Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-01-11

grew indignant at the way in which
the request was laid before him, ana
telling his callers with picturesque
and unquotable emphasis that they
could not hold him up" ordered
them out of his car. Representative
Overstreet, the chairman of the house
committee on post Office, is said 10
have orderd Mr.. Cunningham of south
Omaha, the president of the carriers
association, out of his room when
similar tactics were tried. The
charge is also made that circulars
were posted in Oversreet's district
advising the voters to support tho
democratic nominee for congress be
cause Overstreet had failed TO give
pledge to raise the rural carriers
salary. Similar incidents were re,
ported from many quarters. Babccck
and Cortelyou talked it over as one
of the vexatious aspects of the cam.
paign. They brought it to the atten-
tion of the president, and he ordered
an Investigation.
Mr.. Roosevelt issued orders on this
subject several years ago which was
the subject of demagogic attack by
members of his own party in con
gress. He then tried to have the
principle established that such or
CARNATIONS should make their appeal
to the head of the department, in this
case the postmaster general, and that
he should go to congresT with such
recommendations as he saw fit to
make; but that the en- loyes them
selves should not dire tly appeal to
congress. To anyone who gives a mo-
ment's reflection to the subject, it is
apparent that government business
can hardly be done in any other way.
But many people are not willing to
give a moments reflection, and the
cry of tyranny and usurpation is read
lily raised. One young republican con
gresham from the northeastern part
Of the country made vigorous
speech in congress, in which he
virtually announced defiance to the
presidents rule. Any carriers that
wanted to see him were cordially in
vited to come and he for one should
be governed by the arguments they
presented as to salary, and not by Mr..
Rooseyelt's cabinet officers.
The objection to this course Of ac-
ton is that it is very unpopular bust
ness 10 vote against an increase Of
salary for anybody, especially where
the money does not come out of the
congressman. The head Of a depart
ment like the postodice, feels a GER
tain responsibility in making ends
come somewhere near meeting. His
acquaintance with the problem would
make him a much more efficient judge
than the members of congress acting
at random and in a haphazard way.
Nj. Roosevelt will undoubtedly pro,
cure the adoption, as soon as the in
vestigation discloses the actual nature
of the occurrences, Of some rules
which will be still more explicit.
They will be subject to attack as be,
fore, but less vigorously, because so
many of the congressman have come
to realize what this rural free de,
livery system may mean as a political
machine. The carriers salaries were
raised last winter from 5000 to 500.
When the thing was started $500 was
said to be enough. This was job for
farmers boys, who had barn full OF
horses, and would not cost much. All
the estimates of the scope of the un.
dertaking were submitted to congress
on this basis. OF course, everybody
knew that this would not last; that
government salaries depend more up,
on the political pull of those who get
them than upon the terms of the labor
market. Seven hundred and twenty
dollars has already been reached, with
a dozen bills still pending to make il
higher. The relation of this salary to
extra earnings is another highly COM
pliCated point. The carriers we're
nOminally given their last increase as
a compensation for a new regulation
adopted by congress limiting the
scope of their operations on private &C
count, which had become detrimental
to the service. They now want these
privileges restored, in effect, by con
slant pressure in behalf of more
liberal Interpretation of the existing
rule