Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-21
THURSDAY, JANUARY 81. 1892
Tenure of once of Postmasters.

When we set forth the many advantages
which would result to the country from
the establishment Of postal telegraph by
the National Government, we are told,
amongst other things, that an army OF
telegraph-operators. OWING their places to
that Government, would be one Of the first
results. This bugbear IL sure to be used
TO fright the people from their pro-
priety wherever all other arguments fail.
The fact that the Government already
has hundred thousand OF more agents
employed in its various departments
sixty thousand of them in the Post
Office Department and has never
suffered In any way from their
attempts Of they have made any to con-
troll the legislation of the nation, goes for
nothing, as does also the fact that the
country postmasters could add to their
duties all the work which a postal tele-
graph would demand OF them and thus So
cure for themselves better pay and for the
Government better service. Other good
results would follow-namely. new post
Offices and new telegraph stations would
be established at many places where I'M
der such circumstances as those now ex-
listing they would never be established,
and thus the cause of free delivery OF mail
matter IN the rural districts would be pro-
NOTED. However, the postal telegraph is
not our present subject. We set out 10 cay
n word about postmasters.
MIR. SHERMAN HoAR, of Massachusetts,. has
introduced into the House OF Representa-
tives bill which, if il should become a
law, would do away with some Of the
objections TO postal reform" which we
have just mentioned. His bill provides,
amongst other things, that all postmasters
shall hold Office during good behavior, but
may be removed or suspended for cause.
But will such a bill ever become lawI
Will congressman consent TO relax their
hold upon the offices Will they surrender
the patronage which they imagine adds to
their strength? Will they agree TO return
10 the practice in vogue in the Old World,
and have q set of officers possessing life
tenures Possibly at some day in the
future we may be compelled to adopt some
such plan of improving the postal depart
ment but it will not be done by the pres
ent or the next Congress. However. a
dozen years are short time in the history
of such government rs ours; and so 1t
may profit us to be already studying out
rev plans for the future.
Mr.. HoAR's bill provides also that post
masters of the fourth class shall be ap-
pointed by the Postmaster-G and
that postmasters of the first, second, and
third classes may be promoted from one
post-office to another by the President.
All these propositions are worthy of Sc
rious consideration. The public should
ponder them. The wonderful growth of
the postal department OF our Government
should serve to remind us of the possibili-
ties that lie untouched and undeveloped
therein. We can no more forecast the fu-
ture of the postal system than DR.. FRANK
LIN, the FIRST Postmaster could
foresee our sixty-million-dollar postal es-
Enlistment when he, OK his department
rather, owned only few mail-bags, and
carried mail matter only on horseback or
on rickety coaches from and to few OF
the most important places in the country.
There are many thousands of persons still
living who remember when it cost twenty
five cents to send single" letter Zone
Sheet from one State into another)
We mus: "kcepup with the procession"