Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-16
ssThe Soldiers Friend"

~ &c
ED. JoURNAL:-The subject of the ap-
pointment of Mr.. Elkins, as Postmaster
at Akron, over Lieut.. Storer, a brave of
fcer, disabled while in his eountry's SER
vice, seems to be a thorn in the side of
Judge Spalding's friends, which they
would fain get rid of, but cannot. Save
the puerile and perverted statement Of
the army Herald, published at Cleveland,
o., the editor of which l strongly suspect
Of being q paid "whipper in" of Judge
Spslding's friends, not one of them has
said a word il ~extenuation of Judge Spai-
ding's conduct in this transaction. On
the one hand was q Petition signed by
eighteen or twenty of Mr.. EIkin's friends,
and on the other the strongest petition
ever circulated in Akron, signed bv a
majority of the merchants, mechanics, and
laborers of the city, asking in respectful
terms of Judge S. as IN act of Justice to
a gallant officer, and as a pledge to those
who had fought their country's battles
that their services were not to be forgot.
ten, that he use his influence to procure
the appointment for Lieut.. Sterer. Yet
in the face of all this, and regardless Of the
known wishes of nine-tenths of his con
stituents in this city, he bestowed his pa
tronage on a man who not only had a lu-
crstive business to fall back on for daily
support, but who had, in the four years
previous, drawn from Uncle Sans trea-
sury for his services as postmaster, the
snug little sum of $4,000. But his admir-
alton for tho 'wire- pulling set, was not
content even with this. To more fully
show the estimation in which he held
them for their labors in his behalf, and to
show to the world that he considered
"political tricksters' of more account
than the balance of his constituents at
Akron, though they were importuning
in behalf of a disabled soldier, he must
needs, by his remarks to the gentleman
who visited him at Washington, to lay
before him the position of Col. Storers
friends, offer a high-handed insult to the
soldiers Of Summit county and the conn
try, by declaring to him that ",vere a req
ineHt Of crippled soldiers to EetitiOa ham,
Hey could moi change his purpose Of giving
his influence IA faror Of M. Eikins ap-
p0iHtHeHt."
And nOWsthis Soldiers friend has the
objectionable impotence to come before
the soldiers of this district, and ask them,
by their votes, to return him to Congress,
and your n~eighbor of the Beacon, who
processes so much sympathy for the SOL
der, has the effrontry to second his ap-
peals, adding insult TO insult by asking
the soldiers, whom Judge Spalding so
basely insulted, to kiss the hand that has
smitten them.
But if this is their object, they know lit
tie indeed ofthose who went forth at their
country call TO fight its battles, if they
for n moment suppose that they are SO
devoid of sympathy for an unfortunate
brother soldier, as to again trust the rep
resentation in Congress Of this district to
a man who bestowed his patronage on one
who was lining his pockets with green
backs, while they were living on "hard
tGcf' snd GghtiGg rebels 81 the south il
preference to a crippled soldier, who was
every way as competent to perform the
duties of his Office as Mr.. Elkins.
Tr.wVIE