The Elk Mountain pilot., 1885-04-16
A Truthful and Frank Confession.

ID ~ ht4AA0 68A4SA Z SSAAG V0AAAooAe6S4As
We have just had an experience Of
Preslden. Cleveland's Civil Service
doctrines which may be instructive to
those who, like us, did not think much
of the honesty of the reform movement
and never dreamed that Democrats
would adopt policy, however excel
lent, that resulted in keeping Repub-
llcans in office. The editor of the
SPIRIT has for several years published
a daily Democratic paper at Gunnison,
Colorado. The journal is called the
Neu,s Democrat, and we can cordially
recommend it as the best advertising
medium in that section. 1t has cost
us up to date about $4,000 to estab-
lish and keep going. Through Its in
Auence Gunnison County has been
made more or less (rather more than
less) Democratic in its local and ma
tional politics. and we argued from
this fact that we could count upon
prompt recognition at Washington
when the Democratic party came into
power.
Our first, and only effort, to secure
this recognition was in the matter of
the postmastership at Gunnison, an
office with lalary ofs1,eoo year.
Of course the present incumbent is a
Republican. We did not want the
Office; but we did want to prevent 1t
falling into unworthy hands. So we
| fortified our just claims by strong let
tiers of recommendation from leading
men of the Democratic party and ask
! ed that, whenever the Gunnison post
mastership came up for discussion, in
or out of the Cabinet, we should have
hearing. This request and tie ac-
companylng epistles from the crowned
heads Of the party were acknowledged,
but nothing. came of them. Then,
knowing that efforts were being made
by persons adverse to the real interests
of the Administration to fill the office
unworth:sy5 we thought v-ewould creep
under the canvas and ascertain the
status of our postmaster business from
a friend oa the inside. This is the
reply we have just received:
'Regardlag the pcst-efice at Gun
nlson, l find that the commission of
the present postmaster does not expire
until March 22, 1886, and the chances
are that, unless there are serious
charges of misconduct, no change will
be made in toe incumbent until that
date. However, have called the at
tention of the Acting First Assistant
Postmaster General, Mr.. Fowler, to
the case, and you will be duly notified
and conferred with before any ap-
pointment is made.
We will not trouble the Acting First
Assistant Postmaster General or any
other titled man. We have telegraph
ed our friend inside: "The present
postmaster at Gunnison is a wooden
one; but we shall not try to improve
IT, and we have dropped the Gunni-
son post Office as too heavy load to
handle. In its place we have now
taken up the Gunnison Land Office,
and are tackling that with all the en-
ergy left us after our friends letter.
Our Colorado correspondents may de-
pend upon receiving a report upon the
Land Office. through these columns,
as soon as our inside friend has time
to look into the affair. But if the
Land Office man has commission
which does not expire until 1886, or
later, we desire to be informed of it
IN advance, so that we may suspend
operations. We also desire that any
body who does not believe in the sim
cerity of the Civil Service pledges of
President Cleveland and his advisers,
should be referred to us. Should the
New York reappoIntment, upon which
we congratulate Postmaster Pearson,
fail to satisfy him, our Gunnison ex-
periences will come IN as a clincher.
OF course, It is novel idea that our
public men should carry out in Office
the pledges which they made before
election; but we have no doubt that it
will turn Out RI he very rood idea-