Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-08-31
LincoIn's Postmaster General

Il knew Mr.. Blair before he became
postmaster general" said Mr. Mari
to me one day in the early eighties.
81 first met him during Buchanan's
administration and about the time he
was the counsel for the defendant in
the famous bred Scott case. About
that time he got into the habit Of
dropping into the postof1ce depart
ment whenever he was in Washington
his home was near by in Maryland
and many half hour he spent chat
ting with me at my desk. He was an
exceedingly gentle hammered man.
and yet it was easy to see that he
was man of firm determination. If
he was gentle, he certainly was not
meek
When I picked up my paper one
morning in 1861 and read that Mr..
Blair had been appointed postmaster
general by Lincoln I was overjoyed;
by that time he and I had become
firm friends, and I was chief clerk in
the office of the first assistant post
master general. At the first opportu-
nifty I called upon him to pay my re
spects and give him my congratula-
tons. He received me like an old
friend. He told me to draw my chair
up to his desk He looked at me with
a little twinkle in his eye, recalling,
am sure, the many chats we had
had. At last he spoke.
Mr.. Mari, said he, don't you
think the government can get along
without YOU?
For moment I wondered whether
politics were not going to make it
necessary for some one to be appoint
ed in my place. But replied bravely:
"'Yes, the government can get
along without me- but how could /,
after my long service in tMs depart
ment. get along without the govern
ment?
M Blair bestowed upon me his
most cordial smile Well, Mr. Mari,
he said, firmly, the government is
not going to get along without you
while I anne here. Then he looked at
me intently.
Mr.. MARI he said, did it ever oc-
cur to you that the postofice is the
only department of the government
with which all of the people all of the
time are brought into personal touch
with their country and their govern
ment at Washington? For, you see,
| the postoff1ce is everywhere; the post
master is the only visible representa-
tive of the government at Washington
that literally millions of people are
brought in contact with. They don't
see the tax collector, because most OF
our taxes are indirect; they don't see
the soldier. although l am apprehen-
sive that they may speedily see too
many of them. But the flag of the
United States floats officially over
every postofice in the country.
Now, don't you think, Mr.. Mari,
that you and l ought to do everything
we can while we are in this depart
ment to bring the people into even
closer touch with their government?
It's great opportunity for both of US.
VIII you help me? l shall need all
the help I can get!'
THAT" continued Mr.. Mari, was
the way in which one Of the greatest
postmaster generals I have personally
known-and l have known them all
since 1S35-counseled with one of his
subordinates a few days after he be-
came postmaster general. And because
he ran the department in that spirit,
free delivery of mail was introduced
in the cities, and sorting of the mails
on postal cars was begun, and other
Improvements looking to bringing the
| people into closer touch with their
government at Washington were
made
! Copyright, 1911. by z. J. Edwards. AL
Rights Reservedl