Show postmaster GENERAL of all the cabinet officers of president cleveland postmaster general vilas seems to have made the moat inexcusable and deplorable blunders even in this we are beginning to feel some of tho consequences of either his inefficiency or wilful disregard of the public interest under his ad ministration a nonresident non resident and a disreputable fellow has been appointed to a widow lady who has for years given all clasgen entire satisfaction as postmistress at incompetency and cial violations of trust on the part of other postmasters in tins territory overlooked y 0 w f f t but these arc only small matters i which in connection with more iq indicate the 0 J t I 1 f i unfitness of vilas for the high po r faw which he occupies an article appearing the columns of tho new york sun nt other of his lubau it i r ii cief and shortcomings in the following language of official lawbreaking is the the most reprehensible farj its had example it in a measure dis j jt is moreover for sta it lasts even in this coun try ds to a certain extent privilege and privilege is protection sometime however retribution is prompt and adequate as in cf chief justice vincent removed by president cleveland so far aa the public impropriety the coi ives which m mcfain mf ain ice ami malfeasance are many but that least to bo tolerated is the bent beyond ue hia of fice yIt vanity it may be tho cause such an official is a constant menace to order and regularity up baturo to do those thines which fan ought notto not to do and cleave undone hoso abines which ne foupht to do postmaster general vitas has placed lumel within the censure of both these charges 1 pers hapa jils sudden rise haa turned hia head or else ho never understood official obligations or understanding does not them he appears to administer lawns if like falstaff he thought there was no virtue ex tant and little wisdom except in himself it public office is public trust BO says president cleveland and the maxim la accepted postmaster gen ral vilas as a cabinet is trustee for congress and those who caroe the af the laws in trusted batto him this trust lie has betrayed not only has ho refused to carry duta law con by congress but he has thwarted ita design and contravened its policy A brief detate ment will show that athla true the constitution gives congress the power to regulate commerce commerce is here understood as a unit and this grant embraces all thein by which it may be carried carr led on correspondence is brie of them to provide for the transportation of foreign mails is therefore a duty this duty congress has performed from tho beginning in dealing commerce congress Con grees has fre declared a policy it haa secured the coasting trade to our own people the building of ships to americans and done many other things to favor them in pur ap tho ard 3rd of March last it appropriated by law ator thea transportation of foreign mails including railway transit across the isthmus of canama A a fit instrument to expend tho money thus appropriated it authorized the postmaster general to enter into contracts for the faion of any part of said foreign iua ilai legal advertisement with alm lowest responsible bidder at a rate not exceeding bofty cents a nautical mile on the trip each way actually travelled between the terminal pointer limiting him the prom vlao that abo bonila eoj contracted eh all decarrie be carrie on american steam chips and thai the aggregate of bubli contracts acta alinell not exceed one half of the bum hereby appropriated here then Is a trust for the post master general to exo cuta elioso interested te aro the coheres Co neres for alie people whom it and tho steamships anich nay be benefited by its execution postmaster general vilas has no interest and if ho had it would confer on him no discretion it is a practical law with a plain pur joao and not an abstraction for mr vitas to bis alta upon i whenever the supreme power in a state acting with unquestioned jurisdiction enacts a policy for the k y iw benefit of people to necessity like transporting tha mails aird provides alle life b y alone it shall bo conducted its authorization to carry out that policy ia a to any subordinate who may accept he or government is a sham thiis ia the orderly jurisprudence of every government that profess eto ali S supremacy oflus instead of doing alio llio will of congress by carrying out tills law alie postmaster general ignores all obligations upon himself and directly contravenes tra venes the law and the policy of congress by ent aenni foreign instead of american ships to do the service he lias assumed to regulate commerce a power which congress cannot consign to his discretion sir vilas is at war with the lawmaking law making power to it in ear feet ho says you jiabo been bam booz led you have been ma detlie tool of hobbyists lobbyists and subsidy gr abbery your heads have been turned by baloo appeal you do not know what von want nor mean what you pay and if you do I 1 cannot understand you you have not provided means to carry out the scheme you indicate in short there is no end of reasons for in your fearfully dissolute state or at least the iny ciscro tiong feeling this you appear to me 0 o have invoked it but if you leave not I 1 propose to use it for you I 1 will therefore do nothing with your appropriation nor will I 1 pay the slightest attention to your authorization as to how to spend it I 1 will refer your whole work back to you hoping eliat you may regain your wits and act rationally iche mean time I 1 will transport te mails on roy own hook |