The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-09
AN ANSWER no MR.. Villas.
He Did Not Want To Be Confronted with
His Record on Removals.

The local officers of the Grand Lodge of the
Postal Clerks Brotherhood, Messrs c. c. Meade
and r. E. Robb, have prepared an answer to the
recent ntterances of Postmaster general Villas,
wherein he attempts to belittle the organization
and its members. In the answer. which is ad-
dressed to the general public, they say:
THAT the postal clerks expected very generally,
on the incoming of the present administration.
to be removed; that, in such anticipation, some
resigned and others got their houses in order to
co. that Postmaster general Villas, by his circu-
lar OF March 81, 1885, gave them to understand
expressly that there should be no re-
movals without cause, and none for
merely political reasons that efficient and val
liable men would not be disturbed SO long as
they rendered faithful service; that they accept
ed this assurance in good faith and so continued
III the service, rendering faithful and Jealous
service; that soon, however, their faith was
shaken by repeated and frequent removals of
good men without cause; that by reason of such
removals increased work was imposed upon
them; that they were required in addition TO
their regular and onerous duties, to teach the
new men; that the new men were often promoted
over them; that in some instances these new
men were given leave of absence, and devoted
their time to political work without complaint
or rebuke, while old clerks were being removed
for alleged political work done years before; that
they felt they were being imposed upon by hav-
ing additional duties and work put upon them.
and by favoritism shown in many ways to the
new appointees; that they had pride in the
efficiency of the service, and found that
these things tended to destroy that
efficiency; that they objected to removals being
made upon secret charges unknown to them and
to which they had opportunity of replying, or
of being heard thereon; that their organization
was founded upon these things-looking to the
good and efficiency of the public service, and to
prevent, if possible, its destruction by constant
and frequent removals without cause; that under
the professions and promises of the Postmaster
general the public would infer that removals
were made upon good and sufficient cause, thus
leaving stigma upon the persons removed, and
uujustly So that the essence of their protest was
that, in justice to those removed. they only
asked that the cause of removal should be made
known; that while, as pDb15c servants, they
recognized their duties to the public, and faith
fully and zealously performed them, for proof of
which they point with pride to the service
ITSELF they felt that as men and citizens
they We're entitled at least to fair and
just consideration by the Postmaster-geueral,
that what they did was not in any spirit of in
subordination or obstruction. but, the con-
trary, it in the highest interests of the postal
service on behalf Of the public, and in their own
interests as men and citizens, wishing the good
opinion of the public and the maintenance of the
high efficiency of the postal service, that they
intended to wait upon the Postmaster general
and submit these things TO his consideration,
when he hurriedly removed a large number of
the clerks without a hearing This, they be-
leve he did to avoidi being confronted with his
record on removals"