The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-25
uhbAb ~ 9uutO ~
Much Speculation Concerning
the Kansas Man.
Probable That lie Will Give Up
His Office.
RETURN TO SALIVA.
Would Then Keep Sharp Eye
on Seat i'm Senate.
Has No. Ambition to Secure
Calderhead's Place.

Washington. Nov. 25.-The question
of the disposition of Joseph L. Bristow.
of Kansas. after March 4 next is caus-
ing considerable speculation.
Many rumors as to what the fourth
assistant postmaster general will do
are current. There are claims that he
will continue in his present office; that
something better and handsomer will
be done by him; that he will return
to Kansas and actively enter politics
there, with a view to pursuing ambi-
tion further; that he will return to
Kansas and merely be content with
managing his various newspaper prop
critics.
Possibly no one but Mr.. Bristow
knows which one of these things he
Will do But from remarks he has let
crop, speculation in certain quarters
can take on more or less of a definite
nature.
1t is more than probable that Mr.
Bristow will relinQuish the office of
when President Roosevelt is inaugu-
rated in March, 1905, and will go to
Salina, there to take charge of the
Evening Journal to make it a power
in central Kansas, and to assist in
whatever reorganization of the Re-
publican party may grow out of de-
Velopments of the next two years. In
cidentally, it is possible that Mr.. Bris-
United States senate.
There are good reasons-the best
of reasons-for predicting that Mr..
BristOw will not serve another four
years. or any part of that term, as
fourth assistant postmaster general
The reason why is obvious to any po-
one of the great departments filled
with dreary monotony and more or
less Obscurfty to the chief, Mr.. Bristow
has emerged. after eight years service.
W01ff al l-~- 81 FE,s-
TO be accurate. not more than one
reader in ffty-can name, within his
memory, any other man who has ever
held the Office of fourth assistant post
master general until Mr.. Bristow took
charge of ii. This does not mean that
the Office is devoid of Importance; by
no means so. It is full of opportunity
for a man to show executive ability.
All the appointing and bonding of the
many thousands of postmasters in the
country comes through this office. All
the inspections are in Mr.. Bristow's
bureau Latterly, the rural service
has come under his care and keeping.
1t takes good man properly to man
age the big bureau. But the point is
this: until Joseph L. Bristow, no man
has held this office and kept his name
and deeds in top heads on the first
page.
Opportunity and chance always
have been good to Mr.. Bristow. They
have been particularly kind to him in
his present office. He put his office,
under the hrSt Mckinley term, in good
order. He systematized the routine of
It; he became known as a most prodi-
gious worker; he accomplish more
of the regular business of the bureau
than any other previous occupant
Then he was ready for glory; and it
soon came. In 400 the Cuban postal
frauds grew out of rather lax man.
agement of postal matters in the
island President Mckinley set Mr..
Bristow to work. He cleaned Cuban
postal matters SO thoroughly that no
hint of wrong-dOing or clogging up
has shown its head in the four years
since. Next came the "get-rich-quick'
business. Setting his sharp young
men, the inspectors, at work. he soon
had the grafters by the throat. On
the heels of this came the purging of
the department proper. Machen, of
free delivery; Beavers, of salaries and
auowances-these were handled ex-
peditiously and properly and vigorous
". Out of it all Mr.. Bristow did what
President Roosevelt publicly declared
to be las neat a bit of official work
as has been done in many years"
So Joe Bristow became a national
figure. He has accomplished much in |
hard work; honest work; executive |
work; glory, fame and renown. That
being SO, there is little more to attract
in his bureau for many years to come. /