St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-29

I quired. Among these are robust physical
health; quick intelligence; a thoroughly prac-
tical education: high sense Of honor Unques-
TONED, intiexible integrity: unfagging indus
try; a retentive memory; sobriety, cheerful
ness, forebearance, courtesy. and other vir-
tues too numerous to catalogue. This seems
ike a rare combination of good qualities tC
demand from an average man, yet the alb
sence of any one Of them from your make ur
would soon be discovered and lead to dismissal
These are all to be supplemented and welded
py the possession OF spirit of tractabe obedi-
enee or amenablity to just discipline
You are not under a military discipline or
military despotism. The officer or soldier
in the army. by the terms of his enlistment,
places himself under the jurisdiction of mil
ltary law; his liberty or his life may be the
io Forfeit OF any Y infraction: You are still cit,
amenable to the civil laws of your country.
You cannot be imprisoned or executed for any
mere transgression of the rules of the de-
partment-its limit Of power over you ex-
tends only to dismissal from the postal serv-
Ice. But this is enough. This to all intents
and purposes suflces in soemnity. 1t not
only involves the loss of your means of
livelihood, but it involves also discredit and
disgrace, which make future success more
difficult Imprisonment or execution are still
more solemn alternative, but dismissal from
the service is solemn enough to warrant you
IN carefully guarding your conduct. Once
out OF the service. for cause" there is no
power or political influence that can get you
back. The only path to reinstatement is the
Slow, tedious, uncertain one of a new civil
service examination, and the possibility of a
new appointment as substitute. This is
practically no opening at all, and the man
OF discretion who values his position at its
true worth, will do his level best to retain it.
You are therefore under a semi-mllitary
discipline. with the highest possible motive
for sobriety, industry and obedience. There
is fraternity, comradeship, an esprit de
corps about such an organization, which
rightly apprehended, leads to the best results.
You should cultivate high sense Of per-
sonal honor. Your uniform warrants it; your
m dam oVlIC Il 9th inn -InY.1
be tolerated among you. The sneak and the
liar should be ostracized, frowned on, made
odious. until all sneaks and liars are re-
formed or driven from the service. No petty
tale bearing should be encouraged. But you
are sworn officers of the government, and
any willful violation of the law, even when
lentlessly exposed and brought to punish
ment. Each of you has a record on file in
the department at Washington. On that rec
ord l hope each will feel a special pride in
ranking high for personal honor.
You are peculiarly favored in your relations
to the public. No other class of postal en-
ployes comes in direct contact with the peo-
pie as you do. As a consequence any record
you may make for politeness, promptness
and accommodation works not only to your
personal credit, but to the advantage of the
entire force and the whole service. The
fact is that you get most of the credit for
the postal system. People who receive let
ters from your hands forget the clerks in the
dispatching Office. the railway mail clerks
and the clerks in the receiving Office, who
handle these many letters and on whose ac-
curacy and intelligence their quick transmits
sion mostly depends. These tireless workers
are not seen by the public and you are seen
hence you get the lions share of compliment,
and yet when it comes to criticism you can
easily throw it off on somebody else. 1t is
true that you deliver substantially all the
mail that comes into your hands every day.
You are not responsible as rule for delays
or losses. You deserve all the credit you
get for your own promptness and industry,
and if you get some part of the credit which
belongs to others you are not robbing them.
It is a legitimate perquisite Of your position.
You are thus constantly under the public
gaze, and the necessity of exemplary conduct
on your part is doubly manifest. Your uni
form Identifies you. If it is seen going into
a saloon when not in the line of duty. or
staggering under the weight of too many pota-
tions, or. engaging in any quarrel, braWl,
or other disreputable transaction, you are
marked at once. The clerks can pass to and
fro among their fellow citizens unrecogniZed
except by personal acquaintances-you can
not go anywhere with your working clothes
on without attracting attention. 1t is to be
hoped you do not desire to go anywhere you
upon the service. If you have such desire,
the uniform is an impediment which neces-
sarily fnterferes: otherwise it is as l have
stated, and honor and an elevation to every
man who wears it. The public being thus
brought into relations with the postal service
through its uniformed and conspicuous en-
plyes, will naturally measure the whole de-
partment largely by their observation ol
your character and conduct.
To one large element Of the public you
| bear relations Of special significance and
| Importance. For what is termed the COR
| ganiZed labor class. your experiences have
peculiar value. You have an, association