St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-06
ON DUTY As USUAL.
Appointment Clerk Fry Makes Some
Personal and General Remarks.


Personal and General Remarks.
Special TO the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Jan. Sit Is rumored
that the resignation of Mr. Smith ID. Fry
OF Dakota, the presidential appointment
clerk of the postoffice department. is in the
hands Of the postmaster general and that
the said resignation was called for. called
upon the gentleman at his desk and found
him on duty as usual, very busy, very
nervous and active. but ready to respond to
the process OF interviewing. He declined
10 say anything as 10 the cause of his res
ignation, and did not even admit that he
really has resigned. After a temporary
rush OF business, and when he had few
moments TO spare, he said:
u will tell you this much. Whether re-
sign or remain here; whether my resignation
has been called for or not; whether my Official
nose is out of joint or not, there is no misun-
Outstanding between the postmaster general
and myself. / have rendered him faithful
and efficient service; have seriously impaired
my health by my hours of intense labor with
out vacation, and the postmaster general
knows IL and appreciates IL. My enemies are
few, but have succeeded in making some. as
have all officials. Those who do me the honor
TO be my enemies asked and urged my re-
moval more than six months ago. and filed
strongly prepared charges against me. The
postmaster general did not accede TO their
gentle demands. / am still here, by his desire
and wish. If go out Of the public service,
shall 10 out voluntarily by resignation. aud
/ shall do so of my own desire and choice
When go. IL go, will go forth as a friend
OF the postmaster general He has shown
himself TO me as he has not To all others. and
! know him pretty well. He is genuine
New Englander Westernized. He has the
brains and culture of the Yankee. the
brusque, hearty ways of the Western man.
and the heart OF a true man. l have seen
him in the midst OF pressure from political
friends. standing like a rock, defending the
faithful and deserving clerks from the as
saults of the spollsmen. recall one instance
OF a congressman from Indiana woo showed
him
CAREFULLY ARRANGED DOCUMENTS
to prove railway postal clsrk al Offensive
partisan, and urging his removal in the inter-
ests of reforml He was exceptionally per-
sistent. and the postmaster general called for
the official record OF the clerk in question.
IL was brought. The man was one OF the
most efficient postal clerks in the railway
mail servics. Col. Villas showed the congress
man the papers and said, as I remember it:
i shall be very careful to stand by that man.
| shall be very careful 10 stand by every en-
ploye OF this department who does his duty
faithfully. This man was probably under
the impression that he had to work Tor his
party. In order to keep his place. He Is now
learning TO attend strictly to business. and he
Is doing so. he is learning that he is to re-
tain his position only so long as he does not
NEEDLE in political affairs. He Is too good a
man TO be turned out And the congress-
man went away swearing mad. He has stood
by the men under him, in that wa. all the
me. and you have no idea what a pressure
has been brought to bear on him to cause re-
movals. have seen him in his tender moods
and be has many OF them. / have seen his
eyes moisten al the tales of distress OF men
whom he could not aid. He Is a partisan,
but he is an intelligent one. and does what he
believes to be right. That Is my opinion of
him as a man and as an official. If leave
the department, ii will not change my opln-
ion."
what Is his attitude towards the soldiers?''
asked.
pre-emineutly the soldier Of the cabinet. and
the soldiers friend. / recall one instance In
particular. Henry G.. Rising, the postmaster
at Redfeld Dak.. is an old friend OF mine.
There were efforts made to secure his re-
moval. This is no secret IL was openly said
by Hon. NJ. II. Day that he was so pushed
that he would have 10 ask for Rsing's re-
moval. and that he had finally done so. Al
though Rising was my personal friend, II was
not polite, nor was il right for me to make
any request of the postmaster general ia his
behalf. nor did do so. To NV surprise, one
day, when the Redfeld case was called for by
ONE OF TIE ENEMY,
the postmaster general said: i understand
this case. Rising Is an old soldier, Grip
Piled with rheumatism, and there are
some fellows after him / will not per-
NIT him to be disturbed, al least not on s1cb
charges as these I mention this case be-
cause have seen various statements made
about IL 10 the Western papers. and II is not
a secret of the department that the charges
were nled; and that they proved abortive.
Rising has been a Republican editor, and in
some sense a partisan. Had IL not been for
the fact that he Is an old soldier. having been
a special messenger TO Gen. Grant before
Vicksburg In May and June. 1855, II Is pos
slble that he might have been suspended.
But he was a soldier, and the charges made
against him were filed with a soldiers friend
when they were presented 10 the postmaster
general. and be always makes the balances
weigh heavily on the soldiers side. For
them he always tempers justice with mercy
and kindness. / have seen numerous SINH
lar instances OF the fact that the law and the
spirit thereof in behalf of the employment of
soldiers in the civil service Is rigidly observed
by the postmaster general. The retention OF
John Jameson as superintendent of the rail-
way mail service is rs much due to the fact
that he is an old soldier as to the other potent
fact that he Is a good on sial and has risen to
his present position by sheer force OF merit
and ability"
In your own case Il Is said BY Mr.. B. of
Dakota that he has asked for your removal.
and that be Is sure to get your scalp. He has
made this boast -
Il know Git. have written what have
written for Dakota papers In the interests of
such representative Democrats as p. Fl.
Kelly, Bartlett Trip, Dan Maratta, NJ L.
Mccormack. and honest old Ziebach. There
fore. has this man B., who opposes these men
and hobnObs with the Republican ex-gov-
ernor, Ordway, heoome mine enemy"
Killed Himself with a knife.
Special TO the Globe.