The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-06-20
WasElingtO Letter.
WAsHINaToN Juna = !

WAsHINGToN, June Z, 1889.
Cheap John" Wannamaker is
treading on dangerous ground. He
wants to abolish Sunday work in the
post offices, and in order to get some
foundation to work Oh, he has sent
circular letter TO the !.ostmasters of
one hundred OF the largest cities ask
lug for sugge stions as tu how Sunday
woi X tHay ke stOrp.d Il, etc OF course
all good men believe that the Sabbath
shOuid be observed in as general a
Danner rs possible, but at the same
time all sensibie men know that GER
tain amount of work must lie erform
ed by somebody even Oh tiIat day, aud
the carrying and rapid handling of The
mails is work too important to be
stopped at any time. for any cause.
In fact the efficiency of the Post Office
department is more in need of being
increased than decreased in this very
matter o. Sunday handling of mails.
and if WanDamaker isn't very careful
he will raise a tempest in the business
world thet will be strong enough to
sweep him out of the office that cost
him SO much money. And there is
another view OF The subject that
shou d not be lost sight of. In the
more than one hundred years of its
existence no attempt bas ever been
made to have this Government ot1ici-
ally recognize any religious denomina
ton or sect, and the precedent would
be dangerous one to establish. Sup
pose for instance that Wannamaker,
who is Presby byterian, should succeed
in having all work stopped in our post
Offices on Sundays during his admins
tration of the post Office department.
So far all right, but now suppose that
in the unexpected upheaval of politics
he should be succeeded by Hebrew,
or a Seven Day Advel tist, both of
which sects regard Saturday as the
Sabbath day, and that he should insist
on having all pest of1ice work stopped
on his sabbath. Then Whist a row We
should have. Church ard State both
have important functions 10 perform
in this as well IS every other country,
but let us keep them separate and dis
tinct, for if history teaches anything
it is the utter futility of successf fully
uniting the Two.
Politics have this week been pushed
to the wall by that lone touch of ne
lure that makes the world kin
Democrats and Republicans have We'd
with each other to provide succor for
the thousands of people made homeless
by the great floods i'll Pennsylvania,
Washington has shown the world that
however beartless she seems to be IN
her dealings with political and socls
do;ngs, sl.e in reality has great big
heart, throbbipg just DOW in sympa-
thetic accord with her suffering broth
ers aud sisters of the Conemaugh
Valley, upon whom such calamity
has fallen. A public meeting was
held 10 provide organized methods of
f collecting money aud clothing; it was
, attended by an immense crowd and
was presided over by the President,
who made q strong appeal for suoscrlp
, lions. about $50, 600 in CASH has been
raised besides an enormous quantity
OF blankets, clothing disinfectahts etc
Every body seemed disposed to give
something; poor people who We're un
able to give money, gave blanket or
a cast off garment; bootblacks and
newsboys handed in their nickeis
pyside The millionaire's thousand
d,,Ii,r checks, and the children empti
ed the pennies out of their little banks
/ in order to turn them oyer to the
COMMITTEES. For the first half OF the
; week nothing was talked about OF
seemingly thought about but the aW
full news from Johnstown. Washing
TONS flood had done a damage to
property, public and private, OF sever
al millions of dollars, but that was
, entirely forgotten in the face OF the
great loss of life by the Penn. horror.
Already the republican acting Com
missioner of the General Land office
has begun to undo the good WORK OF
, the democratic administration. he
has given notice that he intends aooI
ishing the Board of Review and the
Division of Contests, both established
under Mr.. Cleveland's administration.
and both recognized as being In the
interests of the homesteader and
gainst the land grabber. But as the
last named clsss have for many years.
with the exception of from 'S5 to 'S9,
controlled that office, the change can
hardly lie surprising.
The Civil Service Commission is bus
ily engaged in discovering "mare's
nests" 1t has just reported large
one in the NJ Y. custom house, and is
now in Troy, N Y, hoping TO find
one in the post Office Next week ii
is to start west OIL Il grand tour of dis
covery which will embracead'z 2 citi's.
THE New Hampshire girl who drank
| h., lp.. iY mol.