Omaha daily bee., 1886-07-01
RAILWAY POSTAL CLERKS.
They Will Meet to Protect Them
selves AGAINST Removal.

UnIcAgo, June 31-tSpecia Telegram to
the BEE. "A meeting of the Brotherhood of
Railway Postal Clerks, which Postmaster
General Villas deemed revolutionary and for
belonging to which he ordered the summary
discharge of number of clerks last week, is
to be held at indianapolis on Friday of this
week. The members of the organization do
not appear in any wise deferred by the order
of the postmaster general, and declare that
they will persist in their right to hold meet
Ing for their mutual benefit despite the orders
from Washington. In communication
from a member OF the order, which will APP
pear in print tomorrow, lie says:
When Mr.. Villas assumed charge of the
postoliicc department, think. am safe in
saying that every republican clerk in this ser
vice expected to be removed just as soon as a
democrat could be selected to ill his place.
The better class,of clerks were seeking other
employment, and many succeeded. which no
doubt caused Mr.. Villas to feel that the SER
vice would soon become crippled and im-
paired. Hence he issued the following order:
The communication then quotes the special
notice of the pOStmaStergeneral, dated March
81, 1885, in which he announces that rail
way clerks who have become efficient and
valuable men against whom no just com
plant of neglect, inattention, or want of
fidelity, honesty or efficiency can be brought.
and who have not turned their attention to
political labor during the service, need have
no fear of being disturbed so long as they
continue to render meritous and faithful
service The writer then says:
If Mr. Villas had said, what he is practicing
IA systematic removal of ClerkS--that re-
movas would be made just as rapidly as pos
Sible, then the clerks in the service would
have. in many instances, secured other em-
ployment or would have expected a removal
any day. But he issued this special notice
letter unlocked for and without solicitation
on the part of the clerks. Now, when a
clerk is removed, he is branded ut home as
being either dishonest or inefficient, as the
public at large thinks the postmaster general
IS complying strictly with his letter, except
in the case of Superintendent Burt, of the
fifth division, who refused TO comply with a
request of the postmaster general, that 100
clerks in his department be recommended to
given I me ST. 18n Bt tFs%eHn reH5a Oy WAS ea1 on the
ground that it would impair the service in
movals have been made wholly without any
cause whatever. Therefore this organization
was effected, in order that Postmaster Gen
eral las could be assisted by the clerks in
doing just as he voluntarily agreed to do. 1t
is not the intention to- ask for a clerks rein
statement where upon investigation, il ap-
pears to be sufficient cause for removal.
The communication declared that it is the
intention to continue the organization, despite
the attempt to frighten the clerks, and require
the fullllment by the postmaster general of
his promises. The announcement that the
meeting Is to be held has occasioned consid-
cradle CONSERVATION, as it is declared that
every one who attends probably jeopardizes
his official career. 1t is stated here tonight
taat the representation at the meeting will
be very large and that it may possibly indi-
cate crisis in tlp railway mail service