Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-05
NEW YORK SYMPATHY
LIKE THE DISTRICT, IT'S OFFICES
GIVEN TO OUTSIDERS.

The worthy but thus far fruitless efforts
OF Westinghouse for home rule, as exem-
plihed in their desire for at least whisper
"a voice would appear to be too much to
ask-in the selection of the man who shall
handle the mail of their city as postmaster
is well understood by outsiders. and, though
You might not think 1t. by an element In
New York" said a prominent importer of
the metropolis to a Star reporter in an up
town hotel last evening.
Leaving politics out of 1t entirely and
viewing the situation as business man,
the inevitable and not far distant change
in the dictatorship of the dominant party in
my state will be looked forward to with
much interest on this point of home rule
The man who has bossed New York federal
politics and controlled federal appointments
for third of a century is what we Gotham
ties call an upstate man. some of the
eastsiders term these upstate politicians
'hayseeds,' but their shrewdness In the po-
Itfcal game proves that this familiar APP
pellatfon is far from being a. reproach-
they get the Offices.
And that's the point in New York as in
Washington-every once in a while during
this term of dictatorship We have had one
OF these upstate fellows-estfmable men, of
course-brought down from his peaceful re-
treat on the banks of the Mohawk or the
Genessee; and deposited in some fat federal
Office in the city of New York, such as col
lector Of the port, for example, which. as in
the case of the postmastership Of the city
OF Washington, ought to have gone to q city
man. But the boss of the city, and the
state, for that matter, In the federal dispen-
sation business, came from the region of
the foothills OF the Adirondacks. and though
New York city is his actual residence. it is
in the atmosphere of the dew-laden hay
fields Of Herkimer that he casts his vote.
Home-Rule Principle Sustained.
"Of course, this is all wrong in New York,
as it is in the District of Columbia, but in
each instance, what are the residents to do
about 1t except to submit? But although
some Of thse federal Offices in my city
which are essentially the belongings of
some city man have gone to the upstate
chaps 1 will say that New York hasn't
yet had an outsider for a postmaster.
The fact that the postmastership of the
city of Washington has been settled does
not alter the essence of the case at point;
It was not rightly settled and all who had
to do with the settlement know this, only
they do not care while the others do And
when these upstate chaps have been
brought down to hold federal Office in the
city of New York. and Office which ought
to have gone to one of our people, we have
made the same protest and kick against
this invasion of the home rule principle, as
have the residents of Washington, at each
instance of outside appointment, to the Dis
trict postmastershIp and the recorder of
deeds.
The average citizen of this country would
coincide with the Washingtonian that the
political appointing power ought to show
sufficient consideration for local feelings to
give to the people of a big city like this at
least one of the two principal offices which
come the most closely in contact with the
people, and of these two. If preference is to
be made it should be the postmastership.
Good Cause for Irritation.
stay in the capital while on my present
trip, to note the feeling of irritation on
the part of the business men with whom L
touch with this important element in this
city, the subject of the postmastership al
ways formed one of the topics of CONVEX
sation. Almost to a man they have told me
that it was the intention of the business
element to advance the names Of represen-
tative local men for the office which right
fully belongs exclusively to residents of
every community, and ultimately to unite
upon a representative local man in an earn
est endeavor to save this office to the town.
and to prevent its being used as a sop or
consolation prize to an outsider whose
claims could be disposed Of with less politi-
cal friction by turning 1t over to him.
Il have been coming to the capital for
many years, but ! have never heard local
appointment discussed among the business
men l have met with such feeling as was
this one, from It's G. tial haste in selection
before the people had time to even consider
O. local candidate and prepare for the con-
test to it's ultimate confirmation In the
face Of widespread and earnest opposition.
1t would seem to me to be an instance of
fragrant violation of the much-loved Ameri-
can home rule sentiment. but Ike these up
state fellows who come down to Manhattan
to take our local offices, those who possess
the power to make the appointments are
seemingly indifferent to local sentiment and
the rights of a community IN the selection
of it's own rulers"