The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-10-15

The removal OF tho postmaster at Cleveisnd' ONO
the signal OF furious attack upoa The Prssden'
He charged in the Federal prints, with Proscrio
ing faithful wing "for opinions sake ]" ana al
though mutitudes Of such prescriptions" had marx
ed the brief reign Of Mr. Granger th universal ap-
proyal by the Federaliss, yet single Instance OF
removal said be ''for opinions sake, by Mr. Iy-
ler is denounced the acme Of proscrptive nioie-
rance.
II turns out, however, that the removal at Cleve-
land was very far from being ''for opinions sake -
Il will be seem by the following publication, which
we find in the Cincinnati Republican, that the a'e
postmaster wes removed for cause and ample cause
Justice should mpel the prints that have assailed the
President in this instance TO publish the facts but
will thcyi
Cusor.xArl, Oct 4th, 1912.
To the Editor Of the Cleveland Herald
Sir l see 10 your editorial in the Herald OF Sep
tember 81 AZ that you place the recent removal oil
A. Barker ESQ., from the office OF Postmaster al
Cleve and on the ground of his political opinions =
This may also be the belief Of portion OF The citi-
Of Cleveland, who attended the meeting held on
the both ul,, opposed TO the removal OF MIR barker
From these considerations deem II duty which Is
due To you to the public, and 10 the Post Oihcc De-
partmcnt, TO say, in this public manner, that Mt.
Barker not removed for Opinions sake, but ior
the repeated abuses OF Of his official trusts, the
tranking privilege
During the speculation, in bank notes, oil last WIN
ter packages of money were found almost daily al
the Distributing Post Office at Columbus Ohio, IN
| the newspaper mail, from the Z. o. at Cleveland,
directed 10 brokers la Cincinnati Al hrst the r. NJ.
at Cou bus supposed this to have been done by mis-
take, and wrote the p. NJ at Cleveland, informing
him of the fact Mr. Barker replied that he was
certainly mistaken that neither he nor his clerks
had sent such packages in the newspaper mall
This making the matter WORSE for II SO happen
ed that was at Columbus when portion OF these
packages were received, and saw them taken ON
the newspaper mail / also wrote MIR. Barker on the
subject. Soon at err, visited Cleveland, and had an
interview with him he was compelled to acknwIedge
the charge and said It made differ nee, the letters
containing money would go safer in the newspaper
mail than in the letter mail. lreped that such con-
duct was highly censurabe, and to place on 1t The
most favorable construction cARELEssNEss, would
in my opinion render him liable for any loss that
might occur under such circumstances being contra
~ the law and instructions of the 7. y. Depart
ment, besides Iessening the r. .: revenue. DIR.
Barker promised reformation, and l heard oil no
fu Their the part Of the Cleveland Post o.
fee, until in July last
At this time Col. w. II. II. Taylor, P. NJ. at Gin
cinnati, reported the p. NJ at Cleveland TO me for
having abused his franking privileges. Ten moneyed
packages had been received at the Cincinnati fost
Office in the same mall directed TO Broker, MIR.
Drake,) each weighing full 3-4 of an ounce, and
bearing the frank of A. Barker p. NJ, at Cleveland.
| was also informed by Col. Tayl r, that similar
packages had been previously received at MS once
franked n the same way. On the reception OF this
information, wrote to MIR Barker giving him the
substance of the charges preferred by Col Taylor,
and asked for an explanation.
Mr.. Barker replied that he had franked the pack
ages containing bank notes (as reported by Mr. To-
but that they were addressed to broker, but to
his friend Mr. Drake Of this city, and that he would
| have done as he did if he had known the President
! or myself had been at Cincinnati to receive them
He subsequently wrote the postmaster at Cincinnati
| as follows: 81 received this morning IRON }.
| Drake, banker, CINCINNATI an account in.whch he
charges me with 81 80 excess, postage paid.
This will show to the satisfaction OF every candid
person that political considerations had nothing to do
with the removal Of Mr.. Barker; that there was but
the one course left the President after the reception Of
the above information ii. e. his removal-see Sec
205, p. o. Laws and Instructions l reported this
case in person to the Post Master General, and not
one word was said relative to MIR. Barkers politics.
The Post Master General Immediately and in my
presence reported the facts to the President
Iregret being compelled to make public the causes
of Mr. Barkers removal, but he has suffered such
an ado to be made about it, when he himself must
have known the cause of his removal, land that in
Justice has not been done him-that in doing so,
conceive am complying with duty about which
he has no right to complain.
Very respectfully,
C. G NOTATION,
Special Agent 2. o. ID.