The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-07
CAREER OF PERRY HEATH
TRAITS THAT BROUGHT HIM INTO
FAVOR WITH PUBLIC MEN.
yot an IdeaIist or Reformer, hut a
Practical Politician and an Hon.
est Man-Justice Done Him.
Washington Letter. in New York Evening

| The frequent references during the ear
] lier days of the Cuban postal scandal to
Perry S. Heath, first assistant postmaster
| general. have given Fictitious interest
| to the personality of that officer and
caused the creation in the popular mind
of number of fictitious Heaths, some of
| them better and some of them worse than
| the original. If the persons who cherish
| these images could look in upon the first
assistant postmaster general. with his
youthful face, his almost constant smile,
and his off-hand manner. they would dis
cover that he is almost like the general
| run of the public men of the younger
set one meets in Washington now.
The real Heath began his career setting
| type and doing local reporting on a provin-
| cial newspaper in the West, and in course
of time drifted TO Washington, where he
maintained a correspondence bureau for
the Indianapolis Journal, Pittsburg Lead
err and a few lesser prints, besides assisting
the old United Press. He was soon recog-
nized a shrewd, wide-awake news gath
erer, with an imagination fertile enough to
supply missing links here and there in
good story. One of the fragrant memories
associated with his name in those days is
his circumstantial description of a certain
veteran member of Congress whose father
ly ways with the pages on the floor in
cluded a habit of patting and rubbing
their heads when absent-minded; with
the result that one little boy who became
a favorite with the old man grew bald
by degrees, and medical treatment of
the denuded scalp was ever able TO repair
the waste. Heaths correspondence at no
time took the form OF editorial discussion
of measures or policies beyond such incl
dental mention of the motives behind
public act as seemed necessary TO round
out it's consideration on its news side in
partisan journal
AS a pleasant companion, with a good
word for every and a stock of anec-
dotes to draw upon at all times, Heath
was naturally favorite. The usual result
followed; and whenever public man with
whom he was we'll acquainted became par
ticularly prominent, Heath was promptly
mentioned" by his colleagues of the press
for some Office in that mans gift. General
Harrison's elevation to the presidency was
the signal, all along the line, for news
paper nominations, of Heath for this and
that federal appointment. No appointment
came; but the persistent mention did its
throughout the middle West he came to
be regarded as rising young man. In the
spring of 1884 there was a CONFUSION in
Cincinnati journalism, which resulted in the
Commercial Gazette's being practically
headless for little time, and Heath was
called from Washington by some friends
who had become powerful in the directors
board. in the hope that by taking charge
of both the editorial and the business de-
partments, he could make them work to-
gether successfully and save the property.
He stuck to this post for two years. and
then got out, Ostensibly TO take rest. AS
a matter of fact. he stepped almost at once
into the political campaign under Marcus
A. Hanna. Somebody was wanted at the
helm of the Republican literary bureau,
who would be able to keep the country
press well supplied with notes and jottings
of a lighter order than statistical COM
PARSONS and dry-as-dust analyses of the
tariff. Heath, whom nature cut out for an
active politician, did his work to the sat
isfaction of his chief, and his daily
tact with the party managers all over the
country led to his appointment to be first
assistant postmaster general.
THE WAY OF THE TIME.
A good many critics exclaimed. on hear
ing of President McKinley's choice. that
Heath knew nothing in particular about the
postal system. This was quite true. He
was not appointed with any reference to
such expert knowledge. No first assistant
is. The second assistant is supposed. by an
unwritten law of the department. to be a
man of experience in transportation affairs,
and the third assistants office has always
had in it, either as chief or next in rank,
a trained hand in everything connected
with postage stamps and postofflce finan-
ciering; but the first and fourth assistant
postmaster generals are chosen candidly
for their knowledge of politics and political
personalities. 1t was because Heath knew
who had worked hardest to put the present
administration into office, and just the
character of the service rendered in each
case, that he was selected for the chief
political place in the postoffice department.
Among his associates on that days ap-
pointment slate were Powell Clayton. loom
Paul Gowdy and Granger" Brigham, and
the Presidents choice of them stood upon
the same basis as his choice of Heath
IL is doubtless unnecessary TO say that
Heath is no idealist. On the other hand
those who know him best would be the last
to believe him guilty of any conscious
wrongdoing, according to his ethical lights
But he has grown up in a school of politics
which holds that any American citizen of
good character and fair education is capa-
bic and worthy of administering any gov
eminent office, and that the best man is he
who can marshal the finest array of in
fiuence." Poverty is. of course, no bar:
and with the same fine scorn with which
the professors of this school would reject a
proposal to inquire into the state of can
ton whether his peculiarly conditfon-if
they knew IL to be embarrassed-was the
result of bad management or of accidents
for which he was in no wise accountable
AS long as a man came to Heath well
equipped with testimonials of character
and begged for an office i'm the name of
some one who had done good service in
the campaign of 1896 that would be enough:
the only question remaining would be
whether there was any place vacant.
Hence his recommendation of Nicely to Di-
rector General Rathbone, for no man ever
search of a job with better party backing
than Muncie's Napoleon of postal finance
NOT A LAwBREAKER
Heath's treatment of the civil-service law
has been sharply criticised. Yet it goes with
the rest. He would not defantly break the
law or join in a plot 10 cheat at an exami-
nation. but If there is hole i'm law or
rules large enough to put a party worker
through, or any path around or over the
technical obstacles. he may be trusted to
make use of il. His argument would be:
IF you don't want the opening used close
1t up" The sixteenth annual report of the
Civil-service Commission. for instance, con-
10 places in the classified postal service
was managed was as follows: Just before
a small postoffice was about to be granted
the privilege OF free delivery some one
whom ssrha wis 10 IA