The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-06-12

closely allied to them, form a vast
armv Of. half million Of people who
are dependent upon the success OF q
presidential candidate. Doubleasmany
more expect appointments II the other
side win. If each postmaster were
elected by the people of the locality,
this would be no longer the case.
Whether p~ostmasters should beselected
at the ballot-box by personal prefer
ences or on party lines, still the wishes
of that particular locality would sue
coed, irrespective of the success of any
particular candidate for the presidency.
This. would remove one of the great ex
citing causes of a conflict, which, ex
citing enough in any view, has been so
aggravated. as to have caused a civil
war in 1860 and nearly caused its repe-
tition in 1876.
2. The change would relieve the
President of a personal strain from ap-
plicatiens for Office which has con-
tributed to, if not directly caused, the
death of more than one incumbent of
that high Office and crippled the USE
fulness of others. It would give the
executive, as well as the legislative
department, time to devote to proper
and appropriate duties.
8 The change would check the grow
ing tendency to Capitalization which
threatens to absorb local self govern
ment in the c~entripetal attraction Of
public Office.
4 This would deprive the opponents
of a governmental t~elegraphic and tele-
phonic service of their only valid argu
ment against it, which is that it would
increase the number of Federal ap-
pointees. The number of postofices
might be largely increased with a tele-
phone at each Office, except at one or
two large Offices in each State which
might be Geographic for the purpose
of reIaying and forwarding long dis
lance messages. With low govern
mental rates this change would more
than double the benefits and useful
ness to the people of the postoffice de-
partment. With postmasters elected
by the people, there a be nc longer
objections urged against increasing the
number of Federal appointees from
fear of augmenting the pressure for
patronage which now threatens to
paralyze both the executive and legis-
lative departments Of the government.
Noraret there any practical plans as to
the manner of election. The territory
around each postofice could be divided
off into a precinct by a board provided
for the purpose by statute withprovis-
ion for subdivisions and changes by
the department in a n which
would guard against abuse. Each four
years when a President is elected, @
postmaster for each of these postofice
precincts could be chosen, exactly in
the same manner that a constable is
elected in each township when the
Governor and other officers are voted
for by the State at large. This would
not add ~perceptibly to the expense OF
elections.
The postmasters thus elected would
give bond and be subject to removal
for cause, Just as the appointed officials
are now, and would be in all respects
subject to the same regulations as now
except that when removed for cause
the cause might be tried at the next
Federal Court. If the charges were
not sustained the officer would be re-
instated. In case the charge was
proven, a new postmaster would be
elected for the unexpired term at the
next Congressional election, if it should
not be a presidential election year.
The strongest objection against the
election of postmasters by the people
is that it was not provided for in the
Constitution of 1882. But neither was
the present system of virtual appoint
ment by Senators and Representatives
provided for by that Constitution. Il
is a fungus growth and dangerous tt
the health of the republic; it should be
removed.
1t is said that this world Of ours has
three motions-one it's diurnal revolu
tion on its own axis, another in it's wide
annual sweep around the sun, the third
as it is drawn along with the whole
planetary system in the rush of the
sun towards the distant point in the
heavens to which it has been Ayine
with nor than the velocity of a can
non ball since creations dawn The
three motions combined describe f
nn;rn1 Az tho corth th,,n nn;nn L.