St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-02-22
THE CONTEST ENDED.

A private dlSpatCn from WaSnlnS-
ton received here Saturday night
brought the intelligence that Mr..
Randall had surrendered and there
fore no hearing would be held the
following Tuesday over his conirma
ton. Advices to the other side from
Col. Smalley. who was also in
Washington, confirmed the an
| uouncement and the news spread
| over town very rapidly.
THE FACTS IN THE CASE.
In a former issue the GALE
DOMAIN stated that it would
keep its readers posted upon the
acts in this interesting case, and in
what follows as to the causes that
led up to the surrender OF Mr.
| Randall we shall make use Of facts
which cannot be disputed.
Both sides were prepared for
final hearing of the case on Tuesday,
| Feb 20 before the senate committee
on post offices, of which Senator Col
Quit of Georgia is chairman. In
spector Parkham's report and all
the affidavitS and Senator PrOctOr'S
letter, which it IS claimed was open
ed in St. Johnsbury, had been found
and were in the committees hands.
The committee also had two peti-
tons from the office. one expressing
lack of confidence in Mr.. Randall
and protesting against his conhrma
ton. aud the other asking that he
be immedia tely confirmed.
This was the condition of affairs
when Col Bradley B. Smalley, the
democratic sheik of Vermont, ar
rived in Washington last week. Col.
Smalley looked the ground over'care-
fully and the latter part of last week
notified Mr. Randall that he could
never be confirmed and advised him
to surrender. Mr.. Randall took his
advice and stepped down and out.
The result was not brought about
by senatorial courtesy" for the
maAer had never come up in the
senate Nor had any OF the mem
bers of the committee on post offices
been fixed" as the senate COM
mittee had held no hearing. The
St. Johnsbury Republican stated
last week that "the charges against
Mr.. Randall had been proved to be
groundless and had been abandon
ed" This is mistake, as the COM
mittee had not heard the case at all,
but would have had all the ev-
idence and the charges presented to
them at the final hearing. The
senate committee had not reached
the letter-opening case at all, unless
they had individually read Inspector
Parkham' report, and the afidavits
attached thereto. But the senate
committee were SO impressed with
the strength of the protest against
Mr.. Randall's confirmation, and the
signatures of so many prominent
business patrons OF both parties,
that Col. Smalley found out that the
! hearing would have but one result,
and so notified Mr.. Randall.
Col. Smalley now tavors caucus
OF the democratic patrons OF the OF
fee to name MI Randall's successor.
Several names have been suggested,
among which are H. c. Bond, w. 3.
Eastman, George w. Cree aud Fred
H. Potts Major Bowman has a lot
OF friends who would like to see him
secure the Office, but he has with
dra wn from the contest. The names
mentioned above are those the GALE
DOMAIN has heard on the street. Any
one OF them would make a good
postmaster and whoever Is chosen
at the caucus will be Immediately
confirmed.
COMMENTS ON THE CASE.
The result OF this contest Is natur-
ally gratifying 10 the CALEDoNIAk
because 1t never believed that 1t was
right to remove Mr.. Sprague before
his term expired. In It's issue oil June
% the CALEDONIAN SAID:
The undue haste to secure Mr..
Spragues removal has created a feeling
OF Indignation which is not confined to
the republicans, but IS shared by a good
many of our leading democrats who be
lieve in iair play either side Repub-
licans readily recall that Major Bowman
was allowed more than tour years IN the
office, and had naturally expected that
the same courtesy would have been ex-
tended the republican postmaster. The
business men of St. Johnsbury and not
the politicians should have decided the
matter. and at the prOper time they