The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-03-14

ing the postoffice system of the coun-
try out Of politics and making it the
most thoroughly business institution
of the government. Yet Mr.. Burleson
appre ciates that the very point raised
in the Texas memorial is in line with
his earnest hope of raising the post
office department effectively and per-
manentlv out of the atmosphere of
politics, for such consummation is
possible only if all elements in public
life are considered and enlisted, or,
in ote rhworis, if the line is not
drawn between the two factions OF
the dominant party, in the end, to
take the pOstoffice department com
pletely out of politics, all political
lines must be eliminated and appoint
ments to all places in the service must
be made rs in private buiness on
merit competition. To this end, Post
master General Burleson hopes even
tually to bring the postal service Of
the country.
Uncompromising Party Men.
These plans and dreams of the new
postmaster general do mot square with
Mr.. Burlesons long record as an un-
compromising party man, which gain
ed fer him the affectionate designa-
tion by former President Taft of "Old
Partisan Secretary of State Bryan
already has confided to friends out
aide the administration as to the
steadying effect upon his of large re
sponsibility and Postmaster General
BurlesOn has startled his friends by
his zeal to make the department
Yield efficient rather than political
results He did not hesitate to name
Alexander NJ. Dockery of Missouri
third assistant postmaster general al
though Dockery was a bitter anti
Wilson man in the presidential pri-
mary campaign, for Mr.. Dockery is
one of the greatest business reform
ers and systematizers that the demo
cratic party has had in congress. Mr..
Dockery has been criticised as ma
chine democrat, but his work in the
postoffice department will be exclus-
i've with the disbursing and fiscal de
tail of the department At the same
time, Mr.. Burleson has retained a re-
publican employe, who has great rep
utation as a man for business detail
as Lis chief clerk. So far he has re-
sisted all efforts to dislodge second As
sistant POSTMASTER eneral Stewart,
a republican, under whose administra-
tion the movement of the mails has
been worked out with machine-like
precision, and he has resisted every
insistent demand for the substitution
the head of the postal savings bank
division, unier whose direction the
savings bank system of the country
was established and is now being con-
Quoted with efficiency.
1000 Democratic Postmasters.
1t is this policy that has fairly
shocked Postmaster General Bnrle- |
sons friends and has already brought |
upon him the declaration of his po- !
litical associates that he is losing a
great political opportunity to serve /
the party through the powerful de
partment over which he presides. |
These friends will probably be ap- .
peased when the time comes to make
Dostoffice appointments, for Mr. Bur
eson expects to see his party put in
about 1000 democratic postmasters in
place of the republicans whose terms |
have or are about to expire Then
will probably come another disap-
for Mr.. Burleson plans to
let none of these postmasters remain
n office unless he measures up to
he standard of efficiency which he
proposes that his department in Wash
ngton shall act.