Telegram-herald., 1889-09-17
GRAND RAPIDS PosT-oFFIcE.


Thorougb Issesgigsusn-
TIE Chicago Ifs5a.@s OF yesterday con
tAins the following editorial on tie
Grand Rapids post-ofaee.
The GrAnd Rapids (Mich) post
Office, administered by James Bar,
prior 70 the Noyember election in ISIS
a spOlls Democrat. bar snce that time
al alleged c.yA service reformer, ap-
parenuy IA order 10 hold CA 10 his
office until the expiration OF his term,
+ ia a kettle of hot water. The case
has become a celebrated one and :
figuring ln the newspapers, East and
West, owing u the zeal with which the
mugwump Notion, the spoils organ the
New York Star. and other mugDump
and Democratic sheets nave come 10
the defense of Mr.. Blair against grave
and Well supported charges affecting
his administration OF the ONCE.
The original charge luUmated that
Blair. in ccliusiOu with r. ii. Hudson,
the chief clerk of the railway mail ser
wee, vas party 10 the levying Oi
political contributions upon employees.
TINS charge was vigorously denied by
both these gentlemen, bat the CiYll-ser-
wee COMMISSION Investigated the
charges. Hudson was removed. but
Blair remains IA possession OF the Oitlce,
and since that time lac and the other
Democrats IN Grand Rapids have been
seeking - fasten the responsibility for
tins violation OF the cIyll-serylce laws
upon liuds N. for whose actions Blair
IS not liable. They have gone even
further than tins, and in a cOmmunlca-
ton 10 the Nation, written 10y W.F. Ball,
editor OF the Grand Rapids Democrat. il
Is set forth that BLAIR mas scrupulOusly
followed the letter and spirit OF the
law since ms appointment, and that
changes have only been made 70 MI
vacancies caused by designations or re-
mOyals for cause. Unfortunately, how
ever, Tor the ycracIty OF the Demo
cratic editors statement, IL has called
out a card signed by seven en-em-
plOyes Of the office, every one of whom
was notified by the postmaster tnat his
resignation would be accepted, although
his work was personally satisfactory,
and IN each case Informed that his
politics was the sole reason Tor asking
his resignation.
"As the matter stands, therefore, Mr..
Blair, the civll-seryice reform pOstmas-
ter, IS 1T least still tainted with the sus-
piclOn of having levied political cOntrl-
buttons upon ms employees and con-
ylcted upon good and sufficient testi-
mOny or having discharged employees
solely for political reasons, winch Is
D. l..
the civil-service laws, of which he pro-
fosses to be an advocate, and IN accord
auce with the provisions of which he
CLAIMS TO have administered ms office.
In all tins there IS certainly good and
sufficient reason for making a
thorough investigation of the con-
duct OF the Grand Rapids post
office, and should such an nves-
tlgatiOn be held Mr.. Hudson, the dis
charged chief clerk of the railway mail
service, would be a competent and per-
haps an important witness. If the
charges alleged are true, Mr.. Blair
should be compelled 10 let go his clutch
upon the office, for being Democrat
he Will move heaven and earth to keep
it until the close Of ms term. Few
Democrats die ard none resign. They
have 10 be chOked off. If there were
no other reason for proceeding in this
case the prompt conversion OF Blair
from spOils jobbery to the most angelic
conditiOns.of .civil-service reform after
the election OF Mr.. Harrison should
arouse the gravcst suspicion. No
bourbon ever yet became a civil service
reformer voluntarily. The Democracy
mates and despses the reform. Let the
Grand Rapids post-oiiice be thoroughly
ventilated"