Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-03-18
RIDICULOUS SECRECY.
Every Nsw Administration Seems
to Revel in It.
Omce-Holdcrs. When First Clothed
with Authority. Forget That
They Are the Servants of
the People.
Especial washington Letter,

administrations. 1t is secretive. Adj
ministrations come and go, but they all
begin in maze of mystery. The politi-
cal complexion of the administration
makes no difference. The subordinate
equal facility, whether they believe in
free trade, free silver, high protection
or yellow dollars.
Twelve years ago Postmaster General
Villas, Attorney-General Garland, and
all the members of Cleveland's cabinet,
gave orders to their messengers, chief
clerks and civil service clerks TO be care
full to give out no information to news
paper men without first getting per-
mission to do so. AS matter of fact,
the clerks knew what should be given
out as news and what withheld far bet
ter than the new cabinet ministers
could possibly know; for the cabinet
ministers had much to learn about ex-
ecutive affairs.
Eight years ago the cabinet ministers
of the Harrison administration came
into their places of dignity and power,
and they at once ordered secrecy con-
corning administrative affairs. Legiti-
mate items of news were hidden away,
for no other reason than that the cab
met ministers did not know their own
business, and were cropping slowly into
new channels.
Four years ago, when the second Cleve-
land administration began, the secre-
tiveness of the officials was more than
usually dense and exasperating. twas
caused largely by holdover republican
clerks who wanted to ingratiate them
selves with the new bosses, by pretend
ing to closely guard important execu-
tive secrets. Of course. after six months
of experience in every administration,
the cabinet ministers learn their bust
ness, and are more communicative with
the newsgatherers. But, four years ago,
there was density of secrecy that was
as maddening as it was unnecessary.
For example, there are approximately
1900 presidential post offices, with sal
aries running from $1,000 to $4,000.
The postmaster at each of these places
holds a commission for four years; and
at the expiration of four years sue
cessor is appointed. The prominent
democrats in every state wanted to
know when these commissions would
expire, in order that they might intel
holding. Acting under the advice of an
old holdover republican employe, 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 own expert
ence at that time. l can only narrate
my own: T.
was representing the Detroit Trib-
une, and sent to that paper complete
list of the presidential postmasters for
Michigan with the date of the expira-
ton of each commission and the salary
attached to each office. AS the repre-
sentative of the st. Paul Dispatch sent
that paper a complete official list COW
ering Minnesota. North Dakota and
South Dakota. To the Des Moines Reg
lister sent the complete list for Iowa
and Nebraska.
When those newspapers arrived in
Washington copies were laid before the
postmaster-general, and he was very
wroth. He was anxious to find the
clerk in his department who had given
out the forbidden lists. If he could
only find out all the particulars he
would make some discharges, and teach
his clerks practical lesson of subordi-
nation. But he could not ind out how
the information was obtained.
Having formerly been employed in
the post office department, / was ia
miliar with the working of the great
postal machinery, the manner and
method Of appointments, the book
keeping system, and all that sort of
thing. l knew that the sixth auditor of
the treasury kept duplicate accounts of
ali postmasters in the United States,
and that the books of the auditor must
always tally with the accounts kept by
their third assistant postmaster gen-
eral. The postmaster-gencral could
suppress news in the post office depart
rnent, but he had no control over the
treasury department. The office of the
sixth auditor of the treasury is purely
bookkeeping office, and nobody ever
goes there for news. Consequently the
sixth auditor had never been ordered
to suppress news. Therefore, when
went TO the books to get the names,
salaries and dates of commissions of
postmasters nobody interposed any OBJ
lection. Thus the lists were obtained
and printed IN spite of the postmaster
general. lie was afterwards told that
this government has many ramitica-
tons, and that there are. various ways
of ascertaining facts.
Another news matter of considera BILE
importance was harder to obtain, and it
required considerable effort and some
expense to circumvent the officials who
refused to give information. For every
post office there are always two or more
candidates, and sometimes as many as
&C men aspire for good office. All of
the applications are kept in the Office
of the fourth assistant postmuster-gen-
eral, and no clerk can give out the list
of candidates for postmasterships with
out authority to do so; and there is no
other office in which they can be found.
Postmaster-General Bissell declared