Huntsville gazette., 1885-04-11

postmaster at Rome, N. Y, was yester-
Gay suspended from further duty in his
once by order of the President, and
Games Is. Corcoran has been designated
TO perform the duties of the Office in his
stead. The President proposed the re-
moval of the Postmaster and nominated
Corcoran to the Senate at the recent ses-
sion, and as it failed to take action on the
nomination, the Postmaster General APP
Piled to the President for his directions
III the case, and received written COM
munication, which has been procured
from the department and is as follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
- WAsHINGToN,. ID. c., March &, 1885. I
Hon. Vns Il Viias, Postmaster General.
DEAR SIR; In answer to your inquiry as to
the disposition to be made of the case of the
l9stmaster at Rome, Oneida County, N. Y,
which was presented to the Senate on the
2otn day OF March witch proposition that he
De removed forca2se, and which proposition
was not acted u4on prior to the adjourn
Inent OF u at oody on the second day OF
April. have to say to me it clearly seems to
pc my duty to exercise by prompt
aG,lon anhis In this case all the power
Wnl.n the present condition of the
lSw has lett in my hands so lar as 1t may. be
/ done independently of the Senate, 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 Federal Office holders the fact
that no indulgence will be granted by the
Executive to those who violate law or neg
lect public duty This Postmaster, under
Section ,o44 of the United States Revised
Statutes, and the regulations of the
i6 poso ss,+ oilee u Department par was required
repoItot the business done by him in the
money order branch ofhis office. 1t appears
Iron the official report of an Inspector Of
the Post office Department now before me.
&nd which was submitted to committee OF
the senate while the proposition to remove
this ofcia. was before them, that an exam
NATION of his office was ordered on the 26th
o. January, 1885, in consequence of the fact
that no such weekly reports had been
made since the sixth day of December, 1884
1t further appears from this report that such
examination developed the most disgraceful
CONFUSION in all that pertained to the
counts and financial condition Of the office
that there had been no entry In money
der books since Ju v, 1891, and that, as might
have been expected, there was deficiency
in the money order account of more than
seven hundred dollars, and In the postal ac-
count of more than four hundred dollars.
There is, think, no dispute touching these
facts. The deficiency has been refunded to
the Government under an arrangement with
one OF the sureties of the delinquent official;
and he attempts to excuse the wretched
condition OF his office by alleging that his
order business, as well as other details OF
the Office. In making such an excuse, this
ac Of admits a daty seems n to me- y9a ns
operations OF his Office to an assistant
without any pretext of the sickness or un-
avoidable absence of the Postmaster, which
is contrary to a reasonable construction OF
Section 405l of the revised statutes, WHICH
provides that, in case OF the sickness or I'M
avoidable absence of the Postmaster OF any
money order Office, he may, with the 'ap-
proval of the Postmaster General authorize
the Chief Clerk or some other clerk employ
ed therein to act dtia n hs Place ana h 70 Ge
such Postmaster. BY the claim now
had full charge Is responsible
Tor the delnquencieS and Irregularities com
planned of, the Postmaster also appears to
contradict his own sworn statement made to
the Department as late as september 30th,
1884, to the eff ct that he himself has per
formed, forthe preceding quarter, the money
order business in his office except when nee
esSarily absent.
/ shall do all that is in my power to rid the
public service OF officials who exhibit 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
10 both political parties, asserting their, en-
tire confidence in his honesty and fidelity
demonstrates the unfortunate facility
with which such papers may be
obtained, and gives rise to an unpleasant
suspicion touching a too prevalent standard
this Delinquent Postmaster, can surely sus-
pend him. This | have determined to do
promptly, and desire you ut once to pre-
sent TO me the papers necessary for that
purpose with q designation of James B. Cor
coran to perform the duties of Postmaster in
place OF the Official thus mentioned.
Yours truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
At an interview with the Postmaster
General, he stated to the reporter of the
United Press that the Senate Committee
asked for and had sent to them the pa
pers in the case, including the Inspectors
report, and the reason for their declining
to approve the proposed removal was un-
known 10 him, and could only be sur
missed The facts are plainly shown by
the official report of the Inspector
made during the term of President
Arthur, and open to no suspicion
of partisan or personal unfriendiiness,
and are such, indeed, as hardly admit Of
explanation. The President, in his letter,
has only mentioned those in respect to
which no opportunity for question was
open The removal was not proposed
for any other purpose than TO improve
the service, and the nominee is man
against whom no just objection could
lie.
The Postmaster-G General added that the
present may be a good opportunity to
say that from evidences before him he
notion to be prevalent, and the
to be general accordingly, that
Postmasters should have allowances for
clerks sufficient to enable the business of
their offices to be transacted chiefly by
them, while the Postmaster himself,
though the best paid, should
be required to give no personal labor be-
yond general supervision. This case
illustrates what may happen from such
If the excuse of the Rome Post
master be true in fact; and In every case
of default, the clerk or assistant Will De
made the scapegoat. 1t is the intention
of the department to make careful
scrutiny of these allowances and re-
duce them when necessary, mate
rally, requiring the Postmaster
to give his personal time and attention to
the duties of the Office and assist in their
except in those few Larger
Offices where his time may be necessarily
required in general supervision. 1t IS
believed that by such course the.pnollc
will he Ynuch batter served. and that