The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1916-01-14
SENATE CONFIRMS
ROMAN OFFICIAL

Last week the senate confirmed the
appointment of Joseph A. Lemire as
postmaster at Roman. Just before the
holidays his appointment was an
nounced by the president and sent to
the senate, where matters were hung
up over the holiday recess. There was
no opposition to his confirmation and
when the matter was called up inn
nediate]y after the senate convened
after the holidays, it went through in
regular order.
The term of the present postmaster,
Mr.. A. M, Sterling, expires January
18th, but Mr.. Lemire states that the
change will not occur until February l.
The postoffice has been in excellent
hands ever since Mr.. Sterling took
charge, some seven or eight years ago,
and it is good to know that his sue
cessor will be equally obliging and
competent. The whrl of politics is en-
tire]y responsible for the change in
postmastership.
Mr.. Lemire announces that the Of
fee will be moved to new building
now under construction adjoining the
store of Lemire Bros, on the east. The
new home will be 20x3O feet in size,
with lobby 2Ox2O feet.
1t will be 40 arranged that the lobby
will be open at all hours of the day,
allowing patrons of the office having
lock boxes to procure their mail at any
time, whether the postmaster is there
or not. This will be a great improve
ment and convenience, especially on
Sundays and holidays when the office
is closed except upon the arrival and
departure of the mails.
Mr.. Lemire's confirmation by the
senate closed a spirited postoffice fight
in Roman, the main issue being the
location. In the melee Mr.. Lemire
came out an easy winner with Con-
gresham John M. Evans the greatest
loser. So far as the selection of .Mr.
Lemire as postmaster is concerned,
there has been little real objection and
the contest between the aspirants has
beer friendly one. All the trouble
has been caused by the slippery con-
gressman from Western Montana. He
has tried to play both ends of the
string from the middle and has made
complete failure Of the job. He prom
lsed everything to everybody, knowing
at the time the promise would not be
kept. Had he come out in the start
and told the people his selection had
been made, and been honest as to the
location, he would still have few
friends in Roman. But instead of this
he encouraged all of the aspirants to
get into the race, stating that nothing
had been settled and that they had as
good chance as anybody else, while .
at the very time he was telling them
he knew that the position had been
pledged to another for the past two or
three years. He was equally as de-
ceptive about the location, promising
one thing to one faction, something
else to another, and so on down the
line. His line of political play might
be expected from a ward heeler in the
slums of New York or some other
large city, but hardly from man sup
posed to be equal to the job of repre-
senting a great state like Montana in
the halls of congress. The fruits of
his labor will undoubtedly show up
well at the coming November harvest.
But aside from all this, Roman is 90
ing to have new postmaster. Roman
is going to have good new postmaster
to take the place of the good retiring
postmaster. The patrons of the office
will be satisfied with future service as
they have been with the service of the
past and the change in location and
officials will be made without inconven-
ence and without the least animositv
on the part of one contending faction
against the other. A truce has been
declared and the dove of peace perches
On the town of Roman.