The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-08-03

Our contemporary OF the Vdttey V2f-
0sq.da7s, Clifton Forge, is mistaken in it
premise about the removal of Miss Mary
knightley as clerk in the postoffice. She
was not on the regular list of govern
ment clerks, but employed as assistant
to the Postmaster and paid out of his
own private funds The late Postmaster
continued her in employment because of
herei1iciency and the general satisfaction
it afforded the ladies who visit the post
office on business. The present Post
master simply dispensed with this assist
ant. There was no politics in it one way
or the other.
Another blunder of the Nrginian is
as to the clerks. They are all under the
civil service law, and the Postmaster has
no right to remove unless for cause other
than political. Three OF the four carriers
are Democrats, appointed by W. a.
Burke, Postmaster under Mr.Cieveiano $.
former administration, and continued by
his Republican successors. There mas
been.Iess of partisanism in the Staunton
postoffice for the past twenty years than
any office in the United States. The re-
suit has been that there has been less
cause for complaint in the admInlstra-
ton of the office than any Office OF which
we know AT one time, all the force IN
the office were Democrats, under ke>
publican administration, including the
Assistant Postmaster, and changes were
effected only on voluntary designations
The writer in the Virginidn does not
expose a very commendable spirit, nor
do his views nor the policy he suggests
commend themselves to business men
and business interests Partisan polls
tics may be allowed in the appointment
of a postmaster and his assistant, but
- ALI Tod in n.
ministration of the details of the office.
Tt comes too close to the business Of all
classes of citizens and all political per-
suasions. Yosts Weekly
The point the VIRGINIAN desired to
emphasize, in its reference to the Money
Order Clerk in the Staunton Postof1ice
| was, that when Democrat succeeds a
Republican in any position under the
! u. s. Government, he should have the
unrestricted right to select his assistants.
| 1t makes not whit of difference whether
said subordinates are paid from private
or public funds.
Just recently the Fredericksburg Free
Lance, in discussing this very question,
in which it approved the course OF heads
of Departments in turning Republicans
out, clinched it's argument by asking
whether the head of large manufacture
| ing or mercantile establishment should
be deprived of the right to select his as
| sistants in the conduct of his business,
and knowing that the answer must be
in the negative, declared that the same
principle should be observed in the man>
agement of the business of the govern
ment.
So far as the non bipartisan administra-
ton of the Staunton postof1ice is con-
cerned, in the matter of employees, we
believe it to be as unusual as icebergs il
Florida. Republicans as a rule, stick te
their party and use all the political ma
chinery at their command to keep it il
power. We believe there are Republi
cans qualified to hold office, but we wan
Democrats to have the preference whei
their party has been given the reigns o
government.