Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-09-23
ABSOLUTELY PURE:

Then I win compel YOU To do So
said General Grant.
You have not the power" reioinrd
the comptroller coolly and respectfully.
We will see about that" SAID the
President, Il win consult the attorney
general
The attorney general. on being con.
suited, stated that the comptroller was
right; he could not be forced to counter.
sign the warrant. Next day tn, PreSl-
dent summoned Mr., Taylor and said.
II lind That | cannot compel you to
couutcrs'gu the warrant. However. /
can get another first comptroller
Very well, Mr.. President" replied
the officer. You can have my rcsigua
tom hu; not my signature.
In ract, the only way in which the
President can override a decision Of
this powerful official is by dismissing
~" ana appointing aTuthtr mon. ht.
d: 'Hu accounts of the guvcruutau. oN-
ccp, those which relate to customs and
the postofice department, are settled
by warrants counterSigued 10y the first
comptroller. Without his signature he
payments cannot be made.
There are two autocrats I'm the post
office department. one of them is the
assistant attorney general 1t is his
function to decide whether matter
offered for mailing is immoral or not
He acts as ccnSor for the people.
Whenever a postmaster i'm any city is
doubtful regarding the morality of a
publication that is sought to be mailed
he forwards a copy of the suspected
work TO the third assistant postmaster
general, by whom il is referred to the
assistant attorney general Very likely
the latter may be too busy TO inyesti-
gate the subject personally, i'm which
case he turns it over to one of his
clerks, who pcruScs il and marks n
passage which he considers indecent.
Thus the law lord has simply 70 glance
over the selected tidbits OF ]imprupricty
ana pass on them. The assistant at
torney general also determines what
mail matter shall be considered fraudu-
lent and be excluded as much from the
post.
The third assistant postmaster gen.
eral is himself an a|utocrat. lie has
authority 10 exercise his own discretion
in depriyiug periodical publications Of
the advantage Of second class postal
rates. Publications intended for ad-
yertising purposes primarily are not
allowed those rates. ON account of the
'krcutzer sonata a whole series of
books. OF which it was one. was shut
out Of the mails. Publishers commonly
get out volumes in series. because IN
this shape they go sccond-claSs as
periodical publications so long rs they
are issued mt least four times q year.
The decision against that work did not
actually exclude if from the post. be
class rates. sealed. SO that nobody
could lawfully open he package and
lind out what was inside
The uutocrat Of the department Of
agriculture is the chief II the bureau
Of animal industry. lie has authority
TO kill any animal he may choose any
where in The United Stats, When
n OF MS inspectors reports lllil SiltI
ana such cattle are afflicted with ~
infectious disease he orders them pul'
chased and slaughtered. The value OF
the beasts is Judged by two appraisers.
one chosen by the owner and the other
by the bureau If they cannot agree
they appoint a third person to decide.
In case a man refused to have his
livestock thus disposed OF, the police
and United States marshalS would be
summoned. The payment adjudicated
Is made by check. The chief Of the
bureau Is Or. u. f. salmon. His au
thority in such matters IS absolute
over the territories aud District of
Columbia. For operations in any state
he must have the consent Of the COVER
nor, but the governors consent cannot
be withheld because ne is in n position
to coerce the state. If he chooses he
can quarantine the state, preventing all
animals from going into or coming out
for an indefinite period.