Mexico weekly ledger., 1893-06-15
RiSSeil's Policy.
New York Special to the Republic.

. hShoSSAh
New York Special to the Republic.
In a recent interview Senator Vest,
who has been in New York for the
past few days, took occasion to criti-
else the policy of Postmaster General
Bissell as to fourth-c class postmasters.
The Evening Post, the mugwump
organ of New York, thereupon
launched forth with a lengthy edi-
torial On the evil of the spoils sys-
tenn, and in the course of its re-
marks handled the Missouri Senator
roughly. Senator Vest replies
as follows:
To the editor of the Evening Post
In your paper of June 2,un-
der the caption of Patronage and
Party Success" you place me in the
category Of 'professional politicians"
and then proceed in your fashion to
defend Postmaster General Bissell's
ruling that fourth-class postmasters
cannot be removed even after four
years. service, except for special
cause.
If by the term professional poll
tician" you mean, as is generally
understood, one who seeks public
Office from selfish and unworthy mo-
tives, and who has NO scruples about
the means employed, 1 pronounce
your statement as to myself absolute
ly false. If you mean to denounce
as professional politicians all those
who have held public Office by pop
ular choice, then | plead guilty. l
have been three times elected to the
United States Senate, twice without
opposition in my own parry, and nc
intimation has ever been made that
any improper influence caused the
result.
If the belief that the Democratic
party should select competent and
honest Democrats to administer the
government puts me under the ban
as a professional politician" then
| am glad to be so classed. Ideny
your statement that the removal o.
fourth-class postmasters by First AS
sistant Postmaster General Steven
son contributed to Cleveland's de.
feat in 1888. He was defeated by
the enormous expenditures of money
subscribed by the protected manu-
features and your paper has persis'
tently SO charged. The civil service
reformers supported Mr.. Cleveland
in 1888 and again in 1892, although
the "chief ACKNOWLEDGMENT, was
placed upon u ticket in the last
National Convention distinctly fol
the reason that his record in the
Post Office Department was approx
ed by the Democratic party.
Nor is it true that Clarkson's re-
moval of fourth class postmasters
helped to defeat Harrison. He was
defeated by the Mckinley law and
the force bill, with the profigate ex'
travagance of his administration il
the expenditure OF public money
Clarkson's action was not commen.'
ed on in the canvass unless by a few
civil service reform newspapers, and
it is absurd to suppose that any con
siderable number of voters were sc
disguised with Clarkson that they
rushed to the support of Adlia Stew.
enson.
So far from desiring to use patron,
age for political or personal pur.
poses, [ would be glad to be relieved
from all connection with its distri.
button, but l insist no man can be
Justly sneered at by the solar walk
of critics as a professional politi
clan" Or ''spoilsman," because he
believes that the people of the Unit
ed States meant, when they imposed
upon the Democratic party the re.
sponsibility of governing the coun.
J try, hat Democrats and not Repub.
licans should be selected to perform
the official duties necessary to meet
ing the responsibility.
So long as the civil service law re.
mains upon the statute book il
should be fairly and strictly enforced
but it does not include fourth-class
~postmasters and never will.
Mr.. Bissell mistakes the wishes
and opinions of his party, and the
future will prove it.
G. G.. VEST.
New YORK, June 4.
Fifty cents ia a small Jnotor LII