Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-04
wanamakes's Political sehems.


A telegram from Philadelphia speaking
of the recent personal letters sent out by
Postmaster General Wanamsker to county
postmasters heretofore published in THE
ARGUS. says:
No doubt Mr.. Wanamaker is q good
organizer. Next to his high capibility as
trsdesman, with his apprehension Whist
people want to buy at each particular
moment, is his ability TO organize and sys>
temstize the processes OF business affairs
The move he has now made, to have post
masters at county seats inspect and report
on the condition of the postC ffices in their
counties. is no doubt the outcome of his
ogranizing faculty.
There are, however, very strong OBJ
Jections to the new plan, under existing
conditions of politics. Ii will inevitably
develop, if II amounts to anything at all,
into system OF political espionage by
the county seat postmssters over ell the
country ones, and from that will tend TO
increase the energy of the party ma
chine" The county>seat offices are, of
course, political prizes. and under the
survival Of the old vicious system they are
struggled for, every four years, By men
who make politics their chief business. In
the counties of Pennsylvania to>dsy there
is probably not an exception to this rule
In every county town the business is
large enough 10 make the salary of the
place an apparent plum" and every
where the policy has been to give it to a
good party man." Under Mr.. Cleve-
land democrats were put in; under Mr.
T..
large counties, at such towns and cities as
Norristown, West Chester, Reading. Ian
caster. and all the others (there are so
such places in Pennsylyanis), the post
master is usually local boss" fully
ready and willing to extend his opera
tons through the country. Nothing will
suit him better than TO have official
authority 20 report favorsoly or other
wise OF the postmasters. and so get them
under his thumb. In Montgomery county
there are about 40 postoffices. in Chess
ter about 165, il Lancaster $50, and so on
through the list of important counties.
If the postmaster at the county seat is to
have authority over sIl these. ne will be-
come very influential person indeed.
If the proposed system really has any
element of good in il, this can be deter
mined under q reformed service such as
MIR. Wansmsker has not yet established.
Any inspection Ct the postofilces, with
authority to report them good or bad,
must be by non partisan officials VITO
want only TO serve the postoffice depart
ment, and are not in the swim of local
politics, with schemes TO increase their
power. We are good way off from the
time when the county seat pOstmasters
will answer this description.
The opinion is expressed in Washing
ton that Postmaster General Waram ak er s
circular letter to the postmaster at every
county seat requesting him to visit every
postoffice in his county and report its
condition to the department not later
than October Is is political schema for
the purpose of experimenting the work
of the republican national committee. and
particularly to look after the interests of
Mr.. Harrison.
Mr.. Wsnamaker informs them that
this work will have to be done at their
own expense, and must be a voluntary
offering for the good Of the service. u
The money spent in this way may be
looked upon as campaign contribution.
There is form Of report accompany.
the circular, with the headings. Bad,
Fair" Good" Excellent" Per
feet"
y II t!ere is stray hold-over of Cleve.
lands appointment be may be put in the
bad" column. A Blaine man may be
counted as fair" A man who is no,
particular as to who gets the nomination
may be merely good" A Harrison man
will be excellent" and Harrison man
with machine in his control will prob.
ably go in the perfect column.