Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-19

lic--smith's Mistake, viii Il be Re
peated by Payne9- Facts for the
New p. M. G.
August w. Machens THINKS he has fallen
--on his feet The new Postmaster Cen
eral, Col. Dick Kerens Of St. Louis and Gus
will be the Mighty triumvirate" who will
direct the machine aud control the destinies
of the Post- lfice Department.
II develops, from the mouths Of Mr.. Ma
chen friends, that the new P. M. c. is a
personal and political friend of the Super
iutendeut Of the Rural Free Delivery. He
has known Mr. Machen POLITICALLY,
through Perry Heath and Abuer Mckinley
and it is alleged appreciates the very quail
ties in Gus, which the GLOBE as a Demo
cratic organ must naturally condemn. Gus
has demonstrated to Mr.. Payne tthe P M
g. that he is a political generalissimo Of
no mean parts and besides his acrobatic
ability to flop sides he is also possessed of
the courtiers adaptability to shout "the
King is dead long live the Kingp In
other words, Gus plays no favorities in SUI
perior officers but is ever ready to serve
the reigning prince. Col. Dick Kerens,
( Missouri's leading politician is a bosom
friend of both Mr.. Machen and the new p.
M G. And Col Dick Is a loyal friend who
sticks by his clan. Hence it will be seen
that Mr. Machen has fallen on his feet de-
spite Of STEAL boxes and rubber stamps
and things"
Speaking of rubber stamps reminds the
GLOBE to recall a conversation had with
one of the bidders in the recent award
Aud, by the way, the contract for the Rural
Free Delivery stamps which Mikey Lewis
and Gus endeavored to manipulate was cut
up considerably the past week and awarded
to several contractors the local stamp firms
getting a share Of the pie The contractor
who attempted to defend the payment Of 81
cents for AZ cent rubber stamp, says:
These stamps, while not worth over
cents each, and for which 80 cents each was
paid by Mikey Lewis until a kick was made
by an envious rival firm was all right You
see it was this way: There were several
kinds OF rubber stamps some valued at rs
cents and over one dollar, which were aver
aged with these cheap cent ones. Now
the contractor sold to the department at this
average price of 80 cents each the cheap
and dear ones, see?'
'Yes-but would it not have been more
like business to charge the exact price of
each stamp2"
"Perhaps-but it was all the same and
nobody thought anything about it until the
kick"
Suppose greatey number Of the five
cent stamps were furnished than the dearer
ones, would not the contractor have the
best of the deal2"
"Ohl certainly; but that depended on the
Supply Division and Mr. Lewis. Whatever
kind Of stamps were ordered were furnished
and the average price Of 80 cents each paid
for them"
The GLOBE need not point out that il Mr..
Lewis were a citizen, taxpayer (instead of
a tax eater) aud a merchant and attempted
to conduct his private business on any such
principle there is not judge in Chrsten
dom would hesitate a moment in COM
hitting him 10 an insane asylum
A correspondent who keeps tab on great
men and great political events tells US this |
tale:
The incident occurred at political |
meeting in Philadelphia the night before /
the last Congressional election General |
Bingham was the principal speaker aud he /
made a rousing Republican speech as he /
always does, but had failed to mention the /
name of Charles Emory Smith This re-
markable omission was observed by one of \
his vigilant auditors who sprung the ques-
ton, What is Smith, Democrat or Re-
publicanP I don't know, you tell, re-
torted the general"
Charles Emory Smith served as P. M. G. /
three years, seven months and twenty days.
He came into office in April--"all FOOLS
mOnth"--aud If he accomplished anything
to advance the interests Of the Republican
party, outside Of what is claimed by Rural
Free Delivery clackers, il has not yet ma
tenalized. His reforms in the postal SER
vice were principally weak aud puerile
bluffs, and his observance and enforcement
of the Civil Service law in the departments
has been disgraceful. The GLOBE last Sun
day exposed that feature Of IT, Two-thirds
Of the clerks and employees. perhaps even
greater number, If the yeas and nays
were demanded, are exceedingly glad that
he is gone. No tears were shed over his
departure, and his record in Office. full Of
opportunity three years ago. is only a
barren memory.
Unfortunately Mr.. Smith has left legacy
TO his successor. which is, to say the least,
very embarrassing in the outset There are
two notable misfts in the First Assistant
Postmaster Generals Office that will, like
L.incolns rat hole, bear looking into"
More than that even, heY UfH bear con-
slant f0dfckfNg.
The GeneTalissimo Of Rural Free De-
livery has a remarkable record II covers
many pages Of the Congressional Record,
besides his own sworn testimony before
Senatorial committee. He is a reformer of
whom no Republican need feel proud His
achievement IN the Rural Free Delivery is
an uuenyiable one, especially in the manipu-
lation Of farmers letter boxes. His little