The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-06-12
GEN. BRAGG TALKS OUT.

The same special also has an interview
with Gen. Bragg, of Wisconsin. The general
declared all postmasters were offensive par
tisans and should be removed, and he told
as follows where their usefulness comes in:
"They know everybody in their communi-
ties; they act as agents for papers and
periodicals, and determine in large degree
what the reading matter in a town
shall be. II there is any political
disatfection they report it to head
quarters. They can tell the party managers
what sort of papers are taken. They can
tell what sort of literature the opposition is
distributing. If want to send campaign
documents to town in my district, | must
address and frank each document separ-
ately Ny Republican competitor can put
fifty documents in a bundle and frank
to the post master and ask him to distrib-
ute them In Wisconsin every postmaster
had to be a politician because he knew
Payne, at Milwaukee, could get him dis
missed at any time"
"Is there going to be clean sweep"
Il am going to get all the postmasters in
nv district removed, and as many more as
can"
SThe Democrats will use the political in
fiuences of the postoffices just as energetically
as the Republicans did. will they not"
The general smiled grimly. "They will,
| he said, "if the men ! recommend are ap.
pointed am not after milk-sopS. Men
who are above making themselves useful IN
politics don't come to me for recommends
tions for office / want the party to sue
| ceed. and | think | know the means Of at
| tanning success
There ara places in my district where the
| Republicans couldn't get delegation to q
| county convention if it wasn't for the post
master. In place where there are very
few Republicans the postmaster meet
fellow who hasn't much of any politics
and he says: Joe, don't you wan
to go down to Fond du Lac to thl
county conventionF Joe doesn't know abou
it. The postmaster continues: If you'll
go down with me, I'll get you elected
delegate, and it won't cost you anything
and we'll have some fun
Well. Joe goes, and he votes in the conven
ton the way the postmaster tells hin
to, and he gets his name in tn
papers as a delegate to the Repnbli
can county convention, and Of course b
is from that time Republican He can
go back on the party that has paid hiI
such a compliment, and he has to main
tain his reputation for consistency. Th
country postmaster, no matter how sma
his office is is an important element i
politics"
THE sMOoTH-FACED GENTLEMAN.
Another special says: q believe in turr
ing every officeholder out, said Congress
man w. D. Hill, of Ohio, to Gen. Muldrov
assistant secretary of the interior, in MI
Muldrows office Thursday morning.
Il believe in the same doctrine" echoe
the assistant secretary of the interior; "br
we hadn't ought to talk in the presence {
the enemy" pointing to large, smooth
faced gentleman sitting on a lounge ju
back of Gen Muldrow's desk
The smooth-faced gentleman, who ev
IDENTIFY had heard Mr. Hills remark, laughe
and. rising to shake hands, said: "My Oh
friend is correct. The Offices should be file
with friends of the administration. 1t
right, and would be for the good OF the pu
lie service"
The large, smootb-faced gentleman w
Col Bob Ingersoll-