The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-12
he had not received the dispatch 2

he had not received the dispatch "a
hours late
The president is my commanding Of
ficer, he told the writer He has ex-
pressed wish. | am enough of a SOL
dier 70 know that superiors wish
is alkommand l can do nothing but
ACCEPT"
After Col. Sections acceptance others
followed, so that Mcl<inley's plea of
forming a commission of men of such
a character and Of such distinguished
services that their finding would car
ry weight and respect was finally real
lied
After his appointment became known
every newspaper sent its interviewer to
ascertain Col. Sectors opinions re-
specting Alger and the sufferings of
the soldiers. A man Of less honesty
and more tact would have yelled his
views. Sexton fearlessly stated that
Alger was his personal friend, and he
believed in him.
Most Grand Army men do stand by
Alger He is acknowledged to have
been the most popular and successful
commander-in- chief that organization
has ever had Under his energetic and
business-lil1e administration, the Grand
Army reached the zenith OF it's pros
perity For that reason the veterans Of
the civil war are his staunchest friends
today.
When Col. Sexton announced his
friendship to Alger, he gave fine
opening to the democratic press. Here
was a chance to cry 'whitewash." To
say that the administration was pack
ing the commission with friends of ALI
ger to exonerate the secretary of war
and the administration. That no such
charges were made shows the respect
which the west at large entertained for
Col Sections character The editors
realized that If he was friendly to AL
ger he was no less friend to the boys
in blue, and that he could balance the
scales Of justice equally between the
two.
Unfortunately he died just one week
before the final report of the commits
sion was placed in the presidents
hands But the work was all completed
and the report given to VIE printer be-
fore he took to his bed for the last time.
The commission was forced to visit all
the leading cities in the country for the
purpose Of examining witnesses. Col.
Sexton continued his labors as COM
mander-in-c chief at the same time. He
was royalty entertained by the local
posts of every city he visited.
Col. Sexton's most prominent trait
was his fondness for discipline and all
things military, He never forgot the
training he got~as a private and officer
in the civil war. That he applied this
knowledge to the practical affairs of
life was the secret of his success. His
skill as disciplinarian was most APP
parent in his management of the Chi
cago postoffice under the Harrison adj
ministration
The Chicago Office is far and away
Uncle Sans greatest post Office. The
| New York office is poor second as a
revenue producer. and. in the number of
men employed. When. Col. Sexton was
appointed postmaster in 1889 he at once
saw that stricter methods of discipline
| were necessary. Buslness-like methods
| were Insufficient. He must have mill
| tary methods as well. Organize the
office on a military basis and it can't
help but be business-like as we'll" he
used to say. He had already tried mill
| tary methods most successfully in his
| private business when at the head OF
a large foundry, stlll in existence.
His first step, then, was to organize
on military basis the vast army OF
! clerks and carriers under his command
| officers were appointed. strict rules
drawn up and rigidly enforced. Col
| Sexton himself kept the minutest de.
tails under his eye like a general re
J viewing a division. The public was a.
first inclined to scott at and ridicule his
efforts, but quicker service and more
deliveries soon silenced doubling ones
The postmaster himself observed the
same minutlae of discipline that ne ex
pected of his lowest clerk, He consid
cred Postmaster General Wanamakei
his superior officer and never permitted
himself to offer suggestion TO thu
government unsought. This attitude