The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-20
The Republic bureau.
AZ, .. arA snr~s,-tt.1 ASi

| Almond TODAY eScoriated the postmaster
| General and his partisans for the manner
in which they have delayed the establish
! ment or rural free delivery routes In the
Sixth District. and. at the same time. mis-
. represented the cause for delay.
| The Speaker and Republican leaders made
| strong efforts to cut the Missourian OH by
, raising points of order. but De Armond
! argued them with such force that he was
| permitted finally TO continue his remarks
His coolness and readiness in debate were
F.; never seen TO better advantage and were IN
| no way inferior 20 the like qualities in SEN
! ator Vest, which are so well known to MIS-
| sourians.
| Many Missouri Democrats have COM
| planned of unfair treatment in the matter
| of getting these rural delivery routes. The
airing OF this matter to-day Will do much
| to check this partisan treatment
Az is generally known. the Post once De-
| partment has proclaimed that. IN the ap-
! no;ntment Of carriers for rural free de-
| livery there would be equality between the
appointees of the two parties. In the ap-
| pointmert of the first carriers on the route
| from Clinton. NO.. this rule was observed.
one Republican and one Democrat being
appointed. Later on. when other routes
were eStabilSDSu. seven va N'S's
masters recommended Republicans only
| Beinr advised of this. Judge De Almond
| wrote to the First Assistant Postmaster
/ General April s. stating what had been
done at Clinton and what was proposed to
| be done at other places. and asking "ha.
was TO be the policy of the department. Be
| ing unanswered. another letter was sent.
requesting Information. Still there was no
answer.
Then Mr.. De Almond wrote Specid Agent
| Howard in relation to the discontinuahce
| OF some ofices and wrote him also as 10
what the Postmasters at Clinton anu
Windsor were proposing to DO. anu eA-
pressing the hope that Howard was no.
| lending himself to any such enterprise. anu
referring Howard to leading democrats
who would give him advice HOWARD IKE
his superiors, refused to answer.
! HURTFUL AND FALSE REPORTS
CIRCULATED IN HIS DISTRICT.
Julv 4 Mr.. De Almond again wrote the
department, having received from iHena
| Mt Windsor a copy Of letter from the de-
partment saying that the establishment Oh
| flee delivery was delayed awaiting con-
eress,oual action with reference to d'scon-
1,nuance Of certain offices, and Mr.. DE AZ
,nond at once wrote the department that,
.I,hourh he got this Information indirectly.
,no o.n,uch as three letters had remained un-
answered, yet since the department ~as
! nrepared to await the recommenaeuon y. .
Congressman whose iet,ets ~ u.u .har one Of
| tos.nsver. and having learned tnah one "
che of1ces in his district might Dc oiscon-
| +,n,,ed he recommended accoroInsy.
rs;s Letter at last drew forth q long IN
| ~rer F1rst. however. there was notAeH
t,on ,ent on the third day OF July that se
/, tain routes out Of Clinton nao oeen A..
1ished and that service would oeein Ia ~ ~
.,,st On July there was a letter statihs
that the former letter was an error 1 nuu. ~
! cons,ltation with the Postmaster Senel ,
| n had been decided that the matter ~oul9
he held up TIL he had mads up MS "ino
| concerning the question. ,,,
On July Ii another letter was written os
.he department, saying that the April let
ters had been received and had received at,
] Yention and that the whole matter OF rural
| free delivery in the district would De neio
| uu till the Postmaster General hao peeo
consulted.
nond's home during his absence In the
| Philippines, and did not come to his atten-
| tion till his return.
During Mr.. De Almonds absence stories
we're circulated In the district that action
/ in regard to rural free delivery routes was
| DELAYED at his request. This statement MI.
| De Almond denounced as false and claimed
! that It constituted a question OF personal
| nriyileee. upon which he had a right to
| state the facts.
| EORCIBLE ARRAIGNNENT OF
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
| The Republican leaders made strenuous
| efYorts TO prevent him from making state
ment. but finally he was permitted 10 pro-
| ceed. Among other things he said:
Now, I only wish to say. in conclusion,
| that / think this series OF letters-or lack
| of letters-to some extent shows several
| things conclusively:
| "First-That 1 did not hold up the estab-
| l,shment of the rural free delivery routes
| in my district.
| frankly or fairly or in manly way In this
| matter; that the department did not an
| swer and has not answered a pertinent
| question which I had a right to ask.
| 'Third-That the department. II it has
not done SO directly by words, has lent IT.
self consciously to misrepresentation circu-
lated in my district concerning me and my
Official action.
'I think I know the source OF It all.
1 think know that certain Republican
! bosses In Missouri. hoping that one of
them-the chief Of them-may get into the
United States Senate from that State by
the methods OF a boss'-as some of his ilk
have got there from other States-has been
using men like Howard. and causing OIL
| cial gentlemen to forget the ordinary cour-
tesies OF official life. and to be guilty of
! what ! regard as shameful duplicity and
hypocrisy and cowardice.
CHANCE FOR PRESIDENT TO
ENFORCE REFORM IDEAS.
III 1t should happen that the President oi
the United States, glancing over the record
tomorrow morning. accidentally or other
wise, may allow his eye to rest upon the
page which shall relate this story. 1 hopt
he will take 1t into consideration in con-
nection with his general interest in Civil
Service reform and the purity Of the Civi
Service.
Here Is evidence Of a deliberate plan
not a bold manly plan-not the plan OF
an open. aggressive partisan. but the plan
| of a sneak-to load up the carrier service
| with the henchmen Of one political party,
to peddle the literature Of that party-te
act as canvassers for newspapers for that
party; and then. when the work is done
the final cap sheaf will be to put them into
the great Civil Service. do not care to be
the victim: do not care to stand as the
scapegoat in any degree. for this kind OF
duplicity and cowardly political conduct
I'm view of the fact that the Postmaster
| General has just severed his relations o
| Kiyen notice that he will sever them, witt
the present administration have been won
dering whether he has been worn out ant
wearied with his great labor over this I'm
portant question. has finally retired for {
much needed rest, or whether. after lonl
wrestling with the question and endeayor
l xA - ho~ n,