St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-03

washington TO celebrate his nangiIra
ton. with the feeling that the Welfare
of the country could only be insured by
the control of the government by the
Demo cratic party. In the able cabinet
of Frank Pierce Kentucky was rep
resented by Hon. James NJ. Guthrie.
one OF the greatest men ever charged
with the administration of the finances
OF the country. In discussing Mr..
Guthrie with one of the numerous Ken
lucky colonies now here, he said:
''Know jim Guthrie? | lived near
him and was well acquainted with his
public career. When he went out of
Office the government owed only $40,-
0O0,0J0, and had three times that amount
i'll the treasury"
So eminent a iinancier was Mr.
Guthrie that, when President Lincoln
came into Office in 1861. he rendered him
his Old post OF secretary Of the treasury;
but Mr.. Guthrie declined this because.
though a strong Union man, he was a
Democrat. and felt that he could not
accept Office under a Republican
administration. Truly, Kentucky may
feel proud OF her public men. From
Clay down TO Carlisle, Lindsay and
'Quinine Jim" Mckenzie she has con-
tributed to the nations roll of states
men giants respected alike at home and
abroad. Long may she continue to hold
this proud pre-eminence in the nation;
for her statesmen are broad-minded
men whose views on public questions
are hedged in by no state or sectional
lines.
Maxwell Is Popular.
There is no complaint from the most
ultra JacksOnian against Fourth As
slstant Postmaster General Maxwell.
He is moving just as rapidly as the
work can be done, and within a few
months the majority of the best offices
below the presidential grade viii be in
the hands of the Democrats. Gen.
Maxwell does not make public
whether charges have been preferred
against many of the men he has re-
moved or not, but as a matter of fact, in
nine-tenths OF the removals so far, good
reasons for the step have been present
ed. lnc0mpetency has been shown
against the remaining one-tenth. The
position Of Mr.. Maxwell in this matter
is that there is no class of public serv-
ants who should be removed quicker than
the postnaSterS at small towns and
villages after a change in adminiStra-
ton for the very good reason that they
are usually narrow partiSanS not, in
sympathy with the administration and
prone to embarraSs the department if
given a chance. Against postmasters
of this grade changes are often made in
regard to the holding back of campaign
literature sent out by the opposition and
other matters of the same order. In the
more important offices men of a larger
mould are chosen, and the business of
the larger offices is so managed that a
fairly competent man with good sense
q md nHllifTr auFfi ~ ~ lfoIln 30 80, n,,nt,
complaints. While it is the intention of
Gen. Maxwell to
Wake a Clean Sweep
of the better offices under. his control,
he has no intention of disturbing the
crossroads postmaster who has held the
office for years, largely because of the
convenient location of his residence,
but the other fellows have got to go,
and if they refuse to resign their
heads will be chopped off without much
delay. Gen. B. B. Smalley. of Yer
mont, spent thirty-fiye minutes with
the removal of twenty-one Republican
postmasters in his state and the ap-
pointment of an equal number of rock
ribbed Democrats TO fill their places.
When he shook hands with Gen. Max
we'll on departing the Vermont leader
said:
General, l consider this a strictly
Democratic administration
And this is the general opinion of all
the Democratic leaders who know
something of the problems that con-
front the president and compel him to
move slowly in making his seIec-
tions to fill the important positions
under the administration. There is,
however, a wrong impression as to the
removals now being made by Gen.
Maxwell. AS all know, a fourth-class
postmaster is appointed and commits
stoned for no regular term, and
he can be got out only by resig-
nation, removal or death. The
many removals now being made,
however, are in all cases men who have
served four years. When such cases are
disposed of, others will be taken up.
This explains why more changes in
fourth-class Offices have not already
been made in Minnesota. In about three
weeks the g~uillotine will be turned
MinneSota-ward. and worked with in
dustry and zeal, at least until the four
year men are out n Democrats in.
EwON