New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-14
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BOYCOTTING A POSTMASTER.
THE SAD PLIGHT OF SOUTH SALEM.
VILLAGE ALMOST soLIDLY REPUBLICAN REsENrs
POLITICAL BEHEADING.


POLITICAL BEHEADING.
The village of South Salem, in Westchester
County among oldest and most respectable COM
munties In the State of NewYork Its people thrifty
progressive and sturdy with far for churches
and schools than for dramshops In fact, out OF the
total population Of South Salem there are only seven
Democrats, that the demand for liquor stores Is
obviously light. The village is eight miles away from
any railroad station and free from the hustle
aud annoyance OF city life. But the people fully
alive to what going in the world around them, for
quite half the families in the village take THE TRIBUNE
and the other half borrow 1t every day.
It has been d post office since 1913. In that year
Gideon Granger the Postmaster-General with an eye
single the wishes Of the good people of Salem, APP
pointed Gould Hawley postmaster "Old Uncle Could,
as he was generally called, the first citizen OF the
vllage-a sort of burgomaster-a man OF learning and
influence, who realized the Importance OF his name
among the people, and who held himself In ali his
goingsin and comings-out with the utmost dignity.
lie was Democrat, but those were the days
when Democrat was at least entitled to the
presumption that he had good qualities until he showed
that the case otherwise "Uncle Could must not
be thOughtlessly condemned merely because he was
Democrat He held the office OF postmaster for hfty-
one years keeping 1t n his little red store right IN tho
centre of tho town. would been regarded as
capital crime for any to have coveted the oce
so long as "Uncle Gould" held it. The relation he
tanned to 1t was that is portrayed as existing
between thy neghbor and his house. or his manservant
or his his his ass. in the Tenth
Commandment. But at last "Uncle Gould" died. and in
1864 Cyrus Lawrence. who, by his talents
and learning, was tho natural successor OK
Uncle Could" in the esteem OF tho
people was appointed postmaster. He is justice Of
the peace and although the sessions OF his court are
limited owing the OF Democrats Ia the village,
yet hs position is one of honor. For nearly twenty
two years he has opened the mailbag every noon aud
tho urafft ttl rarrt
About mile and half outside Of the village and back
in farm house good distance from the road lives Elias
O. Lyon, Democrat, and consequently he has always
been onice:.ceker His quest for office has never
Mr. Lawrence ana Mr.. Lyon have been strained for
some me vo9 so bs. 5sa' refussG tS s psfrcH
s,e to the salem post Office The mail bags dis
patched per Mr. Layerys horse and wagon to the rail-.
way station OF KatOnah. the Harlem road, every
morning at O'Clock A post office regulation permits
drivers to mail properly prepaid on the road
hostility to Mr. Lawrence has been so earnest that
than buy stamp at the ONCE he brings me- let
hands them to Mr.. Lavery, the driver -.
Mr. LaWtehco vas mVTn I'm pphe oiic or IIr.t
Assistant General stevenson, at Washing,
tom notification that he offensive partisan and
hat Mr. Lyon was appointed III his place. When this
annoying news got abroad the village was eoml letely
upset Local tradition was exceedingly strong IN ur,
ing that not less than nifty years of ryee was iuU
term. and as for offensive partlsanshp as there were
only seven Democrats IN SaIem the 'hhg wa ptSctl-
cslly Of the question They could not easily see how
LYOu had COutriNrd 10 get appointed. lie udu uOJ
had petition but 1t hnaIIy leaked out as such hinss
will. that william X. strong, who l. re-
menbered the most recent victim of the Hon. james
W. Hustled in the race for the Assembly interested
with gresham Stah.ne ckcr In Mr. Lyons behalf aud
the o T be S petpe tpg of 70 a could
say Jack RObiusOa' shortly after Mr. Lawrence had
office wearing bland smile Il suppose You're ready
give these things up he said, alludins to te mali
YOU want tnenii Well ri have my two horse lumber
wagon here for them inside OF hour said
Mr
fthcr cercmouy right before astonished gaze OK
G letters and aii-was cared OF in Sir Lyons
two-hOrse wagon to his house nle and falf away
the village and back long stretch from the coun-
some time after departure OF the post Office By one
the mail bags came in by the other Ihe situation
was embarrassing and al salem collected IN and around
Mr. Lawrence store To discuss IT, Tue driver said that
he didn't know anything about any new office.
Judge Lawrence sail that he Was no longer post
naIy the driver said should take TO the next VII
agc OF Boutonvillc two miles away. He started on
S NTH mh.icT nj oS*G& e by ReT arSf M cER Joe %eet
"wlll Hull, g Rob Fancher. VIII Justin Lred
served mail bags through his spectaclcs and said he
felt lutte dubious about touching them. He didt
get mail here, the salem pilgrins turaei home
ward and went out to Lyons farm They found aim
PrnS P,SsT Ce %@ We Webster r'As stated ed the case ia
adsnse or much % n a1S pS he mp amigo
10 Boutoryle for the mail Then the boys went back
10 town Toward evening, George Lawrence a son OF
tbe Judge directed 10 70 down to Lyons arm ana
yet the mail for everybody in salem. lie ala So and
came back with ii In bundle, which was LAID out aud
assorted on a counter IN his fathers store.
The next morning meeting or the people was heLl,
and II was resolved that they would not support te
nrce ON Mr. Lyons farm; that they would employ the
snmc tactics toward Mr.. Lyon that he had
employed toward Judge Lawrence ana gWe
III thrir mail the driver \
boz was procured and place in central store and all
rho ouf.roiug letters put It, These were handed over
n thn driver "A he passes through the village after hr
yon's rpty bag closed. On the second day the new
niScs was Visited by the villagers who were invited
into the kitchen The office proper Ia upstairs ma bed
roor Pretty soon after the malls arrived MI Lyon
down with two milk pans full Of letters and papers
which he sct down the Oor telling the people at the
same limo 10 sort out wnat they wanted
n.tIrinr was sent TO the yestcr-
day signed with eight ythree ndmes being al tue heas
of families salem except three PRAYING the Depart
nant FOR the appontmcnt OF Henry l. 81. JOhn lie -
Judrr LAwrence's deputy. A complaint was similarly
signed representing that the present onco was "hoy
useless to the village