The Dillon tribune., 1885-04-11
"TURN THE RAsCALS OFT"
The President Gets Hot and Tell, What
He Will do.

WASHINGTON, April THE Postmaster
at Rome, N Y, was to-day suspended from
further duty III his office by order OF the
President, and James B. Corcoran has been
designated to perform the duties oi' the OF.
flee in his stead. The President proposed
the removal of the Postmaster and the nom.
ination Of Corcoran to the Senate at its re.
cent session, and us it failed to take action,
the Postmaster.General applied to the
President tor his directions in the case, and
received the following written co,nmunca-
ton:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WAsH1NGToN, April f, 1855.
Hon. William r. 1Izas, Postmaster; .t;ex.
cyol, DEAR SIR: In answer to your in.
quiry AS to the disposition to be made ofthe
case Of the Postmaster ut Rome, Oneida
county, N. Y, which was presented to the
Senate on the 10th Of March, with the prop.
osition that he be removed for cause, which
proposition was not acted upon prior to the
adjournment of that body on the I'd Of
April, have to say that to me it clearly
seems to be my duty to exercise BY prompt
action in this case with all the power which
the present condition of the law has left in
my hands, SO far as it may be done indepen-
IDENTIFY of the Senate, to protect the interests
Of the government, to vindicate the laws
which have been enacted for the regulation
Of the postal service, and 10 impress upon
federal officers the fact that no indulgence
will be granted by the executive to those
who violate the law or neg glect public duty.
This postmaster, under section 4,o44
United States Revised Statutes and regula.
tions Of the postofflce department, was re-
quired to transmit to the Department week :
ly report Of the business done by him in
the money order branch Of his office. 1t
appears from an official report OF an inspect
or of the postofflce department now before
me, and which was submitted to commit.
tee of the Senate while the proposition to
| remove this official was before it, that ar.
examination Of his office was ordered on
the ,sth Of January, 1855. In consequence
of the fact no such weekly reports have
been made since the 9th Of December, 1854.
It further appears from this report tina, such
examination developed q most disgracc!ul
confusion in all that pertained to the &C.
counts and financial condition of the office
and 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 &C.
count of more than 500 and in the postal
account of more than $500. There is, l
think, on disputing these facts. The mon.
ey has been refunded to the government
under an arrangement with one ofthe sure.
ties of the delinquent official and he at.
tempts to excuse The wre:ched condition Of
his Office by alleging that his assistant had
entire control of the money order business
as we'll as other details Of the Office. In
making such excuse this officer admits, j,
seems to me, a violation Of his plain duty
in turningiover the operations of his office
4 to an assistant without any pretext of sick.
ness or unavoidable absence ofthe postmas.
ter which is contrary to reasonable con.
struction of 4o31 Of the revised statutes,
;. which provides that in case of sickness or
unavoidable absence, the postmaster Of any
money .order postotfice, may with rhe ap.
proval of the acknowledgement authorize
any chief clerk or some other clerk EN-
ployed therein to,act in his place and dis.
charge the duties required by law of such
postmaster. Ely the claim now made tina.
the assistant having had full charge and is
responsible for the Irregularities and delin-
quencies complained Of the postmaster also
appears to contradict his own sworn state
ment made to the Department Of State
September goth, 1854, to the effect that he
himself had performed for the preceding
quarter the money ey-order business in his
office except when necessarily 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 of the residents of the city
where this man is located, and who belong
to both political parties, asserting their en-
tire confidence in his honesty and integrity
demonstrates the unfortunate facility with
which papers may be obtained, and gives
rise to unpleasant suspicion touching the
prevalent standard Of political honesty. III
.4 ..,,o,,e this DELINQUENT postmaster