Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-03-20

there was a density of secrecy that wa,
as maddcning as it was Unnecessary
For example, there are approximate,
1000 presidential post offices, with sal
ares running from $1,000 to 5000
Inc postmaster at each of thes Sc place,
holds "A commission for four years; and
at the expiration of four years a sue.
cessor Is appointed. The prominent
democrats in every state wanted to
know when these commissions would
expire, in order that they might intel.
ligently plan for their turn at Office.
holding. Acting under the advice of an
ola holdover republican employee, Post
master-General Bissell declared that
this information should not be given
out. This angered the newspaper men,
and they tried to get the information
anyway. Each man had his w expcri-
ence at that time. l can only narrate
my own:
was representing the Detroit Trib-
une' II sent to that paper a complete
list OF the presidential postmasters for
michigan with the date of the cxpira-
non OF each commission and the salary
attached to each office. As the repre-
sentative of the st. Paul Dispatch | sent
ina paper a complete official list GOV.
ering Minnesota, North Dakota and
south Dakota. To the Des Moines Req
lister | sent the complete list for Iowa
and Nebraska.
"heh those newspapers arrived in
washington copies were laid before the
acknowledgement, and he was very
wrotll. He was anxious to find the
clerk in his department who had given
out the forbidden lists. If he could
only lind out all the particulars he
would make some discharges, and teach
MS clerks a practical lesson Of subordi-
nttion. But he could not find out how
the information was obtained.
Having formerly been employed in
the post Office department., | was IN.
mi'iar with the working of the great
postal machinery, the manner and
Of appointments, the book
Keeping system, and all that sort a.
'hlng. knew that the sixth auditor ~
'he treasury kept duplicate accounts Of
ali postmasters in the United States.
and that the hooks of the auditor m,,st
always tally with the accounts kent Inv
their third assistant postmaster pen.
erai. The postmaster-gencral could
suppress news in the post office depart
rnent, but he had no control over tbe
treasury department. The Office of tho
tixth auditor of the treasury is purely
bookkeeping office, and nobody ever
goes there for news. Consequently the
sixth auditor had never been ordered
o suppress news. Therefore, when 7
went to the books to get the names
'alaries and dates of commissions ~
postmasters nobody interposed any OBJ
Thus the lists were obtained
printed in spite of the postmaster.
general. He was afterwards told nat
his government has many ramifico-
ions, and that there are yarious v,ys
II ascertaining facts.
Another news matter of considerable
Importance was harder to obtain. and ~
'equired considerable effort and soma
Expense to circumvent the officials who
'efused to give information. For every
'ost office there are always two or more ]
andidates, and sometimes as many rs
Q men aspire for a good Office. All ~
ne applications are kept in the Office ,
I the fourth assistant postmaster-oen. !
raj, and no clerk can give out the l;st /,
Y Candidates ior misunderstanding with.
ut authority to do SO; and there Is n ,
Their office - which they eau be found. j