The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-25
TO POSTMASTER GENERAL Villas.
An Omen Letter.

Sir-Rumors are rife concerning your depart
ment of the public service. This should not
astonish the general public; rumors have been
very rife among the people concerning their
postal service since your advent as its manag-
ing head. Rumors big. and rumors little, and
all manner Of rumors, have been floating. flying
and shooting in the atmosphere since March last,
and they all bear their gathered weight toward
the tactical craftsmanship surrounding your own
person. Change, and the civil service law, the
civil-service law and change, alternate the chorus
they sing to the symphony of political pressure,
and the exlgences of Democratic congressman,
but to the woeful discomfort, annoyance and en-
barrassment of the American people. whose
servant you are, and whose great trust in your
hands is becoming demoralized. Really, Mr.
Villas, demoralized
I need not tell you, Mr.. Villas that the
postal service is very interesting department.
ment in public affairs. It may have even
dawned on your consciousness that 1t is to the
people of the United States a very important
department, and that its importance greatly
outranks both your own notions of its chief
officer, and the clamorings Of Democratic Con-
gresham furiously fussy to make themselves
''solid" in their respective e'deestrcts" just
now the postal service is. beyond thati of any
other branch of the public business, more nearly
intimate with, not only the private convenience
of the people, but with the entire commercial
interests of the country. It's magnitude is very
colossal, and it touches interests wider than the
domain of mere party, and infinitely more mo-
mentous than the requirements of the
oleaginous place-hunter. It is very SEN
sitive, though, Mr.. Villas. and it willis in the
breath of rumor. Like a man down
under an attack of Maumee fever its energies
are distracted" as rumor plays fast and loose
around the doings of its chief or like wom-
ans chastity, it becomes an uncertain quantity
when wagging tongues ascribe a Jack-in- the box
policy to the Postmaster-generai;a sort OF now
you see it. and now you don't continuance operat-
ing the postal management of the country
just now rumor is busy very busy, concerning
your department.; so busy, permit me to say,
that within the past twenty-four hours the in
tangible old dame has put on the habiliments of
fact. Don't ask me how / came to discover this
changed presence; be content with the assur-
ance that have seen and conversed with it, and
that am startled with the intelligence that you
are hastily preparing to execute coup d'etat in
the railway mail service of the Fifth division,
which comprises the States of Indiana, Ohio.
Illinois, Kentucky. and Tennessee
Regardless of the civil-seryice law, regardless
of the efficiency of the small army of men who
are now serving in this division, regardless of
the time, labor and brain power which this body
of men have expended in rendering themselves
efficient. regardless of the perfection in detail by
which the public esteem the duties of this divis-
ion discharged, you contemplate general and
immediate sweep OF the entire force to make
room for whoml For Democrats, of course! Be
careful, Mr.. Villas, that you make haste to 60
slow. You have not the requisite number Of