The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-15
THOMPSON REMOVED
Albert Sahm at Last Appointed
Postmaster at Indianapolis.
Another Exhibition by President Cleve-
land of Shameful Abuse of the Of
fice-Giving Power.
BRIBE FOR SENATOR TURPIE
Vote Of the HOOsier ScOld Needed
to Help Confirm Peckham.
What Representative Bynum Says About
the NOminatiOn-Mr Sahm Pleased
with His Valentine.
Special to the INDIANAPOLIS Journal.

RPSSAtNi " liC lliNldAdpOlio JOuIldl.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.-At last the con-
uoversy over the indianapolis postmaster
ship has been definitely settled. President
Cleveland to-day sent TO the Senate the
nomination of Albert Sahm to succeed
Postmaster Z. P. Thompson, removed
When the nomination reached the Capitol,
about o'clock, Representative Bynum was
asleep on lounge in the smoking room Of
the House. When notified that Thomson
had at last been removed and Sahm NOM
mated the Indianapolis Representative
smiled broadly and said to the Journal cor
respondent: "Wel, / am not surprised. /
have been expecting the nomination for
several days The President told me some
days ago that he would remove Thompson
and nominate Sahm- 1 have no doubt that
the Senate will promptly confirm the NOM
ination, for there is nothing that can be
brought against the nominee. l presume
the office will be in the hands of the new
postmaster by the end of this month"
Upon what ground was ,ne removal of
Postmaster Thompson nader was asked.
Upon the ground that the Office has now
been in the hands of the Republican party
over four years, for q term longer than the
life of a single commission"
do you believe the removal of Thompson
will be regarded as a precedent which will
control changes in other postmasterships
under similar conditions, where the offices
have been in the hands Of Republicans for
a period of four years bug the present in
cumbents have not served that length of
timer
NO replied Mr.. Bynum, contemplative-
ly, Il do not believe that the action in the
indianapolis postmastership will be taken
as a precedent. L believe this case stood
upon its individual merits. When an Office
has been for nearly five years in possession
of the political party opposite to the one
in power and man capable as Albert
Sahm is presented for the party in power,
| don't believe, nor does the President,
that there should be any hesitation about
change. There was a general demand
from the Democratic patrons of the office
that it's management should be turned over
to the majority party. 1 don't think
anyone will dispute the fact that Sahm is
capable of making as good a postmaster as
any man in Indianapolis"
The appointment OF Mr.. Sahm was made
almost entirely to please Mr.. Bynum, and
the appointment is charged up to him, al
though President Cleveland at the same
time wanted to accommodate and please
Senator Turpie. 1t is stated that the re-
ports that the papers in this case were
sent to the President some time ago and
then sent back to the Postoffice Department
is untrue; that the Postmaster-generald did
not recommend the removal and appoint
ment until recently. The statement is made
also at the POstoffice Department that
this patronage has all along been credited
to Mr.. Bynum, and that he alone con-
trolled the place. but IL is an important
fact, well known here, that in selecting the
successor to Postmaster Thompson the
President has consulted the wishes Of Sem
ator Turpie, and the course of the latter
in voting against the nomination of Horn
blower for the Supreme Court delayed ac-
tion The eyes of the Senate will now turn
upon Senator Tur0ie when the nomination
of Peckham comes up for action, and it is
due to appear before the Senate tomorrow
1t is well-known fact that the Presi-
dent and his Cabinet officers have for some
time been trying to bribe Senators with
patronage and other favors to vote for
Peckham- The President was las mad as
wet hem when Turpie voted against
Hornblower, but it was stated in Indiana
circles to-day that the Senator would sup
port the nomination of peckham and that
thereby suspended the secret of action in the
Indianapolis postmastersh'p on the eve of
action by the Senate on the Peckham NOM
ination. All of the objections that were
brought against Hornbower, whose nomi-
nation Senator Turpie refused to support,
are with equal force brought against the
Peckham nomination, so that should he
VOC for this latter nomination it will be
regarded as prima facie evidence that the
card which won the postmaster trick to-
day was an assurance of Senator Turpie' S
support for Peckham.
The fact that the administration has been
trying to bribe Senators to vote for the
confirmation OF Peckham has driven almost
every Republican Senator over to Senator
Hilrs opposition to confirmation. The abuse
Of patronage TO secure combinations has
become a public scandal. y Republican
Senator who called on Postmaster-gener
BisSell the other day to simply file a letter
from a constituent protesting against a
contemplated appointment and recommend
ing another man for the place was asked
by the Postmaster-general if he cared for
the appointment requested by his constitl-
ent. The Senator had voted against Horn
blower. He replied that he did not par
ticularly care for the appointment in ques-
ton. as il was outside his party. The next
day, however, to the surprise of the Re
publican Senator the Democratic postmas-
ter of his choice was appointed. The SEN
ator is much disgusted and will vote against
Peckham. Senator Palmer. of Illinois, is
being punished by having numerous ap-
pointments held up until after he shows his
hand the Peckham nomination, and
| Senator Daniel, of Virginia, has been given
1 to understand that unless he supports Peck
ham the consulship which he desires for a
| constituent will not be given him. So il
| goes throughout the senatorial list.
Talk with Mr. Sahm.
Albert Sahm was seen at the State Bank
| yesterday evening. He said he had received
a telegram from Congressman Bynum in
| forming him of the appointment. and was
prepared TO believe that IL had been made
He said he would not believe it until noti-
fled from Washington. for the reason that
| there had been so much said abolit the most.