Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-06-13
The Story of Mrs. De La Hunt.

| ou tue LOIIl OI MaTcIl, 1000, DeDJdmlL
Harrison, then United States Senator
from Indiana, delivered in the Senate
long speech, arraigning Grover Cleve
land for breach of his pie dges in the
matter Of civil-service reform. One Of
the chief counts in this indictment was
| what Gen. Harrison called 1.-THE story
of Mrs. De la Hunt" his telling OF
which occupies the greater part OF one
of the larger pages of the Congressional
Record, vol. xviii, part 8. page 2794.
II have another case," Gen. Har-
rison began; II do not know how it
may seem to the Senate, but to me it
is infinitely full of pathos and indigna-
tion." He proceeded to describe the
military career of Maj. De la Hunt of
the Twenty-sixth Indiana Volunteers,
who was brought down by wound
entirely through the body. at Prairie
Grove in Arkansas, and after recover
ing from this desperate wound, reJoin-
ed his command and received bullet
through his arm. "Disabled by these
two wounds received in his country's
service, he was compelled to leave the
army and return to Perry County, In-
diana. But his days were few. His
vital forces had been so sapped by the
wounds which he had received that it
was not long until a sorrowing widow
and one only child followed the re-
mains of as brave a soldier as ever
went from Indiana to his last resting
place in the grave"
. Maj. De la Hunt left his widow with
small meaus, and she entered upon the
work of maintaining herself and her
boy. Her old father was Postmaster at
Cannelton, and she became his deputy,
in which capacity Gen. Harrison testi-
fed that she was "most efficient"
Shortly before the expiration of Presi-
dent Arthu1's term said Gen. Harrison,
"Isabelle De la Hunt, the widow, was
appointed, on my request, by Gen.
Hatton, then Postmaster-General to
this little post-office." eff there was
in all this country" continued Gen
Harrison,, Zone person who by reason
of her sex, who by reason of her widow.
hood, who by reason of the sacrifices
she had made in giving the arm on
which she leaned to her country's
service, was entitled to be kept in office,
was entitled to have her reputation
guarded jealously and by all men who
represented the Government, it was
Isabelle De la Hunt. Nevertheless,
the Cleveland Administration removed
Mrs. De leIunt, on the false charge
of offensive partisanship," and ap-
pointed Democratic "worker" in her
place.
The Cleveland Administration hav-
iug gone out, and Gen. Harrison hav-
Ing become President, Mrs. De la Hunt
applied for restoration to her old posi-
ton as postmaster. There was no
doubt as to her fitness. TIE present
President publicly testified three years
ago to the fact that she had been
"most efficient" There was no doubt
ent President on the same occasion
bore witness to his belief that i'f there
was in all this country one person who
by reason of her sex, who by reason OF
her wild ,whood, who by reason of sac
rifice she had made in giving the arm
on which she leaned to her cOuntry's
service, was entitled to De kept in Of
flee" much moro to be restored to an
office of which she had been defraud-
ed "it was Isabelle De la Hunt"
There was no doubt as to local senti-
ment demanding the restoration of
this most efficient and worthy person
to her old Office. She presented peti-
ton more numeroIsly sigDed than
that of any other applicant, and repre-
senting all overwhelming majority of
the patrons of the Office.
OF course, Mrs. De la Hunt was re-
appointed to her old position as soon
as her old champion, Benjamin Harri-
son, became President? On the con-
trary, the office has been given to John
Zimmerman, who has been Chairman
of the Republican County Committee.
and whose only claim to the place is
party srvice.
On the 26th of March 1886, Benjamin