Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-18
Mr.. Tulloch's Final Vindication.


If further proof were needed of the in
justice to the District of the close connec-
ton between the city post Office and the
Post Office Department, 1t is furnished by
the report of General Bristow and the APP
pended exhibits comprising the reports of
the inspectors who, at his direction, con-
Quoted an investigation of the local office
1t is entirely clear from this showing that
the ordinary rules of administration were
repeatedly violated in order to pack the
local rolls with the favorites of higher
postal officials. While this may have been
the case between the general office and
local establishments in other cities to some
extent, it is not as yet known that the
local office was ever before so hagrantly
used to these ends.
The Washington Office is in peculiar po-
sltion in any event. being entrusted with
the handling of the great bulk of the gov
ernmental mails. which being carried free
bring no revenue to the receiving office.
So that the postal payments of the citizens
of this community must not only pay for
their own business. but to a very large ex-
tent for the public business as well. Ordi-
nary equity would take cognizance of this
fact in the organization of the local office,
would dictate the appointment of local
man for postmaster and would require the
selection of local people only for the places
at his disposal. 1t would furthermore de-
mand that the expenses of the local Office
be kept down to the minimum of good adj
ministIation. in order that the stamp reve-
nues of the paying patrons of the office
might make the best possible showing in
the general balance.
But the very reverse has been true for a
long time, more conspicuously, however,
since the local office was given house
room in the building occupied by the de-
partment. When the announcement was
made that the new structure. designed orig
inally for the use of the city post Office and
certain miscellaneous bureaus of the gov
eminent. would be devoted chiefly to the
uses of the Post Office Department this re-
suit was feared, and that fear was ex-
pressed in plain terms. But no heed was
taken and consequently the local Office be-
came first physically and then officially an
annex to the great institution. and the
irregularities of which Mr.. Tulloch made
complaint and which have been so pointed
ly proved by the reports of the inspectors
and General Bristow were in a sense the
direct result of this communion.
Mr.. Tulloehs allegations have now been
amply justified. first by the Civil Service
Commission. and now by the inspection
force of the postal department itself. The
records appear to show conclusively that he
not only baked at becoming a party to the
irregular practices in the matter of ap-
pointments and special assignments, but
that he called the matters at the time to
the attention of the proper officials. When
he published his charges the community
which knows Mr. TullCch as a man of
honor and probity. felt that they were sub
stantally warranted, else he would not
have preferred them. At the same time the
public felt that Mr.. Tulloch's own charac-
ter precluded the possibility of these
charges involving actually criminal prac-
tees. else it was inconceivable that he
would have contented himself with merely
The lapse of time permitted between their
occurrence and their publication suggested
that they were only administrative lapses
of minor order. indicating, however. a
dangerous tendency, which required curing
and correction.
The bearing of this demonstration of
Irregularities of several years ago upon the
present problem of a thorough overhauling
and cleansing of the postal administration
is in the urgent obligation which it i'm
poses to ascertain to a certainty whether
any similar irregularities still exist in the
local office, and, if so, to correct them
promptly and completely.