The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-04-11
EXECUTIVE MANSION,

EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., March 8, 1885.
Hon. I'm. +. FaGs, Postmaster General.
DEAR SIR: In answer to your inquiry as to
the disposition to be made of the case of the
Postmaster mt Rome, oneida County, N. Y,
which was presented to the Senate on the
Goth day OF March with proposition that he
be removed for cause, and which proposition
was not acted upon prior to the adjourn.
ment of II at body on the second day OF
April, have to say to me 1t clearly seems to
be my duty to exercise by prompt
action in this case all the power
which the present condition of the
law mas lett in my hands 80 lar as II may be
done independently of the Senate, to protect
the interests OF the Government to Vndi-
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 1914 of the United States Revised
Statutes, and the regulations of the
Pos office Department, was required
to transmit to the department, weekly, a
report OF the business done by him In the
money order branch ofhs Office. 1t appears
from the Official report of an Inspector OF
the Post office Department now before me,
and which was submitted to a committee of
the senate while the proposition to remove
this official was fore them, that an exam
nation of his office was ordered on the Goth
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 dsgraceful
CONFUSION in all that pertained to the ac'
counts and financial condition of the Office
that there had been no entry in money or
der books since Ju Y, 1887, and that, as might
have been expected, there was Il 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 thu sureties of the delinquent Official;
and he attempts to excuse the wretched
condition of his office by alleging that his
assistant had entire charge OF the money.
order business, as well as other details OF
the Office. In making such an excuse, this
officer admits, 1t seems to me, viola
ton of plan duty in turning over the
operations of hs Office to an assistant
without any preteXt OF the sickness or UNI
avoidable absence of the Postmaster, which
is contrary to reasonable construction of
Section 4Oil of the Revised Statutes, which
provides that in case OF the sickness or un-
avoidable absence of the Postmaster of any
money order office, he may, with the APP
prevail of the Postmaster General authorize
the Chief Clerk or some other clerk employ
cd therein, to act in his place and to dis
charge all the duties required by law OF
such Postmaster, By the claim now
had full charge is responsible
Tor the delinquencies and irregularities COM
planned of, the Postmaster also appears to
contradict his own sworn statement made TO
the Deparme as late as September Both,
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.
1 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.
I he fact that have before me documents
signed by many residents OF the city where
this Postmaster il 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 Il too prevalent standard
OF political honesty. If can not remove
this delinquent Postmaster, can surely sus-
pend him. This ] have determined to do
promptly, and desire you at once to pre-
sent TO me the papers necessary for that
purpose with designation of James b. Cor
coran to perform tine 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 I'M
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 unfriendiness,
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 a man
against whom no Just objection could
lie.
! The Postmaster-General added that the
present may be good opportunity to
| say that from evidences before him he
| believes a notion to be prevalent, and the
practice 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 a
practice, if the excuse of the Rome Post
master be true in fact; and in every case
of default, the clerk or assistant will be
made the scapegoat. 1t is the intention
of the department to make a 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
performances, except in those few larger
offices where his time may be necessarily
required in general supervision. 1t is
believed that by such course the public
Will be much better served, and that 4
considerable reduction in annual expenGi
lures If the Department may be real
lied.