneSs, tireleSs indus
try and readiness to adopt, after careful
scrutiny, any new method which may
tend to simplify and facilitate the work
ings of his department. Like the other
members of the Cabinet, Mr.. Villas is a
steadfaSt uphOlder of the true princi
Piles of Ciyil-Service reform, to which
the President is unalterably committed.
He found the department in n condition
calculated to discourage and dampen
the zeal of any reformer. 1t was per-
meated with the leaven of the notorious
Frank Hatton and the still more notOri-
Gus Brady, and was. if possible, more
Republican and o!iensivelv partisan
than anv of the other departments.
Like the cities of the plain. few Just men
could be found in it. and Mr.. Pearson
WIS the only Lot who was considered
worthy OF being saved.
Throughout the length and breadth
IF ln yl,n nh
tanned their positions as the reward of
party services and on the condition that
they were to regard themselves as mere
electioneering agents when the good of
the party demanded it. Democrats
were rigidly excluded, as matter of
course, from this huge partisan ma
chine.
Mr.. Villas. although naturally sur
prised at the magn tude of the evil he
was appointed to suppress, did not in
dulge in precipitate measures which
might have embarrassed the postal serv-
ice and have done violence to his re-
form principles. He has proceeded
cautiously, examined each case care
fully before making removal or an
appointment, and consequently he has.
as far rs he has been able to 90, so far,
raised the standard of the service to a
degree of efficiency and honesty which
would have been considered impossible
six months ago. Besides the excellent
material he has substituted for corrup-
ton in the poStoilices, he has stopped
several important leaks in the business
of his department. BY a new post
a0e stamp contract he saves over thirty
thousand dollars a year to the Govern
ment and seven thousand on postal
cards. In one item of sending office
packages by mail he effected saving
of S42, 437. %. All this has been ac-
complished in the first three months Of
his administration, and he proposes to
do a great deal more when time and
familiarity with the workings of his
o lice permit. He has been more
fiercely assailed by the spOilsmen. prob
ably, than any other member of the
Administration, but they have failed to
move him a jot from the plan of thor
ough reform he has mapped out for
himself Virginia is particularly in
debted to him for removing from her
shoulders the incubus of Mahoneism,
which derived all its oppCessiveness
from the Federal patronage in the hands
of the apostle of reputation. The gen
eral cleaning out of Malone post
masters will enable the Old Dominion
to recuperate and meet the emergency
of financial difficulties now presented
before it. Mr.. Villas is the yonl gest of
the Cabinet officers, but he has given
ample evidence of ripe judgment and
caution which dismisses to vanishing
point al dread of blunders. The post
Office department is in excellent hands
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