The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-04-15
TIE "BErRAYAL" or Mr.. BLAINE.
Postmaster Pearson Refutes Certain False
statements.
Nor inc

New York rimes.l
Postmaster Pearson, on being questioned
SIS TO the truth of the statements publis 81
in certain Washington prrers of Sunday last
concerning his alleged betrayal of Mr..
Blaine and his probable share in bargain, /"
the terms OF which included his support OF
the Democratic candidate for Governor OF
New York at the next election, said:
The insinuation that there was any bar
gain for my retentson in Office / am sure
has no foundation in fact. The charge that
/ betrayed Blaine is simply ridiculous. l
had ne trust to betray, and consequently,
betrayed none. Neither Mr.. Blaine nor
any of his active supporters ever
asked me to make any special per.
sora al effort in his behalf, still less to en-
deavor to influence the votes of the en-
ployes OF this Office. I was desirons that
nifty to vote ss he pleased, aud to that end
proposed to close the office and its stations
for the greater part of election day, as had
always been the practice on that and all 9th.
er legal holidays, and prepared the usual
printed notices announcing that this would
be done, which were displayed in the lob
bies of this building and in those OF all the
stations; bat a day or two before election
day saw in the papers a Washington dis
patch announcing tsat the Postmaster Gen.
eral had decided I Postoffices must be
kept open as usual Ga election day. / then
sent tDle request OY telegrhpn.
First Assistant Postmaster General, Washington
Election day being legal holiday in this State
and business generally suspended, may this Of
II. G. PEARSON. P. NJ.
ITO this a reply waf received to tue effect
that under a recent decision of the Post
master General Postoffices could not be
closed on election day, as it was not Ma.
tional holicay.' l az once ordered the
printed notices to be removed, and notified
sll Superintendent of stations to
do the same; also to cause the usual
number of deliveries and collec'
tons TO be made on election day, bat
at the same time instructed them particu-
| larry TO see that every employe who desired
to vote should be gwen so opportunity TO do
| so. This could readily be done without neg
lect of their duties as most of the mails ar
irving after the heavy early morning mails
| and also the local mail matter, would, OF
| course be much lighter on election day than
on ordinary days, believe that not one
employe Of the Office was deprived of the
| right of franchise through being compelled
| to attend to his official duties.
ION the morning of election day receiv
| ed dispatch from Mr.. Hszen, die Third AS
sistant Postmaster General, instructing me
to see that all employees we're given an OPP
poItunity to vote, but as l had already ta-
ken measures to give that opportunity to sll
necessary. On the same morning 1 was
called on by, three Post Office inspectors,
who inquired whether all employees
would be given an opportunity to
vote. i assured them that they
would, and told them OF the in.
stiuctions had issued on the subject, and
they left apparently satisfied. Nevertheless.
wirhin one or two days after the election
ascertained that on election day letter csrri-
ers were stopped while on their routes by
Postoffice Inspectors, who displayed their
commissions and questioned the carriers as
to whether had allowed them to vote, how
had instructed them TO vote whether they
should vote as i told them, whether 1 had
not instructed them to vote for Mr.. Grace,
etc. / can not believe that these Of
fcisls were instructed to ask such
insulting aud idiotic questions, but pre-
sumo them to have acted only according to
their individual conceptions of the fitness
of things.'
zone OF the Inspectors went even 90 far as
to enter one Of the stations and advise the
EupeIinten dent to close the station aud let
the meE go to work at the polls-aud this
although he was aware OF the instructions