St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-07

To GLOBE reporter who asked HIM what
was interesting in politics he said: II
don't know of anything especially so, but
/ don't hesitate to give it as my opinion
that Cleveland is making SO good presi-
dent that he surprises the people of both
parties. He is, in my opinion, ahead of
his party, and if he has the nerve and cour-
age to stick by the civil service policy that
he spoke of in his celebrated letter to
George William Curtis and made so definite
in his inaugural address, he will be one of
the presidents that all people, re-
CARELESS of party, will recognize as
having begun a new era in the history of
American politics. l do not believe, how
ever, that he is finding this as easy as he
expected. If he had said nothing as to his
policy on this point, and had gone into the
White house and cut off such heads and
made such appointments as he saw fit not
a single senator would have hesitated to
ratify his appointments. Now unless he
follows pretty strictly his state policy, he
will find himself out of the confidence of
both parties. There has been talk that all
railway postal clerks were to be removed,
but do not believe the politics of dozen
of them is known at present. 1t has not
been the policy of the heads of this depart
ment to inquire whether or not candidates
for these positions were Democrats OF Re-
publicans, and l have good reason
to believe that many of those
in the service during the past
administration were Democrats. 1t is not
generally known perhaps that all such clerks
are taken on probation for the first six
months When at the head of the post
office department / used to tell the appli
+,+ hail NJ how Craal-
and Latin and geometry they knew, or how
many countries in Europe they could give
the boundaries of. | wanted men with
good constitutions, retentive memories and
general capacity. at the end of six months
the clerks were taken to the Office of one of
my assistants, given stock of papers and
letters marked with the names of the post
offices on his division, and told to throw
them into series of boxes, properly
marked, that was kept in the room for the
purpose. The mans movements were
watched, and the accuracy and speed with
which he sorted noted. If he gave indica-
lions of being a useful man he was given
a permanent position, otherwise he was
discharged on the spot This custom
has been in vogue since, and | don't believe
any official knows what are the politics of
these clerks. Certainly no notice was taken
Of this in their appointment"
II can tell you, too" continued Mr.. Ty-
ner, ''just why Postmaster Palmer was re-
moved from the Chicago office. 1t was
simply, in my opinion, on account of
Palmer's friendship for Gen. Logan.
Palmer lives in Logan's house, and when
Mr.. and Mrs. Logan are in Chicago they
board with the Palmers, and, of course, the
two men are very intimate. 1t is useless to
talk to me of offensive partisanship,' for
the very day, almost, that Mr.. Judd was
appointed to the place, he celebrated it by
going to Springfield to work against Logan.
and it was, believe, the intention when he
was appointed that he should use all his in
1uence against him."
Mr.. Tyner has brother at Fargo, Col.
n. N. Tyner, who is postmaster there, and
he said he expected his brother would ''get
the g. b." ere long. He seemed much in
terested in the postoffice department, as
was natural, and added, as he started from
the capitol, LET them settle it as they see
fit I am out of it, and, like the man whose
wife was trying to kill the bear, don't
care who wins"