Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-12
MISS TODD'S REMOVAL
EXPRESSION OF THE
PosTMAsTER GENERALS VIEWS.
No Rule Adopted Regarding Changes
in Fourth Glass Post Offices After
Four Years Service.

There have been many publications in re-
latfon to the case of Miss Todd, the Del
aware postmistress who was recently re-
moved by Postma ster General Payne on the
recommendation of Senator Alice of Del
aware, but none of them has been an exact
and complete expression Of the views of the
Postmaster General.
From what appeared at the time to be a
very unimportant matter, relating to a
fourth-class post office in Delaware, there
has grown a controversy which has been
commented upon all over the country, and
which has finally gone into the hands of
the President. The facts In the case, upon
the request Of Mr.. Roosevelt have been
placed in his hands. but no action on the
matter has been taken by him. Postmaster
General Payne recently wrote to a personal
friend, giving the reasons for the removal
of Miss Todd, together with some facts
concerning the custom ana rules OF the de-
partment in matters Of this kind. This let
ter is the first complete statement on this
subject made by Mr. Payne which has been
published. The letter follows:
There Is no law, regulation or rule which
applies to the department or the civil serv-
ice commission regarding changes in fourth
class post offices, excepting that under
the administration of President Mckinley
an informal rule was adopted that a post
master should not be considered as liable
to removal until he had served term Of
four years. unless for some cause affecting
the propriety or ability Of the postmaster
holding the office.
when became Postmaster General I
endeavored to prevent the removal Of post
masters of the fourth class, even after they
had served four years. unless 1t was for
some good cause. but there never was such
a rule formally adopted. I am pleased to
say that for the most part senators and
members of Congress have aequiesced in
the wish Of the department.
There appears to be an Impression that
after a fourth-class postmaster has been
permitted to remain beyond four years
that he should then. by custom, be permit
ted to remain another full term of four
years. No such custom has ever obtained;
and the practice of removing these officials
at the pleasure Of the Postmaster General
has prevailed, l believe, since the founda-
ton Of the government until the modiflca-
ton which was put into effect during the
term of President Mckinley. The civil
service laws do not apply in any respect to
fourth-claSS poStmaSterS
When the two republican senators were
elected in Delaware they were put in their
relations to the administration upon the
same footing as any other republican
United States senator's, and were made ad-
visors Of the department concerning the ap-
polntment OF postmasters in the state of
Delaware.
For their convenience the state was di-
vided. Senator Ball taking the northern half
southern half. This practioeshas prevailed
In many Of the other states, AID is not sin
gle to Delaware. Greenwood - located in
Senator Allee'S district. Il,
One Of the rules governing the action of
postmasters is that a postmaster shall not
allow his office to be made the headquar-
tiers OF a political party, or a faction of a
political party; nor shall he be aggressive
ly active in stirring up factioral quarrels.
political or otherwise. Miss Todd, who was
removed from the office at Greenwood, al
lowed her office to be- in effect, the head
quarters of, and her family and herself to
be the most active factors inj factional
political quarrel inside the: republican
party. This she virtually admitted in her
interview with me, and according to the
rule referred to above, was sufficient cause
for her removal.
Undoubtedly, 1t would be great relief
to the department If the tenure of office of
fourth-class postmasters were permanent
and stable during a period Of good beha-
any administration. and no attempt has
been made toward establishing such a rule
until the present administration. Postmas-
terships of all classes have been univer-
sally recognized as political appointments,
not civil service appointments, and no claim
has heretofore been made that they were
under the civil service law. =
1.-The department in dealing with senators
and members of Congress must treat them
uniformly. Mr.. Alice Is a senator of the
United States, just as much as Senator
Hoar of Massachusetts is a senator"