National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-07-12

The indianapolis Ne,cs, an independent
newspaper that is generally dlsiucliued to
say anything offensive to the Democracy,
has opened up fight on the postal service
in that part OF the country by reason Of its
utter demoralization. indianapolis, IL will
be remembered, is one Of the principal
railroad centers Of the northwest. Bad
postal service there implies general bad
ness Of the service:
Is there in civilized country on the face OF
the globe another such a spectacle presented
as thfs, Of n nations postal service ripped up
in way that, done to II private business, even
Of n small kind, would bankrupt iI2 Aud for
whnR To give the Dowings and other pOlitl-
cnl workers and personal favorites plices at
the public expense. To pension men for
political and personal reasons Mt the cost of the
general taxpayer and at the price of the de-
moraiization of the public business. Does It
pay7 There are GO0OO,0OO people In the cou1.
try; and in country with our vast territory
andswhere intelligence is so widely dlllused, II
may be said that rapid and accurate postal
facilities are more vital than I'm any other. To
further this there are $1,000 postoIices, with
perhaps, total Of employees numbering half as
many more, say 75, 900 Now, TO fill these places
with "party workers" the remaining 59,S75,0D0
people in the country are to suffer such de-
moralization in their business communications
as TO innict loss direct and indirect, and annoy
anoe without end.
The Ners goes on to assert, in plain
terms, that
Bankers and business men cannot trust the
mails for their business. There is a steady
| growth in the transmission of valuable letters
| by the express companies. These arc facts
that cannot be gainsaid. There Is no sentl-
| ment nor politics in business. II IL can't trust
the postal service, It is for business reasons,
| taught by dear experience. And this has come
| 10 pass in just about one year. How long will
| the people endure this sort of thing? A postal
service is one Of the most complex and deli
| cate contrivanCes that civilization has devel.
| oped. Ours was brought up to a state Of great
excellence. That was conceded; and that is
of itself proof that the wholesale dismissals, OF
which our local postoiice has been au illustra-
| tlOn, were not needed II Is beyond argument,
1t is simply an undenied and undeniabe state.
ment that those dsmissals have been made,
not for business reasons, not with a view to the
| good of the service.
The Democratic organ at Indianapolis
the Sentinel, referring to the charge OF the
NetCs, says: "What is the remedy9 Turn
the Republican clerks all out and put In
Democrats. More than 20 per cent. is Re-
publican, and as long as large per centage
remains there will be decentralization. ~
And the NctrS replies "The effect Of that
remedy is rather uncertain. There was nc
decentralization of the postal service when
all the clerks were Republicans. 1t was az
prompt and efficient as 1t could be, and the
business Of the country affirmed 1t by un.
limited confidence in the mails" The
NciCS continues:
Our local postofIice is a mass and muss o.
inaccuracy-putting the standard at what II
was-and the general postal service is dete-
riorating, and IL this Is what comes to pass
with only % per cent. of Democratic party fl.
vorites in the place of experienced employees
isn't II frightful TO contemplate the result of
complete changer One might say the mail,
would be abandoned altogether by the busines,
OF the country, and surrcptitious transportation
of mail matter become as common as smuggling
on the Canadian line. The p)stoflice would
be sort of relic OF an almost forgotten period
of postal efficiency and popular confidence
How long will the people permit their public
business TO be managed in this way which, 4
attempted with their private business wolld
mean bankruptcy.
II the Presidents time were not occupied
in the more important work OF vetoing the
little pension bills Of old soldiers ant
soldiers widows, he might have these very
grave complaints investigated.