The Washington critic., 1888-03-07
WASHINGTON, MARCH 7, 1883.
roLIr1cs AND POSTAL PRoGREss.

Jll MS lCClllt DblOit llle lNHllWUy
Club of New York last Saturday even
ing upon the subject of postal Prog
ress," ex- -Postmaster-G General James
took the ground that the Postonice
Department should be kept wholly
free Of partisan politics, and that the
head of this Department should not
be subject TO removal for political
reasons. In illustration of this posi-
ton he cited the case of the Post
master-General of England, whose
tenure of Office is continuous and not
liable to disturbance by changes of the
ministry. Such q system, Mr.. James
thought, might be tried with good
effect in the United States.
We do not say that it might not,
but it is not likely to be tried very
soon, nor is there apparent any par
ticular reason why it should be.
II the postal service of this country
had not been managed with extraor-
dinary efficiency, and if it were not
to-day, with a thousand difficulties
toovercome that are entirely unknown
in England, administered with as
great fidelity and success as any other
department of the Government, there
might be some excuse for adopting
the plan proposed but through all
political vicissitudes and the shifting
about of parties, the service has been
with few exceptions admirably con-
Quoted and to the satisfaction of the
great body of citizens.
Our political conditions and meth
ods are so dissimiliar to those of
'.seseaU Britain that it would be inn
z Practicable to bring them ipte- con-
formity nor so long as the American
system, with all its incidents of party
strife and party patronage, works ex-
tremely well, would it be wise to at
tempt its reconstruction upon any
foreign model with view to the
elimination of those elements.
The machinery of the Postofiice
Department, though not perfect, is
constantly improving. Considering
the vast extent of the country, the inn
mensity of facilities required, the
new areas of territory with rapidly
growing populations to be supplied, it
is the wonder of the age, and so skill
fully adapted to the wants of the peo-
pie that it really makes but little diff
ference to them whether Democrats
or Republicans hold the offices.
a change of Administration does
not necessarily disarrange or embar-
rass its operations; and changes Of
Administration there must be, so long
aswe retain our present popular form
Of Government-so long as the people
choose their Presidents and Presi-
dents choose their Cabinets. These
changes may be too frequent; but, so
far as the Postoffice Department is
concerned, it suffers less, perhaps,
than any other on this account, and
the fact that every party that comes
into power insists upon having post
masters of its own political faith, is
never likely to interfere with the
prompt dispatch Of the mails, or
with the trustworthiness of their
carriers and custodians.
We do not say that the English plan
wonld not work as well here as in
England, if it were what the people
wanted, but thus far in the progress
Of the country politics in the Post
office Department has not proved
such an evil as to call for reform on a
non partisan basis, and is in no dan
ger of becoming so as long as honest
and capable men are assigned to direct
its operations.