Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-31
THE POST MASTER.
Hon. John Mahin Speaks Of the
Country Nasty.
REPRESENTATIVE OF COMMUNITY.

spector Mahin at Convention of
Iowa Postmasters MT Marshall.
town Last Week.
At the convention of Iowa postmas-
ters held in Marshalltown last week,
Hon. John Mahin, of Muscatine, deliv-
cred an address upon The Country
Postmaster" which is of interest not
only to everyone connected with the
great postal service of this country but
also to every user of the mails. The
address is given below:
The Country Postmaster" taken as
a generic noun includes by far more
of those in the postal service than all
other classifcations combined. There
fore my theme is broad and compre-
hensive. But in the time allotted to
me this evening I must be brief.
The Country Postmaster" is in a
certain sense representative in his
community. He represents first the
general government. In many com
munities he is the sole representative
of the government. Then he repre-
sents as rule the prevailing political
sentiment of the community. He also
in degree represents its business in
tegrity and ability, for in what ever
way the postmaster is appointed he is
understood to be the choice OF the ma
jority for the position.
l am happy to say that in my jour
neyings turnout the land to visit the
country postmaster 1 have found him
or her (sometimes the postmaster is of
the feminine gender) filling the place
as a representative Of the government
and of the community in apraisewor-
thy and useful manner, with excep-
tions few and far between. The coun-
try postmaster has many trials and
some ''woes," as we have heard from
one who has SO ably represented him
on this program immediately preced.
ing me.
Some sad things have come under
my observation as an inspector. Three
men committed suicide and one alb
seconded rather than face the conse-
quences of. official Investigation of
their conduct. Two of the suicides
took their lives almost in my presence,
yet under circumstances where no OPP
portunity was afforded to avert it. The
poet has said:
20, lit is a fearful thing
10 see a human soul take wing =
But how awful when that soul has
gone out in desperation and despair!
Many interesting and some amusing
incidents could be related of inspectors
working in the field. may be pardon-
ed for mentioning few on this occa-
sion. One country postmaster asked
ma h.
not issue a money order to himself
can he?" 'sWhy not?" ! asked. "Be-
cause" said he, 'postmastersi are for
hidden to make out applications for
| orders"
Another country postmaster,a woman,
in fourth-class office, said to me:
"Postmasters are not allowed in in
clude in their cancellations letters
mailed by themselves, are they?'''
'Why not?" asked. Because" said
she, 81 read in the instructions that
they are prohibited from selling
stamps to increase their salaries" I
had to explain to her that this regula-
ton applied only to- presidential Of
fees, and in a different, manner think
she understood it,. e3 Eth
One of the trials of the country
postmaster is the envy and jealousy
that is often engendered by his ap-
pointment in the minds of other. aspi-
rants. The wise man said Wrath is
cruel, anger is raging, but who can
stand against envy?" Many of the
charges forwarded to the department
and from thence given to inspectors
for investigation have their incipiency
in a petty feeling of envy and hate,
This is more particularly true in the
smaller places and among fourth-class
postmasters.
Another trial of the country post
master is the noisy and clamorous per-
sistence of school children returning
from school and crowding the post
Office lobby demanding mail already
called for by parents or other men,
bers of the family. I know of no GER
tain remedy for this annoyance except
big stock of patience kept in store
by the postmaster. The evil might be
minified by requesting teachers to re-
mind their pupils not to call for mail
unless instructed to do SO by their pa
rents.
The country postmaster is an impor-
tant factor in this great and wonder
full postal system. In truth, he is the
most important factor, for without
him the fabric would have neither
shape nor substance. He is the enid
die man. in the systematic link that
connects the great mass of the people
with the dignitaries and public func-
tionaries above us, whom we honor
and obey.
Among the qualifications OF the
country postmaster may be enumerated
first, integrity. 1t has been we'll said
that Integrity is the first moral vir-
tue" ! may add it is also the first
business virtue.
Canon Farrar has said that "there
is but one failure, and that is not to
be true to the best one knows" We
occasionally hear of the defalcation