The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-04-06


Postmaster General Bssell is quoted
RS predicting that the appointment of
John j. Mcdonald to tho Kingston
postmastership, without the knowledge,
advice or consent. of the Democratic
member from Luzsrne, will not hurt
Mr.. Hines chances for reelection, for
the excellent reason that he hasn't any.
Mr.. Bissell is even more cruel than this.
When asked what he thought OF Hines
indignant protest, coupled with q
threat never again to darken the door
of the postoffice department while Bis
sell is at its head, the eorpulent Buffalo
representative of the Lehigh Valley
railway company is said to have replied
with contempt: ~ nm sorry TO have
offended Hines, but hs will not come
within thousand miles of reelection.
| would not he surprised to SEQ him de-
feated by 5000 majority
We believe that Mr.. Bissell is correct
in his diagnosis of Hines case. II tho
Republicans OF LuZsrne county riss to
their opportunity by the nomination
of strong and popular candidate and
then give their loyal support, it will be
possible not only to defeat the present
demagogical presentatiye, but also to
give the defeat such proportions as
would convey an impressive lesson to
men who deliberately misrepresent the
interests Of their constituents. But
this is not the point just now Of chief
importance. Let Hines be what he
may, in partisan sense. he is, until
defeated, the regular official representa-
tive of the people of the Twelfth dis
trict. He is the man through whom
they are supposed to voice their prefer
ences in the choice Of local government
officials. They have valid right,
through the recommendation Of their
congressman, to express this prefer
ence. To deny them this right would
be to deny the very principle above all
others upon which our government is
founded, the principle of home rule.
To foist upon the people of Kingston a
postmaster without consultation with
the congressman who represents those
Kingstonians is to put an affront, not
only on Hines personally, but upon
every voter within the borough of
Kingston. and, indirectly, upon every
voter in Luzerne county.
1t 10 charged that Mr.. McDonald's
appointment was decided upon by Mr..
Bissell In obedience to the expressed or
implied wish Of persons closely identi-
fed with the large corporation by
which Mr.. Bissell is permanently en-
ployed. We do not know that this is
true, and we also know nothing con-
cerning Mr.. Mcdonald personally
which would incline Us to believe his
selection unwise. 1t is, however, an
unfortunate fact that in certain other
instances Mr. Bissell has evidently con-
suited the wishes Of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad company even more closely
and more solicitously than he has con-
suited the wishes Of the people; and
Mr.. Mcdonald, through the summary
mann er in which his name was decided
upon, therefore rests under a burden of
undesirable doubt. While no one
blames the Lehigh Valley Railroad
company or any other large company
for getting all the good things Of life
that it can get. without violation of
law, the people of this state. irrespec-
tive of party, have right to expect
more consideration at the hands of the
American postmaster general than they
seem to he getting at the hand de of the
Lehigh Valley Railroad colnpsnys
Buffalo attorney, temporarily sitting
in Mr.. Cleveand's cabinet.
IT IS A pleasing symptom of the gen =