The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-27

a feslEng Of relief was experienced
/ to-day when the nomination Of J s.
Giarks0n vas sent Ii for fsrst assistant
lpossmastsrsenerzi. and promptly
confirmed Mr. Garrison was at the
department during the afternoon. in
tconsaitatSon with Postmaster General
WanaEaker. and getting the ran Of
| the business. To-morrow he viii re-
Iseve Genersl Stevenson, and not take
hold formally. The appointment
gives great satisfaction 10 the working
element Of the Republican party,
which rut its shoulders 10 the wheel
during the recent campaign. The men
who took the leading part IL the work
| nos feel satisfied that the promises OF
the campaign viii be kept. and the
| party VIII enter the next tight with al
the elements 3ggreszively active
Many felegrans we're received during
the afternoon by Mr. Clarkson from
leading Republicans In all parts OF the
country making known their safisfac-
ton at the turn affairs had taken.
Some Of them condCied with him per-
sonalIy at the labor he was having out
| for himself. but they thought II q mat
ter OF congratulation for the party.
Is first assistant Mr.. CIarkson will
have charge Of the appointment OF
| p0stnasfers, and viii have to do with
| this class Of of.ice-seekers more than
| any one else. 1t requires q wonderful
gift Of diplomacy and knowledge OF
men 10 conduct that Office 80 as not to
cause irritation. IL was not until Mr.
Stevenson was put in the place that
the trouble over these Offices ceased
under SIR. Cieveiand's ad administration.
clarkson Is regarded as q worthy
successor of this diplomatic official
He is thoroughly familiar with the
matter OF obligations incurred and IA
vors received during the campaign,
and is regarded as q good politician 20
take charge of just such matters as
viii come before him.
BIOGRAPHICAL
| Mr.. Clarkson was born in Brook
vile. Ind, in 1916. The son and
grandson OF editors, be learned the
Printers trade when a BOY, and re-
moved with his family to Iowa when
he was ~ years old. He lived on a
frontier farm for eight or ten years,
and began work as printer on the
| Des Moines Register in 1866; became
city editor i'm 1867 and editor OF the
paper in 1868, and in that year led in
the movement TO enfranchise the ne
gro. The question was submitted to
the people and carried at the polls,
making Iowa the first state in the
| Union 10 give the black man the bal
lot. In 1870 he and his brother be-
came the proprietors of the Register
and are stu its owners. In 1863, 1870
and 1871 he was chairman OF the
Iowa state Republican committee.
He MAS offered the Swiss mission by
Gen. Grant In 1871 aud declined it. In
1872 he wss appointed postmaster at
Des Moines, and held the position UNI
til 1877, when he resigned because his
paper was not in accord with the views
of the administration. He has long
been close friend OF Mr. Blaine, and
headed the Iowa delegation for him to
the national conventions of 1876, 1s50
and 1884 He has been twice a men,
bar of the Republican national COM
| mittee, and was o member of the exec
utive committee and bore prominent
part in the campaign of 1854, and es-
peciaily the fall fighi for Ohio In Ocio-
Der of that year. He was a member
of the national convention OF 1883, and
after the withdrawal of Allison's name
turned with his state 10 Harrison. He
was made vice chairman OF the Repuh-
lican national committee, and spent
the whole campaign at the Republican
headquarters in New York. Mr.. Clark
SON has made the record
| OF keeping out of Office,
and once declined the appointment
as consul-general to London, and also
declined to have his name mentioned,
when requested TO do so. for a place in
| the cabinet of General Garfield. Ii is
known that he has taken the present
position only because he has been
made 10 feel that it was his duty 10
the party. POSTMASTER General Wan
amaker Is authority for the statement
that he accepted IL only after his own
| and the presidents urgent request,
| the Republican national executive
committee uniting in IT, He has de-
clined within the last few days five
different positions. including one or
| two of four times the salary of the of
| flee he now accepts. This one he
| takes, il is understood, because OF its
political importance. and he has not
agreed TO serve beyond period Of a
| few months. All the postoffices OF
every grade are to be under his charge
and It Is understood that the railway
mail service viii also be placed under
his direction.
NOW, Mr.. CLARKsos.
Chicago Times Dem.)
The West will be thoroughly pleased
with the acceptance of the responsible
post of first assistant in the postofiice
department by James 8. Clarkson.
He carries to his duties not merely the
congratulations of his own party. in
which for SO many years he has been
an able and totally unrewarded
leader. bat. what he viii value to its
full worth. the confidence of the entire
country in his ability make the de-
partment come up TO the extraordi-
nary growth OF the Northwest.
One OF the difficulties which
Western representatives in con-
gress habitually meet Is the incredul-
| ity of the South and the East concern
ing the North and the West. The real
reason why the Chicago postotiice has
been crippled has lain In the stolid aud
stubborn disbelief on the part of
purse-string holders that the city re-
quired so large q number of letter
Il t1fAttf- anu W. f1gtEsft anu W utpft> ldt
the handling of local mail. Ii re-
quires no extraordinary sagacity to
get mails in ard oat of Chicago. II
requires only agents and means.
Clarkson, himself. keenly aware of the
niggardliness with which the postal
plant has been enlarged here, VIII see
| TO il that Chicago gets at last the men
and the money absolutely required.
Mr.. GARRISON ought To make his adj
| ministration distinguished by intro
ducing the parcels post which prevails
| In the United Kingdom aud is most
popular feature of its post. While We
give ideas to England In many other
affairs we have been always her fol-
lower in postal improvements We
paw now enormous sums 20 express
companies for services which should
he performed by mail bags There is
no more reason why the parcels post
should not be added 10 letter AMI book
carrying or the limited margin that
now is allowed for merchandise than
that letters themselves should be car
rsed ty the government
Whoever the successor of the incum-
bent at Chicago may be his attention
viii be required at once upon the sloth
at the local collection and delivery.
The fact that over large area of this
IN .f rnraaifS there u no collection ssf