Evening journal., 1911-01-18
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The President Who Wanted
No GO-BetWeenS
By "HOIland."

Twice in my experience as an Of
ticer under the administration Of Pres
ident Grant I found him to be of the
most unfinching integrity, and most
loyal in his support OF administrative
officers under him who were trying TO
do their duty. One of these occasions
was when, after an interview with him
occasionod by his summons to me to
call upon him at Washington, he said
to me: Mr.. Postmaster, you are alb
soutely right in your attempt to es-
tablish a civil service i'm the New
York Postoffice Don't pay any atten-
ton to the politicians. Always remem-
Der that you have a firm supporter in
me-.
Tho second occasion was one which
threw light upon President Grants
relations with Postmaster-G General
Marshall jewell continued Thomas
l.. James. postmaster of New York un-
der Grant and Hayes and Postmaster
General under Garfield. There have
been many surmises as to the reason
for the peremptOry demand made by
President Grant upon Marshall Jewell
for his resignation as the head OF the
Postofiice Department. Jewell HIM
self professed never to know the rea-
son of his dismissal. / think | can
throw some light upon IL incidentally
while showing you what sort Of man
| found President Grant to be.
1T was I'm the winter of 1919 that
there appeared at the New Pork Post
office an inspector whose home town
was Oshkosh, Wisconsin; he had never
been IN New York until that time. He
began TO make a most drastic invesu-
CATION of the postoffice, and | aided
him all that ! could.
1T happened while this inspection
was uuder way that General La Rue
Harrison who was chairman of the
committee OF the Postoftice Depart
ment whose authority was over inspec-
tions. called upon me. ! asked him
what the meaning of this peculiar in
spection was and ! told him frankly
that was sure some political pur-
nose was behind it, General Harrison
smiled oueerly for moment, and then
said half confdentially that Postmas-
ter-General Jewell wanted to cut down
the appropriation for the New York
Postoffice thirty thousand dollars. He
clearly mtimated that there was po-
lltics behind this purpose.
"ln reply I said that ! would DO
everything in my power to reduce the
expenses Of the postofhce; that an In
spection was not necessary to that end.
/ summoned two of my subordinate
officers. and told them that the Post
master-Cieneral wanted to cut our ap-
propriation by thirty thousand dollars.
They replied that IL could be done
but that it would involve some severe
hardships among the employees. But
the cut was made, and Marshall JeWell
had the thirty thousand dollars to use
elsewhere.
"Within a month or six weeks | dis
covered what the politics was back OF
the cut At that time Connecticut held
its elections In the spring. Jewell USED
the thirty thousand dollars IN Con
necticut He increased the postal SER
vice and the number Of clerks, and
in other WAYS which we're lawful util-
ized the whole Of that money, his real
purpose being to strengthen his party
IN Connecticut. But II didn't avail, lot
the Republicans were beaten at the
election.
General Grant must have heard Of
the use made of the thirty thousand
dollars for he sent for me some weeks
/ later. and I had hardly entered his
Office iu the White House before he
| asked
"Mr. Postmaster. wasn't it the un-
/ derstanding between us when l APP
pointed you Postmaster of New York
/ that there shouldn't be any go-be-
tweens? I will not have go-betweens
/ interfering between myself and the
presidential appointments. Why did
/ YOU fail TO come to me at the time this
/ Jewell matter was in progress at the
New York Postoffice? / would have
stopped Il instantly
well. Mr.. President | explained
I did not want to annoy you about a
matter Of that kind
+" But it was a matter of principle
and that would not have annoyed me,
the President replied. However, will
overlook Il this time
'As he said this. President Grant
took q box Of cigars from the drawer
and offered me one. A mere cursory
inspection OF the cigars told me that
their strength was beyond my capa-
! city, and ] told the President so. He