Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-21
The Attack Upon Postmaster 0snsrsi
Wansmskar

Never ha. public official been more
uaiiciouaIy and yenoinonsIy asasiled by
his political opponents than has fo-tmss-
ter general wanamsker. Nothing that
partizan bitterness could suggest. or hos
tile bigotfy invent. has not been used
against him. The whole magazine
" mud has been exhausted, and for the
present. his detractors are pausinR tor
breath and en,ieayoring to eoDiure up
some new, narrower. meaner. and dirti~r
method Of attack. This crusade Of -lan'
der and misrepresentation has not Ia
iured Mr.. wabsmaker- The people have
seen through 1t from the frat and long
ago became more than disgnsted at 1t.
Such warfare will Injurc only those en-
gagged In 1t.
Meanwhile the people are coming To
appreciate the fact that No more efficient
official was ever AT the head 81 the post
Office department. The members Of ton
gress, without respect to party, have ex-
pressed Themselves ~ more than -ati-he
with his administration Of its affairs thus
far. What then il the animus Of this
bigoted and partizan bombardment Tn"
Philadelphia Press states 1t very conci.ely
when il spys;
Stripped Of all covering the burden of
the criticism on Mr. Wanamaker IL that
he uses his public office to serve the pri-
vate business In which he l. engaged
not wrongfuily. but gfaspingly and in
decorously IL Ia not disputed that his
administration Of Postmaster General il
emincnty successful. II Ia not disputed
that he ia making great reforms IN the
postal service. 1t is not disputed that the
application of his business sagacity aud
sense Is improving and advancing the
peoples business. II Ia not disputed
that hi iirst annual report shows
the best grasp of the subject
and makes the best suggestions
offered Ia years. In all that relates
tn the dute- of his office there l. not only
no criticism. but The constrained adinis
sion of pre-rminent service. The whole
assault then come ha,k to the effort which
--ek= to id.niii, the Postmaster General
with the private merchant, aud arraigns
the one cloakiug the other lf there IL
nothing of this, thsr" l. nothing for atric.
turr, aud the entire fabric OF condemna
tion fali- to the ground.
Il il True. then, that Mr.. Wanamaker
makes his public place tributary to his
private business or hi. personal ends
On the contrary. the Press unhe-i,atingly
assertS that Mr.. Nanamsker il rendering
his public service AT large personal sac
rihcr. lu-tead Of seeking or permitting
any a-so,iati"n open To rcproach he took
the prccaufi"p nj the very outset to re-
move all possibility for suspicion or re-
h-ction The editur uf The Press has
taken the pains to examine into this mat
ter. and states upntl his personal re-pon
.iblity that 'rhrH M. uapamakfr
tecdae Postmaster GsnerH h. gaze dire
hoas that hasipsss ,lsaiiB0s hef,cesD his
bustaess faohiishmeaf and he g"rsrnmsHt
shobid csase lind nat mersiy nth the Post
ofic, Department bm ,ruh IN D,p,rt,a, Ris
For years his hrm had furnished
supplies, some years 1t had amount
ed to man, thousands Of dollars; hut
il was all to he stopped. There
was nothing in law or In efhics or
even in propri.ty that required this deter |
mination. especially as to any Department |
other than the Post office, but Mr.. Wan
Amaker made II from his own sense Of |
fitness and In order that there might be
no possible grounds for question. He
made II quietly; he made no public proc |
iamati"h "t II ana the rd'f"r OF the
ner.o,si ;n,,nir, and !, i. na,. s "a" .'h
lie for the tirst time
With these facts in view there il absolute
ly only one ground left for the critics. Mr..
Wansmake,'s personal hearing and con.
duct have been beyond r,pro,eh He has
been scrupulous and delicate In his official |
and personal relations. No man in busi. |
ness could have done more to separat. his |
business from his publi, ohliyntious II
the critics want more the only thing
'e'' Is To Insist that "A" man III