Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-10
SOON TO Be NAMED
Postmasters of New York
and Washington.
Mr.. MERRIT'r'S CASE
THE PRESIDENT SAID TO BE
AGAINST HIS REAPPoINTMENT.
Deputy Surveyor Bishop Mentioned as
Successor to the Late Mr..
Van Cott.

| Two postmasterships in important cities
| are to be filled by appointment by the
| President within short time, and II Is
| whispered that some disappointment Will
| be experienced when the names OF the ap-
pointees are made public. New York, the
| largest office in the country, is without
postmaster Cornelius Van Cott having re-
| Gently died in Office. The Washington
post Office is at present In the hands W
| John A. Merritt of New York state, VINO
| has filled the Office for a number of years,
but whose commission expired last Janu-
| ary.
| Locally the Washington office Is Of the
| greater Importance. In anticipating the
] selection by the President of a man to I'LL
3, the post held by Mr.. Merritt several things
are to be taken into consideration. 1t is
| generally known that the late Postmaster
| General Payne was friendly to Mr.. Merritt
| and that he would have liked to see him
| reappointed to the office which he has, in
the opinion Of citizens Of the capital. ad,
| ministered with great credit to himself and
! the administration. Coming from the
| Presidents home state, it would seem that
| his reappointment would be a graceful
aftes. 1t so decisively indorsed the policy OF
President Roosevelt and gave him such a
| fiattering plurality over his opponent In
| the late election.
There are no special candidates for the
| office outside of few in the city. Frank
| K. Raymond being prominently mentioned
| as one of these. Although it cannot be
| said that the President will not appoint g.
| District man to the office, it is not believed
thar he will do SO, Notwithstanding the IN
| fluence which might be brought to bear to
attain this end
| Mr. Merritt is backed by Senator Platt of
| selection
| cessor in the Office of postmaster of Wash
ington, and the late Postmaster General
Payne was also his friend in that line
Both Of these influences were brought to
| bear on the President at the time of the
| expiration Of the last commission of Mr.
| Merritt. but the post was allowed to be
administered by PostmaSte Merritt after
| that time because the President did not
| then care to make any selection for the
place. .-...s
| fHs rresfdsnt,s announcement.
Senator Platt called at the White House
| and expressed to the President his desire
| that Mr.. Merritt be reappointed, backing
| his request with the assurance that the peo-
| pie of New York state would be gratifed
! by such action on the part of the Pres
| ident. President Roosevelt, replying to the
request, is said to have told Senator Platt
| that he did not intend to reappoint either
| Van Cott of New York or Merritt of Wash
ington. On these two points he was, at
| that time adamant, nor could any argu-
| ment> of the senior senator from New York
shake this resolution. Senator Plat was
| told that no selection for either Office had
| been at that time made, and that the
| President had no one mind to fill either
| post. But the assurance was given with
out bubble that neither Of the men named
would be asked to fill his post for another
term.
| Both Senator Platt and Postmaster Cen
| eral Payne then asked the President If he
! would withhold his selection of successor
to Mr.. Merritt until after election and
| Senator Platt extended this request to in
| clude the postmaster of New York The
promise was given both gentlemen that no
| appointment to either position would be
| made until after the election. and both left
| the ma tier in this condition.
Since that conference Cornelius Van Cott
| has died and his successor has not been
| named. The election Is now history and
! the time is ripe for the making of both ap-
| pointments. 1t is believed that this course
| will be taken by the President within a
very short time, although his decision in
| neither case is certainly known or even
| whether he has changed his mind as to Mr.
| Merritts reappointment. 1t Is possible In
| this connection. to contemplate the appoint
| nent of resident of the District of Column.
bia as the successor of Mr. Merritt hut il
| IS also realized that very strong influence
| will have to be brought to bear at the
| White House before this end can be con-
summated.
The New York Office.
| In New York city John M. Bishop, dep
| uty surveyor of the port of New York and
for twenty years connected with the postal
service, is prominently mentioned as the
| successor Of the late Mr.. Van Cott, and 1t
| is reported that his selection will be soon
made. He is a reformer through and
through. one of his first acts after becon-
| Ing deputy surveyor Of the port of New
York having been to dismiss from the serv-
| ice several officials whose acts had not been
considered by him In strict accordance with
| the requirements of the service. He is re-
| ported to have recently said that although
not an active aspirant for the postmaster
| ship of New York, he believed that he pos
| sessed the experience to make some much
needed reforms in that office, and that if
he was selected for the post he would see
what could be done along these lines for
] the improvement Of the mail service of the
metropolis II his backing for the place is
or sufhc.ent strength to warrant the Pres
ident in believing that his own Judgment is
correct he will no doubt receive the ap-
| p0intment. 1t is certain that President
Roosevelt wishes to appoint him, having
had. for long time, feeling of the ut
most confidence in his abilities and his
| stanch partfsanship. But neither of these
President unless the powers in New York
politics array themselves behind Mr. Bish-
0P, and at this time 1t Is not known whether
/ or not this will be done.
Mr.. Bishop was born in Tennessee Nash
Vile being his native town, and Is fifty-two
years of age. He has been a republican all
his life, never having voted for any other
| district, the second, has never been any
thing but republican.
| "a nMIRAT wATS0N TN pAprs