The morning times., 1896-04-03
CALLED II lR|hG sGhltE
German Opposes the ConsoIida-
tion Of POstOffiCesl -.
WAS ALL DONE FOR POLITICS
EIlicott Cit y Case Cited as an Exa pie
and the Whole System Character-a
lied as One TO Centra rallze Power for
Political Purposes-Strong Plea for
the Country Postmaster.

In the Senate yesterday Mr.. George con-
Guided the speech begun by him on Tuesday
and continued Wednesday against the re-
port of the Committee on Privileges and
Elections declaring that Mr. Dupont was
duly aud legally elected as a Senator from
the State OF Delaware. Mr.. Georges argu-
meut occupied, i'll all, ten hours time.
1t closed with an assertion that, if Mr..
Dupont obtained the seat he would he
elected TO It, not by the legislature of Della
ware, but by the senate OF the United States.
No action was taken Oh the report, and it
is very uncertain when the vote VIII he
reached.
the remainder of the days session was
taken up in the discussion or an amcudmen ut
to the postoffice appropriation bill, re-
lating TO the consolidation or suburban post
offices, and changing them into stations
anu substatioIS. No result WAS reached.
OPPOSED BY GORMAN. F
Mr.. German opposed the scheme Of cons
solidation.
1t was n reversal of The practice of the
department from the beginning. 1t was in
accord with the general tendency OF ali the
business affairs OF the worii-to wipe out
ali small enterprises ana TO comet nitrate
power in the hands or Il few. 1t was a
hardship Oh the people. The poslmasters
i'll these small postoiiIces were the neIgh-
bors and friends or the farming population
OF the neigbborhood
The case of Euicott City was an instance
OF the practice to which he objected.
EIIiCott City was Il county seat, fourteen
miles distant from Baltimore, and the
people of that community were opposed
to the change.
A Democratic Senator asked whether
the change was made for political pur-
poses.
FOR POLITICAL PURP OSES.
"Of course il is for political purposes
Mr.. German said. 'But ] do not care
to speak of that. | am against the priu-
ciple which enables the Postmaster General
TO abolish all these small offices at his
will. 1t is not only un-DemocrauC and
un-Rcpublican, but il is un-American.
The Iostmasters at small pUStOfilCcs
are all the government officials that the
people have to look TO. These offices are
the only place where the COuntr people
come in contact with government Officials.
They care nothing about your icus stom-
houses.
They have these postoffices near their
homes and they can go there and tell, the
postmaster what they desire and have
ham communicate with the Postmaster
General or the President The postmaster
OF Baltimore is just as foreign TO the
people around Ellicott City as the post
master at New York is.
MERELY RING RULE.
In the further course of his remarks
Mr.. German made a pointed allusion To
the question Of politics AS affected by
postoffice consultations.
The men who had shouted most loudly
for civil service reform, he said, were
using that consolidation scheme as a pow
erful machine 10 accomplish political ends.
TIE Baltimore consolidation had included
TWO Congressional districts. and was in
touch with six Congressional districts, the
entire territory being under the postmaster
at Baltimore.
From Headquarters he added. "came
the orders to this man, with enlarged
powers, meaning the postmaster at Bal
irrnrrr to Seicct the men who shouted to
go TO the Congress OF the United states,
and at least one OF them came