St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-13
REPUBLICANS LIKELY TO HOLD
THE FIRST NATIONAL CON-
VENTION.
THERE'S A SCHEME IN 1T.
THE MOVE BEING SAID TO REIN
FAVOR OF SOME PARTICU-
LAR CANDIDATE.
CLEVELAND AND CIVIL SERVICE
Projects for Still Further Reduc-
lions in the Spells of Office as
to POstmasters.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1O.-In spite
OF the fact that they will thus VIC
late tradition, which calls upon the
party In power to make it's nomina-
tons first, it is more than likely
that the Republicans will hold their
national convention before the date
OF the Democratic gathering The
national committee will meet here
either in September or November.
with the probability favoring the
latter month. This is one month
earlier than usual, and the reason
for it is not clear unless it is true
that strong faction in the Repub-
lican national committee favors an
early convention.
If the Republicans decide to meet
before the date of the Democratic
national convention they will be de-
parting from a precedent which has
been established between the two
great parties for many years. 1t
has always been the custom in this
country for the party in power to
hold the first convention, and the
reason for the custom is not far to
see. The party in power is the one
which takes the affirmative side in
the ensuing debate; it lays down it's
platform and it's principles, and the
onus of proving those principles
wrong lies on the opposition The
only other possible reason for the
expected Republican departure is
that the thing is being done in the
interest of some particular candi-
date. This, however, is strenuously
denied both by the party and it's
candidates.
AWAY WITH SPOILS.
The last strongholds of the spoils
system are marked for attack. 1t
is almost certain that one of the first
acts of the president on returning
from Gray Gables will be to discuss
with the postmaster general a plan
for putting all the fourth-class post
masters under the civil service rule.
Commissioner Proctor, of the civil
service commission, thinks we'll of
the plan, and believes it to be en-
t1rely feasible. He thinks it would
work best if the position of post
master were abolished in many of
the small towns, and holds that there
is no reason why many should not
be run on the pattern of the Chicago
postoffice; that is to say, with one
central office, and a number of
branches. In illustrating this point
the commissioner instanced Louis
vile. He pointed out that if his
plan We're adopted in that city it
would mean that all postoffices with I
in a radius Of about forty miles from
Louisville would become sub-stations
of the Louisville office, and would
therefore not have separate post |
masters.
There were several bills before the
last congress which had this plan in
view, but none Of the legislation
went through. 1t is a fact we'll
known to those who favor a change
that in many of the small offices the
postmaster is appointed purely for
political reasons, and is absolutely I
useless. Investigations have fire. |
quently shown that the postmaster
in these cases draws the salary, while !
his SubOrdinates do the work In |
his advocacy of the plan Mr.. Proc !
tor says he believes civil service
would result in such a saving that
the introduction of a lower postage
rate would be possible. Where it is
necessary to appoint a postmaster
he thinks the best plan would be to
have tho YNnStnfinn ~, !
blanks for petitions. These petitions,
he suggests. should be signed only
by those who do business with the
office, and each Signer should be
required to state roughly the amount
of business which he or his firm
would do with the office during the
year. After being filled out, Mr..
Proctor says, they could be given
to a postoffice inspector, who would
visit the place and make an investi-
cation. By this means, if one man
should be Endorsed by a hundred
citizens who contribute the bulk Of
the business Of the office and an
other should be Endorsed by a
thousand men who did little bust
ness with the office, Mr.. Proctor con-
siders the greater weight should be
given to the former. and that he
should be appointed to serve dur
ing good behavior
SILVER CONFERENCE.
Senator Blanchard, OF Louisiana, who
is now busily trying to make Comp
troller Bowler pay a $780, 600 sugar
bounty to the sugar growers of his
state, is also one of the delegates Sc
lected to represent Louisiana at the sill
Yer conference, which is to be held here
in a few weeks. Like several other
men, Senator Blanchard has changed
some of his free silver views in the
last month or so. In speaking of the
matter yesterday he said he would not
be able to attend the conference. and
does not believe it will have the effect
of strengthening the silver cause Lou
1siana is not the only supposedly silver
state winch VIII be without representa-
ton in the conference. Many other