The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-05-01
SEARCHL|GHT ON ALL POSTOFF|CESt
FILLED FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES


for the postofice department, or to
have patience with postal deficit
Saunders Talks.
The Saunders resolution is destined
to stir up trouble. The Virginia mem
ber, in, speaking Of it today, said:
The time has come for an inyes-
tigation. | have been watching condi-
tions in my own sUate. and | have
some very important revelations TO
make to the committee. | know that
there are postmasters in my state
who are seldom seen about their of
fices. They are off in charge of cam
paigns, rounding up votes, making
for the future. The work is left to
suDordinates.
ut is also time that the house
should inquire into the promiscuOus
discOntinuation of offices. Under the
Hitchcock plan, offices are abandoned
or moved on the word of republican
referee, who sometimes lives a hun
dred miles or more from the commu.
nifty affected. Every few days the
postoffice department will order the
discrimination of a postoffiss, NOV,
ing it from one community to an
o;her, all because political eXpediency
demands such move, in my opinion
These conditions exist in other states
Il do not know to just what eX.
tent this political machine has pro
gressed, nor the reason for the
strange things that are happening
but one of the most important things
that the committee on postoffiCes
may turn its attention to now is
a wholesale Investigation of the pecu-
liar state of affairs.
Il have ascerained that many post.
masters have become chairmen OF
political organizations IN their neigh.
borhood, that the office is held in
conjunction with and because of their
political influence, and that this has
an influence in the appointments
Such conditions should not be tol
Grated. If the postoffice committee
begins to investigate this subject,
they will find many reforms that
can be instituted "
1t has been noted of late that. as
the date for the next national cam
pal@n approaches. the postoffice de
partment is very active in tine ap-
pointments in the south. Seldom a
day passes but that a number OF
fourth-class postmasters are named
in the southern states, and many of
these nominations are changes. The
subtle hand of the postmaster gen
eral, already on the hunt for Taft
delegates in 1912, is believed to be
behind the avalanche of nominations
and changes.
The postoffice department seems TO
be particularly under fire these DAYS
Resolutions have already been intro
duCed IN the house authorizing an
investigation of Mr.. Hitchcock's con
duet of the office along general lines
One investigation has already been
authorized hy the democratic lead
ers. This has to do with the man
ner in which appropriations for the
postofice department have been ex-
pended. In addition the house also
proposes to ascertain if the depart
ment has Disseminated against the
rural free delivery, the mail car.
rlerS who want to organize and the
personnel of the department as
whole. which is demanding better
ray and shorter hours Now comes
the resolution directed particularly
toward the political astuteness of the
postmaster general, and his apparent
inclination to turn the postmasters
Of the country into political agents
for the republican party.