The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-06-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Postofice and Other Scan.
daIs---Rooseyelt's Diplomacy,

The postofice investigation still pro-
crosses with such speed as the Post
master General is unable to prevent.
Mr.. Payne has not yet made public
the reply of Fourth Assistant Post
master General Bristow to the Tulloch
charges and meanwhile Perry Heath
has left the country, or has left Salt
Lake City with that intention. An
instance of the kind of ''irregularity'
for which Heath stands responsible is
furnished by the case of Mrs. Fanny
r. Winans, formerly society editor of
a small paper in Ohio and sister-in-
law of the publisher. When Senator
Hanna was running for the Senate the
support Of this paper was regarded
as more or less essential to his sue
cess. Accordingly, Hanna asked
Heath to appoint Mrs. Winans to
position in the postofice department
and Heath did so, but Mrs; Winans
was given no work, her only duties
being to draw her salary. She seri-
ously objected to the continued draw
ing of pay without the performance OF
any work in return, and ''pestered"
Heath until he told her she was
nuisance. /" Then she took her case
to Hanna and he wrote Heath he would
have to give Mrs. Winans something
to do, but this he failed to do and
finally Mrs. Winans, who is an ex-
ceptionally clever woman, took civil
service examination and secured an
Appointment in the pension Office, a
position she now holds. This is but a
sample of the type OF abuses which
under political administration has
long been common. 1t is not possible
to convince Payne that there is any
thing improper about this farming of
the Government service for political
ends. He belongs to the old style OF
politician who believes anything is
warranted provided it is done for the
success of the party. This is the rea-
son that President Roosevelt is getting
no satisfaction from his Postmaster
General in his efforts to clean out the
postcffice department..
An instance in the New York post
office where the Postmater has confer
red a sinecure on his son has Just
come to light. Because of the difficult
ty of securing men with peculiar scien-
tifc qualifications for certain work
President Mckinley issued an order
that in case no man could be found in
the classified service who had the
qualifications necessary to fill any par
ticular vacancy, an outsider could be
employed. Availing themselves of this
clause Postmaster Van Cott and Perry
Heath fixed up the appointment of
young Van Cott, the father certifying
that no one could be found to perform
the entirely routine work to which the
young man was assigned. Heath en-
dorsed the certifcation and President
Mckinley accepted it. Then the Civil
Service Commission made such an
urgent complaint, alleging that Van
Cott's appointment was clear evasion
of the intent of the law, that Presi-
dent Roosevelt repealed the regulation
bat did not have the courage to dis
charge the man whose appointment
had necessitated the repeal.
Is Wall street really opposed to the
election of President Roosevelt? There
is grave doubt on this question express
ed by democratic politicians who come
to Washington They say that by the
appointment of Payne and other of
Hanna's proteges to good Offices Mr.
Roosevelt secured the friendship of the
Ohio boss and then the Senator per-
mitted it to be understood that he was
opposed to the President greatly to the
latter's advantage. Now it is remark
ed that there is great cry of the OPP
position of Wall street to President