The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-07-04

A Democratic journal Defends ths SO.
Londonderry Post.0nacs.

1t says:
ChAses petition had 1856 names and
Smiths SS, according to the BEST infor-
nation obtainable, and Congressman!
Grout recommended Chase's appoint
ment. Whereat Smith and his strikers
are on the war path, and make all sorts
of charges. They have sent on to Wash
lot of affidavits, said to be IA In num-
Der, charging many blunders and long
delays In the delivery Of mail, collusiye
arrangement with Goddard, the resign
Ing Democratic postmaster, by which
money gets him out of the way, and a
refusal by Chase to sell postoffice order
to woman who wanted to send to Brat
tleboro for piece Of dress goods, saying
that 1t was not money order office.
About two weeks after the Presi-
dental election Mr.. Chase circulated
his petition, making a personal can
vass. He did not trust it to friends,
but carried it around himself and ask
ed people to sign It, There were no
other candidates in the field, nor
any talked about, other people re-
garding it as indecent to institute pro.
ceedings of this nature three Or four
months prior to the incoming of the
new administration. Under these cir
cumstances no one acquainted with
the petition business will wonder that
he got a good number of signers.
About the 10th of March, after it
was known that Chase's petition and
Goddard's purchased resignation had
been sent in, friends of Mr.. Smith
circulated a petition for him, and OBJ
tanned SO signatures. They also cir
culated at the same time a
supplementary petition setting forth
that the subscribers had signed the
petition of Chase under the impress.
sion that there would be no other can
didate, and that they greatly prefer
red Smith, and asking that their
names be stricken from Chase's pc
tition and added to Smiths. This
was signed by 81 persons, making
Smiths petition stand 1870 and taking
from Chase's 81 names. This, after
deducting the names of person known
to haFe been on Chase's petition and
who, according TO rules laid down by
Gen. Grout, were not legitimate sign
ers, left Smith in the majority, not
withstanding Chase had got the
"drop' on the matter by about four
months. 1t is but justice to Gen.
Grout to state that he did not know
of the latter petition, both having
been sent to the Department, and
Clarkson, who was bound to accom-
modate his brother committeeman,
Hooker, wrote him that Smiths Pc
tition had SO names, making no men-
ton of the 81. With this light Gen.
Grout endorsed Chase so far as the
petitions went, leaving the Depart.
ment to Judge Of the charges that
were sustained by 10 affidavits, not
IA as stated by this Democratic de-
fender.
1t further says:
As to the charge of blunders, there is.
conceded to be some truth. That is,
number of them occurred at one time and
when a clerk since discharged was in the
office. Chase asserts that not single
one of any account can be shown since.
This discharge of clerk is some
thing new to our citizens it not hav-
ing been known that Mr.. Chase had
discharged clerk in recent years.
1t is generally supposed that it refers
to Fred Pierce, a very worthy young
man who was in Mr.. Chase's service
for about two years, and left it last
winter, not because he was discharg-
ed, but that he had finished his con-
tract and preferred to go where he
thought he could do better, and now
has good situation in Boston. But
"Chase asserts that not single one
(blunder) of any account can be shown
SINCE" Ha, ha! Well let us see
Since Mr.. Pierce left the writer was
shown by one of the patrons of the
office q letter, delivered to him, that
was plainly addressed to party in a
Massachusetts town; the letter had
been mailed at Peru and came into
this Office in transit. Since this time
he has had delivered to him letter
addressed to Mrs. G.. J. Thompson,
also one addressed to G.. G.. Smith.
Both Of these were opened by bis wife,
she not looking at the address. Mat
ters Of this nature are not pleasant
for either party, and we should say
were OF some "account." But yet g.
mother: In the latter part of April
he had letter delivered to him that
was plainly addressed, as follows:
To the Listers Of
Ludlow,