The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-04-23
BURLESON FACES
BIG OPPOSITION
Ealk Heard of Congressional
Movement to Inpeach Post
master General
POLICIES DECLARED
TO BE ARBITRARY

Political Methods and Counsel
In Issue for President to
Handle Problem.
Washington, April 19-What was
once &C cloud no larger than a mans
hand has now spread pretty thor
zoughiy over the political armament as
seen from this city.
There is q big storm breaking over
Postmaster General Albert Sidney
Eur escn: It is both an interparty
and an intraparty affair. 1t is de-
reieping a serious 'factional breach
within the Democratic organization
in congress as well as affording the
Republican opposition an Irresistible
opportunity for partisan assault.
1t IL being freely suggested that a
resolution will be offered in the next
bonse Of representatives to ,impeaca
the postmaster general, and that it
j. Is offered it will receive a great
many votes-possibly enough to car
ny it and put Mr.. Burleson on trial
before the United States on the
charge OF arbitrary and tyrannous
use of his official powers.
The storm that is rapidly coming
to- head over Mr. Burleson is due
IN large measure to the feeling that
he has administered the postoffice de-
Dartnent in narrow and unsatisfac-
tory manner, sacrificing progressive
efficiency in the handling Of the mails
to the procrustean policy, inherited
from former Postmaster General
Hitchcock. OF making the postal
service pay.
~ q Republican and q Democrat were
discussing the Burieson policies the
other day There is one thing that
can be said in Burleson's favor, and
enlN one that know Of said the
Republican. aud that is he is no worse
tfl:fnI Ifitchcock. - II don't agree with
yotr.s. said the Democrat: - think
Baraesens administration has been
verse than Hitchcock's.p
A Republican and a Democrat We're
agreed that 1T comes broadly
ts this: It is better to have
the mails. collected and delivered
more accurately, frequently, and
speedily as. the years so by and the
country grows. even though the
postoffice department show a deficit
of a few millions of dollars a year: or
to have the frequency and speed OF
the mail service diminished as tho
country grows, for the sake Of showing
a. little balance every year on the
right side Of the ledger? The public
pays the piper in either case; 1t pays
the deficit in postal revenues to main
tain efficiency Of service, or it pays
in other ways for impairment of SER
vice to prevent the deficit. There is
nothing as yet to prove that the pub
lie farors the Hitcheock-Burleson idea
Of postal economy.
Postmaster General Burleson's S
handling Of the telephone and tele.
graph facilities Of the country has
been such that the congressman who
introduced the measure empowering
the administration to take over these
properties has recently announced
that he owes an apology for having
offered the bill The congressman
SAYS that he was led to believe that
: Improved service at more reasonable
rates would be the result: but he re-
CARDS the outcome as having been
distinctly opposite to what was sup
posed to be the justification OF the
empowering act.
One Of the two leading telegram
companies of the country complains
and goes into the courts with its con-
tention. that the Burleson policy is SC
shaped as to confiScate the property
and rights Of this concern for the
benefit of the larger rival concerns
which has already once been required
under the antitrust laws to sever q
corporate alliance tending to destroy
competition. The opinion OF most
men in congress, if their private con-
rersation is any criterion, is tha: the
postmaster general need not have
taken over the telegraph and telc-
phone lines at all. specially as he
worst of the war emergency had ap-
parently passed before he acted.
The former congressman and pres
ent tariff commissioner, who was call
ed in by Mr.. BCrleson to take charge
OF the telegraph and telephone b'l
reau"of the poStoffice department. W:is
delighted to give up the job after ~
had been its supposed administrator
for "a few months Mr.. David :,
Lewis. of Maryland. went to th'
work enthusiastically. under the I'M
preston that It meant improvement
of public service and reduction OF
the charge to the public. He doubt
less feels now like the Louisiana con
gressman WHO fathered the law under
which the postmaster general took
over the lines.
Another repeated assertion againS'
Mr.. Burleson is that he demoraiizeo
the civil service commission and the
civil service by arbitrarily nrtak-
ing to dominate its administration II
matters applying to the postoftlce de-