The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-12
THE POST OFFICE SCRAMBLE.


We have been figuring on this pos, ot'ic
election in Ottawa on Monday, and while II
count showed John J. Kellogg few vote
behind, it is palpable to Us that not only ii
worst beaten, but the worst abused man in til
business is poor Cullen, of the Ottawa RoP9
licaa. Everybody knew Cullen was Il cand
didatc for the Ottawa post office. He was
candidate Il wear and 4 half ago, and ever
day and all the time since For at least .
long, drcary months he has scarcely write
an editorial which was not pruned or polntc
with reference to its bearing on the post oilic
question. Not on this whole boundlcSs COZ
tincnt was there radical editor more obSt
quiously loyal to Grant. There was no poll
zeal crime or criminal, in all those Ion
months, that Cullen was not ready to stan
up for and defend the moment it bccam
known that Grant was on that side. He use
up quarts of ink and pages on pages Of hi
paper defending Tom Murphy, Casey an,
Coliax, and even apologised for Grants ap
prevail of the salary steal.
And while the post Office muciage thus
glued him to Grant, it glued him still more
closely, if possible, to Corwin, the next mal
through whom the post office must come
Talk of Damon and Pythias, David and Jon
athan-thcir friendship was cool Indifference
to that Of Cullen for Corwin. In carrying
Corwin successfully through this congress
,ional district Cullen dragged load to which
Limburgcr cheese was a swec, Fragrance, and
under which a giant might have staggered.
But see the base quality ofradical gratitude
No sooner was Corwin safely in his congrc,.
sional saddle then he torgcts all about poor
Cullen and posts off to Washington to secure
The post office for somebody else. Butler had
his sonin.law Brooks had his son-in.law,
Grant had brothers and sisters in law innu-
merablc, all Of whom had been cXtravagantly
provided tor,-why might not Corwin ape the
royal example, and also have brothcr-in-law
provided for? So ignoring poor Cullen, he
borcs the President in behalf of his relative
But the President has an idea or two Of his
own. Young man." said he TO the venerable
C)rwin, brothcrs.in.law are a royal luxury,
and not to be INDUCED in by any one below
Il cabinet officer" COrwin returned home
Disguised, and told the radicals of Ottawa to
hold an election and pick out their own post
master
Ehis was the unkndcst cut Of al--adding
insult to injury--returning a kick for favors.
To ask Cullen to submit his chances to vote
of the peoplel Of course in such contest
the case Of Cullen was hopeless As well ask
the people 10 vote for Johnny the Giant
When the little caucus met and Tom Bowen
proposed an election, Cullen put on his hat
ard walked out of the room the maddest man
ever seen in Ottawa. Mad You bet A
The election was an insult and humula-
ton to Cullen in IA hundred ways. The little
radical leaders Of Ottawa having no other in.
tcrcst in it than TO lay out Cullen, which was
done by having the election ordered, treated
it as a jolitication No saloons being closed
on account of such an election, before the
polls were opened half an hour, most of the
and blowers about the polls
were gloriously nebriated Though the
judges construed the invitation to vote to in
clude only Grant republicans, nearly every.
body voted that offered. Over 700 votes were
polled, with a number of republicans not vot.
ing, in city polling less than 600 honest rad
ical votes. So the joke was carried through.
Nobody cared to vote against Cameron, for
he is popular postmaster; and nobody cared |
to vote against Kellogg for everybody likes |
tim. But while nobody was willing to veae
for Cullen, everybody said it was shabby in |
Corwin not to have him appointed
But Cullcn's mad is up and the end is not
yeti Said a sympathizing friend to him
Had | stuck TO Corwin as you did, and zone
the depths you did to fight for Grant and the
radical party, and then couldn't control the
Ottawa post Office I'd quit business and bury |
myself in skunk-holcw The livid, ghas,ly |
smile Of Cullen in response, and his turned
up eye, and clcnchcd fists, told voIumcs-,