, 1896-04-03
|DO|NGS IN THE HOUSE.
A Sharp Conflict Over Post
office Matters.
WANT RURAL OFFICES.
Where the People Can Gather To.
geiher And swap Lies and spit
on the Possmassers's Old
stove.
WANT RURAL OFFICES.

some sharp discussions IN the senate
today on the propriety of aboHshing
country postoffices and absorbing them
German opposed the plan as undemo-
cratic. He stated that the baltimore
postofice power was excited toward in
tiuencing the selection of men for con-
gress. After a speech by Mr.. Elkins,
advocating subsidies and other means
of extending American commerce on
the seas, the %postofice bill went over
During the day Mr.. George closed
his speech, covering three days, in op-
position to Mr.. Dupont's claim to a
seat.
The resolution for investigating the
bond sale again went over on Mr.. Hills
Mr.. Pettigrew reported the
Indian appropriation bill and gave no.
tice he would ask to take it up on Mon
day. The p~ostoffice appropriation bill
was then taken up. Mr.. Wolcott offer
ed an amendment to regulate the sal
aies of the p~ostmasters Of sub-stations
in cities. The senator spoke in favor
Of the policy Of the postofice depart
ment in establishing metropolitan CEN
tiers with many minor offices surround
ing them. as in Chicago and Boston.
Mr.. Wolcott said the policy had led to
abuses. Mr.. German opposed the
1t was a step toward do
ing away with small fourth-class post
offices and making them branches of
city postofices. 1t was, said German
a part Of the prevailing tendency of the
world to absorb power and place it in
the hands Of a few men. Those small
postoff1ces were local institutions, the
postmaster was one of the local people
and the people did moi want their office
absorbed by the great city ofices. Mr..
German declared this consolidation
was undemocratic and un-American.
Il am 10th to take the postofices
away from the people," declared Cor
man, vehementiy. The entire tend
ency of the day is to discredit the peo-
pie, to take from them the powers of
government and the power to name
their W servants. When the people
are to have guardians appointed over
them, then this government will be-
come a failure" Mr.. German went on
to make a pointed reference to the poll
tipS invo1voi in fhio 0raDl;lok;n IN.
who had shouted loudest for civil
reform were using this plan as
powerful machine to accomplish poll
tical ends. From headquarters came
the orders to this man, with enlarged
power" proceeded German, ito selec.
who should go to congress of the
United States and at least one of them
Mr.. Villas, democrat of Wisconsin,
felt compelled to disagree with the sem
ator from Maryland. He favored the
first, because 1t would i'm
prove the postal service. He felt that
the civil service idea has been much
used for exploitation by persons who
used 1t to attract attention to them
selves. yet he believed it was a true
principle to maintain democratic in
not democratic in a Marty
sense. "No ono would o,sroo, /. IT,.
jected Mr.. Frye, Systematically, that the
senator would make such a use of tbe
word Democrat because everybody
understands how that word would not
the amendments to the
American people" Mr.. Villas went on
to show that the p~ostoface consolida-
tion was desirable. as the little country
offices were under no supervision or
control. Mr.. Hawley, republican of
spoke in favor of the old
rural p~ostofice, an Institution ground
ed In the affections and traditions Of
the people. The town p~ostoface was
the town club. The town postmaster
was an intermediary between the citt-
and the fountainhead of the GOV
eminent at Washington. and should
be displaced by a young clerk who
This was move toward main. M
chine out of the government. It ms