Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-06
GEST AFTER PAP.
He Wants Democrats Removed and
Repubii cans Put in their Places.


He wanta Democrats Removed and
Republicans Put in their Places.
A Washington special to the Chicago
Tribune Tuesday says that Congressman
Gest, OF this district,is after the scslps o,
the democratic postmasters. Evidently
the Judge" as he is called by the
Washington correspondents. has forgot
ten bis many civil service reform protes.
tations made prior to last falls election
for he now thinks an off1ceholder's poll.
tics suficie Mt cause for removal. And Il
is edifyina to know that Mr.. Gest will
probably have his way, although the
postmaster general casually hints that II
will be necessary to flle some formal
charge against the person about to be de-
capitated. The special says:
Judge Gest, Of the Rock Island dis
trict, went TO see the postmaster general
today about some presidential offices In
his district. The judge has been a daily
visitor to Assistant Postmaster General
Clarkson for three weeks past, and the
result is t1at not many democrats are
LEFT in four sh.class postoff1ces In his bail
iwick. He is not in great hurry about
turning out the democrats in the presi-
Dental offices. but he looks for them to
drop out ore by one as the season comes
for harvesting the spring planting. His
visit to Mr. Wanamaker was to SOW some
seed which would make the harvesting
easier. This evening the congressman
described his interview:
Il told the postmaster general" he
said. that In the course of time l would
file some recommendations for postmas.
ters"
"Will you have any charges against
the incumhents?" he asked me, Just as
quietly as though there had not been an
election last November.
81; sort OF made me mad. No, sir,
said. won't do anything OF the kind.
The only papers shall ever file In this
department will be recommending good
republicans to take the place of demo-
Gratis. Why, l understand the pigeon>
holes are rocking with charges secretly
filed during the last four years against
good men in order to get them out. and
thCy hcNCI AucW Wudt klUu Vi SUN was
used against them. want 1t understood
that out my way no man can use me as an
instrument for getting something on file
in this department against his neighbor
simply becs use he wants that neighbor's
office. 1t was disgrsceful business for a
democratic administration to 60 into, and
hope a republican administration will
never follow such precedent
What did the postmaster general say
to thatf"
He compl!mented ne for my frank
mesa. but said where good causes existed
for removals the department ought to have
the charges. because every case would
have to star d on its own merits. ! told
him I'd praoticed law too long to know
how easily e plausible case could be made
up out OF nothing and In my district I
proposed that everything should be open
and above board. Every democrat who
goes out will know why, and I won't be
the agent for fling stuff in the department
affecting his character. 1t il a shameful
thing to do
The chances are that Judge Gest will
get the offensive democratic partisans in
his district removed about as fast as he
wants their places Postmaster General
Wanamaker Is pretty good judge CT hu-
man nature. Some congressman have
been surprised because they could not
get democratic postmasters removed,
while others seemed to have no trouble.
The reason vas the way they presented
the case to the postmaster general. Where
they could at a moments notice shift
from charges of offensive partissnship to
reflections on the character of the incum
berts, and vice versa. it was a sure thing
that the post general was not ready
to make the removal asked.