Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-12-22
Administration against Pernicious
Political Activity.
Government Employees Must Attend 20
Business--How General wadsworth's
Camp OutRt Was Returned 20 FITS
Heirs-A CenteDArian Who Likes
yail life.


riers, acting under the direct orders OF
the President. has shown clearly that
''pernicious political activity" will not DO
tolerated among employees In tho serv-
ice Of Unclo Sam. President Keller Of
the National Association of Letter Car
riers did not have to resign, If that course
had ever been his intention after re-
ceiving the ultmatum Of Mr.. Bristow.
the fourth assistant postmaster general.
that he should show cause within three
days why he should not be removed from
office for INSTRUMENTATION, says the Wash
ington correspondent Of the Troy Times.
In large sense this same condition APP
Omaha, president of the National As.
ISOLATION of Rural Carriers, who was
removed from the service for violation
Of the Presidents order Of January 81,
1902, which forbds any employee Of the
government. or any association of such
employees. attempting to influence leg
islaticn of any character or for any pur
pose or 10 solicit increases OF pay for
their services as such employees.
MUST BE A CARRIER.
The pos,of'ice department has always
been ready to receive the heads of tho
Letter Carriers Association and Of rural
carriers and listen to any suggestions
they might desire to make regarding the
interests of the carriers in both these
branches This courtesy was assumed to
be due the carriers and their rcprcscn-
tatives. and every facility has been given
them for the presentation of their re-
quests to the department. Now that
Keller is not a member of tho postal
service il follows that the department
cannot receive him as the representative
of the carriers. According to the con-
Stitution Of the Letter Carriers Assoc
citation the Office of president must be
filled by some person who is in the active
employ OF the government. The dismiss
sal OF Keller from the service therefore
not only creates n vacancy in tho office
of president but mnimizcs his standing
before the department. II would there
fore appear that the only way out Of
this difficulty is to elect someone else
to the position of president of the Let.
ter Carriers Association who ia in good
standing with tho postofiicc department
or else change that clause of tho consti-
tuition which provides that n president
must be in the active service of the
postoffice department as letter car
rier.
The department holds that tho car
ricrs cannot by any act Of any associa-
ton of their own creation demand that
a representative be received unless ho b
Ian employee Of the service. The hum
blest carrier would be received at the
department IL he went there with view
to promoting the interests of his aSso-
ciatcs and il his call were in accord
anco with official precedence.
THE RURAL SERVICE.
In the case of Mr.. Cunningham condi.
tons are somewhat different So far as
can he asccrtaned the constitution of the
National Rural Carriers Association diff.
! fcrs from the Letter Carriers Associa-
ton in that II docs not provide that tho
president must be an employee Of tbs
the government. II this be true Mr. Gun
ningham can still serve his association
as president, unless the department
should decide not TO receive the president
of the Rural Carriers Association b.
cause he was not a governmental en-
pioycc Whether the department Will 70
10 this length is Il question. Many con
gressmen have seen the postofficc author
lities and have laid before the fourth as
sistant general letters from rural car
riers seeking to pledge these same con
gressmcn TO vote for Increased pay 70,
the rural carriers, with threats that il
the event of their being antagonist,
to such increase they would he "marke,
; for the slaughter" Some Of the carrier.
who have been called on the carpet TO-
sending out such threatening letters hay.
invariably stated that they were direct G,
ia do il by superior officers OF their asso
citation This particular statement OF tn.
carriers in regard to the reason for thoi
, action is especially Offensive to tho Off
Iccrs of the postoiiice department, becaus,
of the intinlation contained therein tina
tho carriers recognize tho authorities q
their association as having greater right
to direct their actions than tho post
Office officials. and that they regard a,
order from their association officers a
o1 moro import than an executive orlc
sent out with the presidents approval
An OUTFIT RETURNED AFTER
MANY YEARS.
There is "A short Christmas story Of
. year ago which has not yet found il
way into print During the Civil Wa
Gen. James W. Wadsworth father q
the member of Congress of that name
was in command of Il division of Unio
troops at the battle OF the Wilderness
lie had carried with him from his HON
in Gencsco a camp outht which containo
a silver fork and spoon and knife. Til
table implements he used daily, and gus
before the fight In which he was iillc
he had eaten his dinner, using the tabl
necessities. His striker" or body scr
want was engaged in clearing the meg
table when the news of General Wads
worth's shooting was received. TIL
striker" was New York soldier. VIII
realized that the table appliances las
used by General Wadsworth ought to b
preserved for his relatives. He careful
packed them up and carried them hac
with him to his home in central Ncy
York. Years after the close of tho wa
he told the county clerk OF his HON
county that he had them and that h
would like to restore them TO the rcla
tves of the general. The county clor
took charge Of them and forgot all abou
his trust until year ago last summer
Then, meeting Representative Dwight q
his own district. he mentioned the Incl
dent and said that the Wadsworths ougb
to have the eilverwaro back agar
Dwight took TO the idea at once, but dc
cidod to wait n short time before return
ing the articles TO the rightfuI owne,
This he did last Christmas. and II
doubtful II the congressman received any
thing on that occasion which he prize
so highly as the fork, knife and spoo