The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-11
FRIrAY, SEPTEMBER II, 1903.
SMALL AND CONVERTIBLE.

IL Is d nauseous dose for some of the decent Republican papers to swallow the action of the admin. stration in the Mss Huldah Todd case in Delaware, while the Independent and honest journals are speaking of it as such a contemptible act deserves. There were no charges or com plaints against Miss Todd, either as to her character her fitness or her conduct of the postof1ce at Greenwood, Delaware. She had served one term of four years acceptably and one year on Her second term. There was absolutely no tenable or creditable reason for her dismissal, and the only excuse given by Postmaster General Payne was that she was par ticularly and personally obnoxiouss to Senator Allee."
 That is the ground for her dismissal from an office to which she had been ap- pointed and the duties of which she was creditably performing. Alice is one of the friend and tool of Addicks. That is the whole story of the dismissal Alice didn't like Miss Todd and he wanted the office for some one who would be more service able to himself and Addicks.
 The New York Tribune. staunch Repub- lican paper that it is, says Payne's ''ex- cuse is worse than the crime.'' That is, his reason for the removal is less cred itable to him than the act was. That IS saying a-good deal, but it is true; and The Tribune devotes a half-coumn edi- to"ial to a vigorous criticism of the sys- tenn, the Postmaster-Genera and indi- rectiy of the President, for unless he dis avows the act of his official and takes steps to undo the wrong, he must also be held responsible.
 And The New York Sun is particularly severe in its criticisms and comparisons. It calls attention to the fact that Miss Todd was summarily dismissed because she was personally obnoxious to one in- dividual, while a negro postmistress in Miss .ssippi, who was obnoxious to prac- tically the entire community, was kept in office and has been drawing her salary nearly a year without rendering any ser vice whatever. Then The Sun asks:
 Up in the serene atmosphere of civil service reform. of which the President has always been so earnest a friend is it t. be believed that one competent and tried ufficial who happens to be 'particularly and personally obnoxious to d single politician is to be removed arbitrarily from office for that reason. and that red. son only, while another official, who i: particularly and personally obnoxious tc an entire community. Is to be retained in office and paid salary, after resigna. tion, for doing nothing?
 This reference to the serene atmos. phere of civil service reform" is a fine bit of satire or sarcasm, for there is nc such atmosphere at Washington The entire official outfit has apparently set tied down to an exploitation of the spoil. system. Addicks s one of the most dis reputable politicians in the Union, bu he is yet power in Republican politics and as such is to be coddled and pla cated No administration has SO persist entIy chung to a discreditable and dis credited spoilsman as this administration has chung to Addicks. This last surrende to him and his creatures may not b worse than anything that has precede it, but it has been such a small and con temptible business that it is not strang to find administration organs holding thel noses. We wish them a surfeit of tn naugeous dose.