The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-04-09

What Derelics O0cials may Expect
Eir0m Cleveland.

from Cleveland.
WASHINGTON, April 6.-The postmaster at
Rome, N Y, was to-day suspended from further
duty in his ONCE, by order of the President, and
James B. Corcoran has been designated to per-
form the duties of the Office in his stead. The
President proposed the removal Of the postmas-
ter, and nominated Mr.. Corcoran to the Senate
at the recent session. and as it failed to take &C
ton on the nomination the Postmaster General
applied to the President for his directions in the
case and received a written communication,
which has been procured from the Department.
and is AS follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, d. c., April S, 1885
Hon. William r. Vilas, Postmaster General
DEAR SIR-In answer to your inquiry as to
the disposition to be made OF the case ot the post
master at Rome, Oneida county, N. " which
was presented to the Senate on the 26th of
March, with proposition that he be removed
for cause, and which proposition was not acted
upon previous TO the adjournment of that body
on the ID day Of April, have to say that, to me,
it clearly seems to be my duty to exercise by
prompt action in this case all the power which
the present condition oil the law has left in my
hands, so far as it may be done independently of
the Senate to protect the interests OF the Govern
ment, to vindicate 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 Jaw or neglect
public duty.
This postmaster, under section 4044 Of the
United States Revised Statutes and the Regula-
tons of the Postofflce Department, was required
to transmit to the Department weekly report
of the business done by him in the money order
branch of his Office. 1t appears from the official
report of an Inspector of the Postotfice Depart
ment now before me, and which was submitted
to a committee of the Senate while the PROPOSE
ton to remove this official was before it, that an
examination of his office was ordered on the Goth
day OF January, 1885, in consequence OF the fact
that no such weekly reports had been made
since the 9th day of December 1884
1t further appears from this report that such
examination developed a most disgracefu con-
fusion in all that pertained to the accounts and
financial condition of the office; that there had
been no entry in the money order cash book
since July. 1884, and that, as might have been
expected there was deficiency in the money
order accounts of more than 800, and in the
postal accounts of more than $500. There is,
think, no dispute touching these facts.
The deficiency has been refunded to the gov
ernment under an arrangement with one of the
suretics of the delinquent officer. and he attempts
to excuse the wreched condition Of his office by
alleging that his assistant had entire charge of
the money order business as well other de-
tails of the Office
In making such an excuse as this, this officer
admits, it seems to me, violation of his plain
duty, in turning over the operation of his office
to an assistant without any pretext OF the sick
ness or unavoidable absence OF the postmaster,
which is contrary to reasonable cOnstruc-
ton of section 4,031 of the Revised Stat
utes, which provides that In case of the sick
ness or unavoidable absence of the postmaster
approval Of the Postmaster General, authorize
the chief clerk or some other clerk employed
therein, to act in his place and to discharge all
the duties required by law OF such postmaster"
BY the claim now made that the assistant, hav-
ing had full charge, is responsible for the dis
crepancies and irregularities complained Of The
postmaster also appears to contradict his own
sworn statement, made to the Department as
late as September &c. 1884, to the effect that he
himself had performed for the preceding quarter
the money order business in his office, except
when necessarily absent shall do all that
is in my power to rid the public service of Off
Gals who exhibit such loose ideas of 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 to both
political parties, asserting their entire confidence
in his honesty and fidelity, demonstrates the un-
fortunate facility with which such papers may
NC OOialucU, anu gives IlSC W III uuplcSSdut BUS
piciOn touching a too prevalent standard OF po-
litical honesty II | cannot remove this delin-
quent postmaster l can surely suspend him.
This have determined to do promptly, and
desire you at once to present to me the papers
necessary for that purpose, with the designation
Of James B. COrcOran 10 perform the duties Of
postmaster in place of the official TINS sus-
pended Yours truly,
(Signed) GROVER CLEVELAND.
INTERVIEW WITH GENERAL Villas
WARRINGTON, April 6.-At an interview with
the Postmaster General he stated to a reporter of
the Associated Press this afternoon that the SEN
ate committee asked for, and had sent to them,
the papers in the case OF the Rome postmaster,
including the inspectors report and the reason
for their declining to approve the proposed re-
moval was unknown to him. and could only be
surmised. The facts are plainly shown, he said,
by the official report of the Inspector, made dur
ing the term Of President Arthur, and open to no
suspicion OF partisan or personal unfriendliness,
and are such, indeed, as hardly admit OF explain
alton. The President, in his letter, has only
mentioned these in respect to which no OppOrtu-
nifty for question was open. The removal is not
proposed for any other purpose than to improve
the service and he has nominated man against
whom no just objection could lie The Post
master. General added that the present may be a
good opportunity 10 say that from some evidence
before him he believes the 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 postmas-
ter himself, though the best paid should be re-
quired to give no personal labor beyond gene
raj supervision.
This case illustrates what may happen from
such practice if the excuse of the Rome post
master be true in fact, and in every case Of de-
fault the clerk or assistant be made responsible.
II is the intention of the department to make
careful scrutiny of these allowances and reduce
them, when necessary materially, requiring the
postmaster to give his personal time and atten-
ton to the duties of the Office and assist in their
performance, except in those few larger offices
where his time may be necessarily required in
general supervision 1t is believed that by
such a course the public will be much better
served, and that considerable reduction in the
annual expenditures in the Department may be
devised
A COMMITTEEMAN 5 EXCUSE.
WASHINGTON, April GA member of the
Senate Committee gu PostOtfces and Postroads.
who was asked tonight by an Associated Press
reporter for explanation of the failure of that
committee to act upon the nomination OF COrco-
ran to succeed the incumbent of the postmaster
ship of Rome, N Y, in view Of the Presidents
assertion that the charges against the incumbent
were laid before the committee, said that he is
under the impression that the committee decided
to report favorably Corcoran's nomination.
and that in the hurry of the closing hours OF the
session the member having the report in charge
failed to make it.
Such failure he said, did occur in the case
n q inn IN a N