The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-27
THE WAR ON GRANDPA JONES
The Charges Preferred Against Him
by the Mugwump Quadrilateral.
A Strong Statement of Their Grievances
The Reason for the Removal of the
Female Offensive PartiSans

The charges that were conceived in secret,
shrouded in mystery and concealed from the
public by publication in the Freeman affecting
the official acts of Postmaster Grandpa Jones
make vcry Interesting reading, and will be zen
orally conceded to make a dec.sdedly strong
case against that patri@.ccoi,lal official They are
signed hy Lucius Swift: Lindley vinton. A. A.
McKain and Louis Rowland After brief pre-
amble, the charges read as follows:
Mr. Aqulla Jones took charge of the Indian
apolis postofice as postmaster April 49, last SO
far as has yet been discovered, the Office was ir
high state of efficiency, MIR. Jones at once
moved the assistant postmaster and cashier,
Mr.. E. P. Thompson and appointed in his stead
Mr. John W. Dodd, man over sixty years old,
a. assistant postmaster, and his son, Mr.
Ben Jones, cashier. Inquirns diligently to
ascertain Mr.. Dodds fitness for this position, we
have been unable to learn what were his previ-
Gus means of support. We hear that years ago
he was engaged in some sort of cement business,
in which he failed, and at one time he canyassed
for newspaper. He has widespread reputa-
ton as peing small politician. His view of the
duties of his Office is shown by his reply TO a re-
quest to retain certain letter carrier IF we
begin to make promises to retain carriers,
there will be no places for our political friends"
The stamp clerk was also removed, and the
Rev. Oliver H. Perry Albeit was put into his
him to count money and stamps and it seems
doubtful if the public business will not perma-
nently continue to be delayed by his incapacity.
The chief of the Registry Department was also
removed, and Mr.. William Morgan was APP
pointed IN his place. He is about twenty-five
years old, and is a nephew of the Vice president
He had been a clerk in drug store.
The chief of the Repair Department was sup
planted by Mr. Joseph Sheppard, who had been
for many years q meat inspector in a pork house
AT ma0a
the postoffice building, and on the same day he
removed six employes-engineer, elevator boy
and janitors. The new chief janitor was another
son, Mr.. Fred Jones.
A few days since four women employed in
repairing jute canvass sacks were dismissed
and three men appointed in their places The
pay of the four women was divided among the
men.
ding the postmaster to make these removals. The
mon removed we're all Republicans, and they
were removed to make places for Democrats
The six laborers discharged were not discharged
for ineficiency, for the good of the service
The former chief janitor was wounded soldier
and having only three men to superntend
worked with his hands every day. The
new chief janitor performs only the duties of SUI
perintending his three subordinates. The other
men discharged were efficient, and thoroughly
understood their duties With a single exception
they could not be said to be offensive partisans
The dismissed superintendent of the repair de-
partment George f. McGinnis, is an ex-general
of the army, much respected in this COM
munity, and he had no other means of support
We maintain that changes like these in
direct violation of your repeatedly expressed in
tentions that no one should be removed without
cause.
We have ascertained the following facts relating
to the four women dismissed:
Mrs. Fanny A. Hitshue, aged forty five, is a
widow who owns four room cottage, and sup
ported two daughters on her wages-$8. 6G a
How, a11 1J1yht HAL hn
younger child is twelve years old. She had no
other income, and had worked three years in the
postoffice.
Mrs, Matte Munsell, aged thirty is a
soldiers widow. She has widowed invalid
mother, who owns a fourroom cottage, where
they live Her mother can do little work and
earns by sewing not to exceed $l5 year. The
front room of the cottage is rented at $40
month. This rent and the wages of Mrs. Nun
sell-$8 66 week-were the sole support of the
mother and daughter. She had worked in the
postofice three years
Miss Myra Hipwell, twenty-seven years old,
had worked nine years In the office. She has
widowed mother, brother twenty one years
DID, and a niece fourteen years old They have
property, and live in rented house. These
four comprise the family, and were supported by
herself and her brother, who is machinist.
Miss Alice Burnside is thirtyfve years DID,
and is a niece of the late General Ambrose E.
Burnside She has worked in this office one
year. She has a widowed mother and sister
who earn 81 a week. The three were supported
upon the wages of herself and her sister. They
have no property and no other income.
The work of mending the canvas sacks used
in the mail service can be done by any
skilled with the needles it has been satisfactorily
done here by women for more than ten years
It is now said that these removals were made
because the nature of the work and the place
where it was done were disagreeable. The
women may be allowed to speak for themselves
The work was earnestly desired by them as a
means of getting bread and had been done for
them for years without detriment to health. At
and before the dismissal they were repeatedly
assured that the sole reason for their discharge
was that the party pressure for their places was
sn great that they would have to go. And this
is the sole reason They were discharged be-
cause their fathers or husbands, long since dead
were, years ago, Republicans.
These discharges are also in open contempt of
the course laid out by you to govern removals.
and there are few instances of such savage par
tisan mercileSsnesS. :"
Since Mr. Jones became postmaster the local
civil service board has been changed by the
retirement of two members and the substitution
of the assistant postmaster and the aforesaid
nephew Of the Vice president. Early in June
au examination was held of applicants for posi-
tons in the postoffice. The Civil Service Com
mission was not represented at the examination
but it was left entirely in the charge of the
local board, with Mr. Dodd at the head. Other
than this board several persons during the exam
ination were moving about among the applicants
and looking over their shoulders. Communica-
ton, comparison OF work, and copying results as
between applicants, seemed to be unchecked
These facts alone render the examination worth
less as a competitive test, and ether suspicious
circumstances make it due to the local board
that this examination should be thoroughly
investigated.
On July l, five employees in the classified serv-
ice were dismissed, on twenty four hours notice,
and Democrats were appointed in their places.
We have had time to investigate but two cases,
of which make the following report:
Willis g. Wood is nineteen years of age, and
a graduate of tho Indianapolis High School He
entered the civil service July. 1883, being one of
the three who passed the first civil service
animation held here He has been ever since in
the money order department., commencing on a
salary of 5000, which was raised after six