The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-26
INDEPENDENTS COMPLAINING.
A Lively Correspondence Between Post.
master-General Villas and Lucius B. Swift.

The way Of the mugwump is hard. There are
many things which he cannot understand ex-
actly. Still, he wants to know, you know, with a
view to ascertaining the peculiar reasons of the
reform administration for appointing and con-
tinuing in Office one James T. Bowling. an in
dividual VINO has made himself more or less no.
torious by his private and official con-
duct of late Mr.. Lucius B. Swift, as
the mouthpiece of the Independents of Indiana,
wrote a letter to Postmaster-general Villas, in
which he set forth the fact that Bowling was
selfconfessed briber, and offered to furnish
all necessary proof of his moral incompetency
to fill the position to which he had been ap-
pointed. The statements made by Bowling, re-
ferring to the bribery, were duly presented. and
Mr. Swift paused for a reply 1t came Mr..
Villas, after assuring him that he had carefully
reviewed the evidence, said in the course of his
letter.
'Dowling was guilty Of either having given a
bride or of indirect and foolish speech. He de-
MES the first, and there is nothing but the fact
of an indiscrect and foolish speech to charge him
with. He was not convicted by the Council, or
any tribunal, of bribery, and am unable to de-
cide nor to find sufficient evidence to believe,
that he was guilty of having given the bribe
Had the matter been presented before his ap-
pointment it would have stood differently. But
he was properly appointed. served his term of
probation. and is commended an industrious
man, of good memory obedient, careful, order
ly, lit for promotion, etc. 1t seems to the Post
master general that such man, who is COM
mended by eminent citizens. should be afforded
the opportunity to mend his ways.n
This called Cor reply from Mr. Swift which
was made under date of Jan. 16, wherein he
again reviews the case and adds, after demanding
the names of the prominent citizens from whom
Downing obtained such hearty Endorsement, II
am not surprised that Bowling is TO be kept in
the service, for | some time ago found out that
even under this administration if a congressman
wanted to keep his man m place he could do So
and if he needed them he could always get men
of eminent position and high character to say
and do whatever was necessary to accomplish
the end. Bowling is Mr.. Bynum's man. and
can give to him or take away from him some
votes among the vicious elements of this city
think Mr.. Bynum's price for tho votes is DEAR
Following up his case, Mr.. Swift dwells at
length on Grandfather Jones's administration Of
the Indianapolis postoffice as follows:
'The Pendleton act applies to the INDIANAPOLIS
postofice. and to no other in the State. Since
the present postmaster took charge, in April
last, he has dismissed over half of the eighty
classified and unelassfed employees; a few for
good causes. part of the rest on trumped-u up ex-
cuses, and the balance for the reason, boldly
avowed, that their places were wanted for
Democrats. Ii great number of complaints
which are left unanswered are anything to Judge
by, the efficiency of the Office has been seriously
impaired. Every one dismissed was Republic
an, except one, who was appointed by this post
master, and who soon fell to stealing the regis
tered letters, for which he is now serving penal
sentence. When he was appointed it was we'll
known that his antecedents were of tho criminal
class. Every new appointee is Democrat The
postmaster tells newspaper re-
porter, for publication, that he de-
spises' the law. President John
Ouncv Adams f0upd II To fvvo
removals in four years The number made by
this postmaster, and the fact that he appoints
only his own partisans, interpreted by his
tempt for the law, show that this Office is being
run as part Of the party machine, and the places
are being rapidly turned over as party spoil