The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-29

! Charges" by the carload came from
| every county in the land The petitioner
charged everything within the range of
.nouent against their postmasters; even
| that the incumbent was cross-eyed haId-
| headed, too thin or too stout Rut Mr.
| f1ay would not act upon trivial alIega-
| tlons, and the petitions were filed bv the
! ousnel the clerks scarcely being able 10
see over their desks after the morning's
mali had come to the postoffice depart-
ment.
STEVENSON'S FAMOUS AXE.
Matters were in this condition until
| the nrst day of July, when Mr.. Hay
aled after short Illness 1t was then
! tnat radical change came over patron
age matters, and the gloom of the Demo-
rats e was converted into ecstasy. A. E.
! stevenson, now candidate for vice presi-
! Gent, had been on the notification COM
| hittee with Villas, and the latter had
taken fancy to him, as had Cleveland.
also They offered him Hays place. and
/ July the Illinois man took charge. On
| the same day more than 800 commissions
were made out for Democratic applicants.
IN the nope of change of methods the
Postoince department was thronged with
democratic congressman and leaders from
various states. Some of these who came
| from distance, had lists of the changes
| oeslreo IN their districts, hoping to get all
attended TO without return trip. They
| were 1oftihed also with charges as de-
| manded heretofore. But Stevenson
methods We're different. He held that tho
men removed should not go out with a
| record OF charges" There was no com
plailt entered in the records; and the
majority of the changes were noted
SIMPLY as removed" the cause being
] mat mat the lncumbents had held office too
toHs' eilher for their own good or any
oouv else, and it was time to eoualize
matters. There We're upwards of 65 O0o of
these ohces, until then all held bv Renl1h-
means. Even at 300 or 400 changes a dav
| TOOK long time to make fair dis
ti"ulloh. stevenson worked nights: and
-tHe Postofhce department all that summer
PRESENTED grand scene of illumination
win the guillotine always in action
| REPUBLICANS NONPLUSSED
! ~ lew Republican organs tried for
| s sii,te 10 make capital out of this whole
t@l1 - stem OF removals. They failed ut
teIly. 1here was not a more pODuIar o+ .
| llclal in Washington than the nos1al
/ f'ldShan His course was Endorsed
/ throughout the country Secretly the
| majority Of the Republicans liked to sec
thelr small and oftentmes domineerine
bosses thrown out headlong.
as! stevenson course was open and can
/ given absolute freedom to examine an
! the papers filed in these cases. Repub
mean congressman We're al liberty to go
over each case. In most of the nauers
MED there would be simple memo
| randum, appoint John Smith. etc. vita
the name of the congressman recon-
mendlng Smith and the latter was held
responsible for furnishing the name of
an elhclent Democrat. ii the appointee
proved otherwise. he was put out as
promptly Us he entered the service
SleNenSCns office was the most demo-
! cratic. perhaps, that ever was conducted
III Washington. All Corners entered at
J Will between the hours of 8 and 4. or even
after regular closing hours during the
illst year The mead of the Office talked
| with all corners, and not with subordi
| nate who blocked the way
! 10 the newspaper correspnndents he
! was source of delight All sorts OF
available and interesting stories could be-
! gathered there from the papers on 1le
The. office held that these were public
/ and not private records; and if the
| writer's and petitioners at times had
! cause to regret the statements they had
| signed, after seeing them in prirt. it
! gave them wholesale lesson to be care
| ful and truthful i'll communications sent
| to public officials.
GOOD STORY TELLER.
Added to his sturdy democracy. Steven
! son was recognized as a man of whole.
| some habits ard presence; congeniaJ
| loyal in his friendships, and ready to do
| a Kindness wherever possible to Repub-
Means as well as those of his own marty
He was good story teller anG of end
less good hunor. At that time Illinois
! had number of Illinoisans prominent in
| washington, among them Col. William r
MORRISON, then chairman of ways and
means in the house; William NJ Springer
a man Of great ability and popularity.
| Gen. John c. Black, commissioner of pen
| SlonS, and William A j. Sparks com
| missioner of the general land Office.
| Ihose gentlemen had warm followers, but
! Tie type OF sterling democracy was ad-
! nltted to be Stevenson. His prominence
| soon brought him, naturally, a share of
Je;Iousles among party leaders from lis
| state, but these passed of, and the ma
| Jorlty of his Illinois associates remained
! among his war.nest friends and admirers.
For time Stevenson's relations with
Was We're not Of the most cordial The
| latter found his assistant growing too
| last IN popularity to please him perfectly
| In fairness it should be said that Villas
I could not change the class of postmaa-
ters under his control, the presiden tiaI
| appointments as easily as Stevenson
| could dispose of the smaller ones he
cause the papers in the former had ia
pass muster by the Republican senate.
| There was tenure of office law in forca
! which gave reasonable protection to pres
ldential appointees during good behav-
Tor, until the expiration OF the four years
commission. But in time Villas was trans
| ferred to the interior department. and his
| successor, Don M. Dickinson was a warm
friend and admirer of the "headsman'
as any living man.
| When the national convention met IN
1885, Stevenson was the most promising
candidate for vice president Thurman
of Ohio, had enough misguided friends
to induce him to seek the nomination
Although nearly eighty, very feeble, and
but the wreck of his former personality
the name of the Old Roman was vet all.
powerful with the delegates Even those
who thought his nomination ill-advised
would not oppose his ambition. Foul
years later, Stevenson's availability was
equally great; and at that time CIevc.
land desired the added strength he felt
would come from the Illinoisans nomina.
ton
Stevenson is possessed of a remarkable
amount of ordinary common sense. Hf
Is good campaigner, and few men have
better appreciation than he Of the
things which should be left unsaid. He Is
a man Of extensive reading and d1lTine
his time has been intimately acquainted
with the most prominent men In public
ltfe not only In politics, but In the church
and at the bar. He has their entire conf.
dence, regardless of party The general
view of his nomina ton, as expressed al
the capital, IS that he will get all the
| democratic votes and he Will receive