The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-04-17
A POSTMASTER SUSPENDED.

Tho President Suspenas . Postmaster for
Neglect Of Duties-Loose Ideas of Duties
Not to be Tolerated.
WASHINGTON, April THE postmaster
at Rome, n. Y, was suspended from
further duty in his Office by order of the
President, and James B. COrcoran has been
designated to perform the duties of the
office in his stead. The President proposed
the removal of the postmaster and the
nomination of Corcoran to the Senate at
the recent session, and as it failed to take
action on the nomination, the Postmaster
General applied to the President for direc-
tions in the case, and received written
communication, which has been procured
for the department. and is as follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON. April 3. r
Hon. ". F. Villas, Postmaster General:
DEAR SIP-1n answer to your inquiry as to
the disposition to lie made of the case of the
postmaster at Rome, N. Y. which was pre-
scented to the Senate on the 2Gth of March,
with proposition that he be removed for
cause and which proposition was not acted
upon prior to the adjournment of that body
on the I'd of April, i have to say that to me
it clearly seems to be my duty to exercise, by
prompt acton in this case, all the power
which the present condition of the law has
left in my hands so far rs it may be done indie
pendently of the Senate to protect the interest
of the Government, to vindicate the laws
which have been enacted for the regu latfOn
of the postal service and TO impress upon
Federal officials that no Indulgence Will lie
granted by the Executive to those who VIC
late the law or neglect pubic duty.
This postmaster under section 4,044, United
States revised statutes. and the regulations
of the Post-offce Department was requ red
to transmit to the departing mt weekly "a re-
port of the business done by HIM in the
money order branch of his Office IL APP
pears from the official report of the Inspec-
tor of the Postofhce Department now before
me, and which was submitted to committee
of the Senate while the proposition to re-
move this official was before IT that an eX-
animation of his office was ordered January
~. 1885, in consequence of the fact that no
such weekly report had been made since
December 4. 1884. 1t further appears from
this report that such exam. nation developed
the most disgraceful condition in all that
pertained to the accounts and financial condi.
ton OF the Office. That there had been no
entry in the money order cash book since
July, 1874, and that as might have been ex-
pectei there was deficiency in the money
order account of more than 500, and in the
postal account of more than S+DI.
There is. think, no spute touching these
facts. The deficiency has been refunded TO
the Government under an arrangement of
one OF the suretes of the delinquent official
and he attempts to excuse the wretchcd con-
dition of his Office by alleging that his assist
ant had undue charge OF the money order
business, as well as other details OF the ONCE.
In making such an excuse, this officer
admits, il seems to me, a violation of PLAIN
duty IN turning over the operations of his
Office to an assistant without any pretext of
the sickness or unayO dable absence of the
postmaster, which is contrary to reasonable
construct on of section 4,G4 of the revised
statutes, which provides: '.In case of SICK
ness or unavoidable absence at any money
order pOstoiiice he may, with the approval of
the Postmaster General, authorize the chief
clerk, or some other clerk employ ed therein.
to act in his place, TO d schar2e all the duties
required by law of such postmaster"
by the claim now made that the assistant
having had full change, is responsible for the
delnqucnc es and irregularities complained
of, the postmaster also appears to contradict
his own sworn statement made to the depart
ment rs late Us September 81, lSc4 TO the eff
feet that he himself had performed for the
preceding quarter the money order cuisines $
in his Office, except when necessarily absent.
l shall do all that is in my power to I'd the
public service of officials who exhibit such
loose ideas of their duty to the public. A
document before me, signed by many resi-
dents of the city where the postmaster is
located and who belong to both political
parties asserting their entire confidence in
his honesty and fidelity, demonstrates the
unfortunate facility with which such papers
pleasant suspicion touching a too prevalent
method of political honesty.
1T | can not remove this delinquent post
master i can surely suspend him. rms
have determined TO do promptly ard ] de-
sire you at once to present the papers ncces-
sary for that purpose with Il des gnation OF
james Ii. CorcOran to perform the duties OF
postmaster in place CT the Official thus sus-
pended. Yours truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.