Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-10-28
a PoLITIOAL PL0T.
The NefRrious work of Osd Employees
0t the Philadelphia Post-off ccs

ot the PhIiadeIphLa Post-off CO.
Philadelphia Tlmes
One OF the most disreputable recent In.
stances of the systematic degradation OF
public journalism, has been exhibited IN
the studied and persistent prostitution OF
several of our city newspapers to INSPIRE
and sustain a political conspiracy in the
Philadelphia post. office, and embarraes and
derange the most important public service
the government renders to q community.
We say that this degradation OF pubnc
Journalism has been deliberate, malignant,
systematic and largely sustained ny daily
Misrepresentation, often known by the
publishers to be wholly untrue or 80 discol-
ored or distorted as TO be essentially talse.
1t Is Il grave accusation to make; but the
facts have been gradually reaching the pup.
lie for some time, and the official report OF
the investigation Of the philadelphia post
office Just concluded, establishes the ruin
OF the political conspiracy beyond dispute.
The official report presenting tine Whoie
truth in regard to the complaints made
against the administration OF the post-ofiiee
is not made by political partisans OF the
postmaster. On the contrary, three OF tne
five official inspectors who made tho III,
vestigation are Republicans are political
foes Of the postmaster and two sympatnl2e
with his political faith; but they all agree
In declaring that the chief defects In the
administration Of the office have resulted
from the studied per1dy OF old employees,
who have become Joint eonspirators WIN
reckless outside partisan leaders 70 uSlay
the delivery of letters and derange the mar
monious and efficient working OF the ONCE
1t Ia shown that number of the most lnl-
portant employees of the office, whose
duties must be promptly aud correctly per-
formed to make the prompt oistrlout,lon "a
of mail matter possible, deliberately ielt
their work undone, aud threatened the llh-
moved. They I'LL the positions which 70
uutre the ripest experience to assure the
proper delivery of mail matter, and ono OF
them was dismissed only few days ago
for missending large number OF letters,
plainly directed, and all of them letters
whose delay would attract attention in
partisan circles. They were appeals from !
party committee for contributions; they
were delayed OF course because mlssent py
most experienced empioye, and as soon
as received, the apparently deiioef"1e
wrong Of tho old official was heralded IN
the conspiring newspapers as eoncluslyt
evidence of the incompetency OF the post
master.
In like manner, as is proven by the officia
report, repeated errors In distributing o.
delivering mail matter have been commltteg
by the old and experienced employees. duo M
these errors been no greater IN numoel
than were formerly committed by the SAINT
officials, or had they been committed Q.
new employees there would not be reason u
assume that they were deliberately con
celved and executed by the consptrators
but the errors committed by the olu eul
ployes were largely In excess OF the error
OF their past records, and nine-tenths
these errors were committed by OLD EN-
ployes. There can be but one PRESUMPTION
from such facts, and that is that the con
spiracy to delay and derange the post .
service In this city has been In operator
90, ha dafl
aud close accord OF the journals which nav
degraded themselves to deceit and false
hood, prove that every attribute OF decent
manly journalism has been sacrileeu =
wrong not only public official, but 70 .i ~ !
filct most serious wrong upon tne 1l enIil
community. In addition to these lnslu
official conspirators, carriers have bee
detected In deliberately falling 10 co
lect letters from the street boxes
thereby adding to the delay In the generf
delivery, and there could be no rati9ht
motive for such action except In studie
purpose to bring reproach upon the pos
ONCE service. So widely did this eonspirac
ramify among old employees that 1t require
systematic detective work to expose tn
guilty parties, while every delay thelr pc
hdy caused was reported to the pubic loul
mails which inspired their double Wr9h W,i
against the postmaster and the pupl
With perlidious carriers to leave letters
the street boxes day after day, as has peg
detected; with perildious employees insid
TO delay or missened mail matter, and WI
partisan journals, with guilty knowledge J,
the deliberate combination to degrade Il
public service, magnlfying each day the r
suits Of the wrongs they had Inspired, M
not surprising that there has been Just cou
plant from the community That complain
has heretofore been largely directed again
the postmaster henceforth 1t Will pc olrects
against the public journals which ha'
created and aided public wrong 70 exeu
accusations against postmaster Wni'
they knew to be atrociously unjust.