The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-07-26
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Story About Amos Kendall, Jack
sons Postmaster General.
His Fight Against Extra silly
Smith Which Settled Point That
President and Cabinet Cannot
Sc Wanda unused.
BY e. J. EDWARDS.


Under twenty six postmasters-gen-
eral OF the united States did James
Henry Mari serve before he was gath
cred to his fathers. He entered the
department in 1885 under Amos Ken
dali. who has gone down In history as
the brains" of Jackson's two admin
istrations, and he died chief clerk
when William f. Villas was enjoying
under Cleveland the distinction OF be-
ing the country's first Democratic
postmaster-general since Buchanans
administration.
Kendall has been called the man
who really put Jackson up to many OF
his best-known acts as president
said Mr.. Mari to me one day In the
early eighties. II remember that 1t
was freely said all through Jackson's
administrations that Kendall was the
real author of most of old Hickory's
state papers. But however that was,
! do know that it was Amos Kendall
who made the fight. with Jackson
back OF him, which established the
fact that the federal courts could not
mandamus a president or any mem
Der of his cabinet
THAT fight all came about because
of the persistence of Extra Billy
Smith. Extra Billy as young man,
In the late twenties, had established
mail routes running across Virginia
into the Carolinas and even into
Georgia; he was what a good many
years later would have been called a
Star Reuter-. Now Extra Billy was
not content with the regular com
pensation from the government; he
was always asking for extras, and
when he did not get them he usually
made a fuss; hence his nickname,
which gave him national notoriety
long before he was elected governor
OF Virginia In 1916.
We'll, when Amos Kendall became
acknowledgement he made up his
mind that some Of the mail routes in
Virginia In which Extra Billy Smith
was interested were costing a good
bit more than they ought to, and that
still other routes were unnecessary,
and he proceeded to act accordingly,
only to find himself at once In hot
water with Extra Billy who threat
ened all sorts or political conse-
quences.
"Mr Kendall, in his dilemma, called
-l,,pas,..s the .ps@~isAast end laid tbs
whole matter before him.
"'He threatens, does her cried 'Ol,
Hickory when he had been told o
the rage of Extra Billy WELL yo
can say to him that II he threaten
you he threatens me. Let him under
stand that l have never yet bee
frightened by a threat
Amos Kendall went back to tn
postotfice department and gave fina
and emphatic mo- to Extra Billy
who swore nightly that he woul
have the law on Kendall; and sur
enough. few days later. Mr.. Kendall
was served with papers In a proceed
ing asking for n mandamus to issu
against the postmastergeneral l.
compel him to grant extra compensa
tion to Extra Billy and to restor,
certain of his mall routes.
Again Mr. Kendall laid the situa
ton before the president, Old Hick
ory's' ire was up on the instant
Kendall he said-and | had tn,
conversation direct from Kendall him
self-'Kendall don't you pay any al
tention TO that paper. II the court
try to commit you for contempt, 20
turn to me. I'll make II speedily III
derstood that the executive depart
ment of this government is indepen
dent of the courts. No court can man
damus me or any member OF my cab
met. We can be impeached, but W,
can't be mandamused. and II is tim,
that the courts understood It,
so Amos Kendall went back to tn,
postofiice department and paid no al
tention to the mandamus proceedings
Then there began move to have hin
punished for contempt Mr.. Kendall
told me that he believed that had
been necessary, President Jackson
himself would have gone into cour
and denounced the court to its fac,
for even daring to summon membe
of the cabinet to the court to answe
charges of contempt But the Law
officers of the government took tn,
matter up, contending that the court
could not mandamus the executiv,
department-the president and tn,
cabinet omosrs--and the higher cour
sustained that view, settling the issu
once for ALL"
Copyright, 1911, by E. ]. Edwards. Al
Rights Reserved)