The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-06-06

PoStotlce department by suspension,
were beginning to disclose signs of
wear and tear and an alarming state
of deterioration. Let us briefly con-
slider, for example, some of the re-
markable propositions lately laid
down by our contemporary.
1.-THE public was not vitality con-
cerned in the unfortunate, but not
especially significant episode of safe
opening"
Unfortunate, but not especially
significant y Fancy, We Gods! the
turmoil and commotion in and around
the Office of the Star" were some
lady-like burglar to help herself to
the secrets of the whited sepulcher by
Opening" one of the safes! Why, in
her frenzy and excitement the old lady
would forget to adjust her curls and
put up her back hair, and her cries Of
murder" and police" would echo
from one end of the town to the other
She wouldn't recover from the shock
before tea time, if, indeed, everl
Att (the public has not found as
yet much to concern it seriously
in the development of the charges pre-
ferred by Mr.. Tulloch."
Possibly not, but our contemporary
certainly has. 1t concerned itself so
seriously, in fact, about the Tulloch
charges that it devoted very solemn
essay to proving that irregularities"
would cease the minute local man
name not yet disclosed APP
pointed postmaster. Our contempor.
airy, it must be admitted, smells the
carrion from affair." 1t is aggressively
for a 'local man." when he happens
to be its choice. 1t stabs him in the
back, when he isn't.
3.-"There was no alarm because of
the sale of cheap coal to the depart
ment."
Why should there be? Hadn't the
gallant Mr.. Christiancy-so gallant
to "safe openers"-said it was per-
fectly proper? What business, any
way, had the Attorney General to re
mark: you may do this, but l don't
advise you,' when public benefac-
tor" and ''an unselfsh and warm
hearted philanthropist" stood ready
in the person Of A. w. Machen to
save the administration in the hour
of its peril and distress?
We only wonder that it didn't oc-
cur to our contemporary to chip IN.
too, to rescue the tottering edifce by
filing the Government coal bins.
But we forget-it would perhaps
have involved the necessity of open
ing" its own safe; ana that might
have been painful.
4.-"There was no substantial reason
for the public to grow excited over the
question of large deficiency"
Of course, there was none in the
eyes of the "Star," but the public, we
fancy, thought there was. Even Mr.
Payne grew excited, if we remember
rightly. And Mr.. Payne doesn't get
ordinarily much excited, except when
he faces a Stump speech" or run.
into a current of shot air" Possibly
the "Star" would consider it "only
a case Of undue extension of author
Iity by an insubordinate official" if the
Government, in a spirit of false econ
omy, should order an undue contrac
ton of expenditures by looping of
superfuous rentals.
| The "Star" refers to charges III the
coal matter, "ostentatiously pushed
and abruptly dropped" This, We
surmise, is a sly dig at us with the
old lady's cotton umbrella.
In case she really is concerned
| in knowing why the charges were
abruptly dropped" we don't mine
telling her They were dropped, TEN
porarily, because she and others didn't
have their ear-trumpets ready at the
time and preferred gossip at the te;
table to more serious discussion. They
were abruptly dropped" because
after an unsuccessful attempt to &c
Congress to act in the matter, anC
another attempt, equally unsuccessful