The Postmastership Logjam
Seattle's post office remains in limbo as local Democrats fight over the spoils of office.
The many candidates for the succession to Griffith Davies as postmaster of Seattle are in much the same position as the two men who tried to squeeze through a doorway large enough for only one—they are preventing anyone from getting through, and meanwhile, although his term of office has expired, Mr. Davies continues to draw the salary for which they are all so hungry. There are so many good Democrats who want the place, and some of them, although not all, are bitterly fighting each other. This lack of harmony is very embarrassing to the postmaster general and also to Mr. Cleveland. It is quite probable that some man will be named who will be as much of a surprise to the people of Seattle as the appointment of Postmaster Protzman was to those of Portland.
“There are so many good Democrats who want the place, and some of them, although not all, are bitterly fighting each other.”
Political patronage and the 'spoils system' were the primary drivers of municipal appointments in the 1890s. Today, while the postmaster is no longer a political plum, the intense, often gridlocked competition for local appointments remains a hallmark of Seattle's civic culture.
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