Evening star., 1898-12-29
4 Postmaster for Washington.

The record OF the men who have from
time to time held the office of postmaster
IN this city. published in yesterdays Star
deserves TO be closely scanned Just now
when the question of appointing a successor
to Nh Willett is in consideration. 1t will
he seen from this statement that with ex-
ceptions 50 few as to he marked the men
who have been chosen for this post have
been residents of the District at the time
of their appointment. The issue of home
ruie DOES not turn upon the nativity of
man II rests upon the degree of his iden-
titication with the community prior to his
selection for office. In the first days of
capital making. when Washington was
next to a wilderness, it was of course in
evitable that men should be chosen for this
local office whose connection with the Dis
trict was of the slightest character. But
the years passed and the city became
established and men came hither from the
states and identified themselves with the
District ii was possible to place this office
in charge of Washingtonians This ten
>.snCy was preserved through many admin
: trations. Two men held the office for
nearly forty-seven years between them
Munro and Jones. They were Washing
toniaus al the time of their appointment
and remained such after their first terms
expired. II was not uflll l>Nb lndt lhc
President went deliberately outside to Sc
eur" an incumbent The innovation of that
year was followed in at least sIbse-
quent appointment But this tendency was
again corrected when in 1SSs a man thor
oughly Identified with the capital became
postmaster. and he was followed by one
who had by virtue of long official residence
here become in every essential a Wash
ingtOnian. He in turn was succeeded by
man of local birth and uninterrupted resi-
dence-
This presentation. however bears only
upon the historical side of the affair. 1t
does not touch the equities of the case. If
all the Postmasters from the beginning
til the selection Of Mr.. Ross had been out
siders this fact would be Justification
now for the selection of a man from the
states. Indeed, as far as abstract justice
l. concerned. had there never been a local
man chosen for this office the right of the
people of the District to demand and ex-
pect the appointment of Washingtonian
TO handle their mail matter would not have
been abridged. But the fact remains that
the record and the principle coincide in
suggesting that if now the President shall
go outside for postmaster he is commit
ting a grievOus wrong.
1t is ridiculous to assert. as has been
done of late. that the President is likely to
Lame an outsider because Of the failure of
the people of the District to agree upon
candidate. In the first place. the issue has
never been presented to the people, to unite
upon one man or to suffer the indignity of
an outside appointment. No intimation has
been given that they should for their own
protection. hold a convention and nominate
a candidate They have no right, indeed,
10 expect that a nomination. if so made,
would he adopted by the President. But,
matter Of fact. they have suggested
several strong local candidates, any one of
whom would be acceptable to the commu-
nifty, and every one of whom, if convinced
that he could not himself secure the ap-
pointmcnt. would undoubtedly indorse
successful local competitor over any out
slider There has been little or no bitter
ness and reciprocal throat cutting in the
local rivalry over the pOstmastership. The
fact that nearly everybody in Washington
has iudUrSed some one local candidate
without dIsparaging any of the others in
wolves a declaration by all Washington
against an outside appointment, as we'll as
an Indication Of individual preference
among the local competitors. The express
sion of the community's interest in local
selection for this office has been unusually
widespread aud emphatic, and several of
the Washingtonians suggested for the
otiic~ arr 80 able. popular and unobjectton-
able that there is not the slightest excuse
for an alleged inability 10 make an accept
able selection among them.
The rival candidates. are thus in them
selves an argument for an observance CT
the time-honOrcd rule that the Washington
post Office shall be filled by a Washing
toniau. The record calls for such an ap-
po!utmcnt. The republican platform calls
for a local appointment. Every considera-
ton Of right and justice demands il. Will
the President ignore these many reasons?