The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-08-31
THE STORY OF MRS. DE LA HUNT.
From the N. Y. Evening Post. I

On the 10Th of March, 1886. BenJa-
min Harrison, then United States SELL
ator from Indiana, delivered in the
senate u long speech, arraiguing Grover
Cleveland for breach of his pledges IN
the matter OF civil service reform. Ohe
of the chief counts in this indictment
was what Gen. Harrison called tine
story of Mrs. De la Hunt" his telling
OF which occupies the greater part OIL
one of the large pages OF the Congress
siOnal Record, vol. xvii, part ), page
1894.
~ have another case" Gen. Harri-
son began; 81 do not know how 1t may
seem to the senate. but to me 1t Is
infinitely full of pathos and indigna-
ton" He proceeded to describe The
military career of Maj De la Hunt, OF
the Twenty sixth Indiana Volunteers,
who was brought down by a wound
entirely through the body, at Prairie
GrOve,in Arkansas, and alter ecove
ing from this desperate wound, reJolned
bis command ana received a bullet
through his arm "Disabled by these
two wounds received in his country's
service, he vas compelled to cave the
army and return TO Perry county,
Indiana. But his days were few. His
vital forces had been so Slapped by the
wounds which he had received that 1t
was not long until a Borrowing widow
and only one child followed the remains
of as brave a soldier as v went out
from Indiana to his last resting place in
the grave"
Mai. De la Hunt left his widow with
small means, 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
fled that she was "most Efficient
Shortly before the expiration of Presi.
dent Arthur's term, said Gen. Harri-
son, "lsabelle DE la Hunt, the widow ,
was appointed, OH my request, by Gen.
Hatton, then postmaster general, to
this little posto9ice." 'lf there was in
all this country continued Gen. Har-
rison, some person who by reason of
her sex, who by reason of her widow
hood, who by reason of the sacrifice
she had made in giving the arm on
which she leaned to her country's SER
vice, 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 la l.unt, on the false charge
of ~"offensive partisanship," and APP
pointed a democratic ''wOrker" in her
place.
The Cleveland administration having
gone out, and Gen. Harrison having
become president, Mrs. De la Hunt
applied for restoration TO her old posi-
| ton as postmaster. There was no
| doubt as to her fitness. The present
president publicly testified three years
ago to the fact that she had been "most
| efficient" There was no doubt as to
her title to the Office. The present
president on the am occasion bore
| witness TO his belief that sit there was
In all this country II person who by
| reason of her sex, who by reason OF
her widowhoOd, who by reason OF the
sacrifice she had made In giving the
arm on which she leaned to her coun-
| try's service, was entitled to be kept
in ofice'-much more to be restored
to all Office of which h had been
| defrauded-''it was Isabelle DE la
Hunt" There was no doubt as to loca
sentiment demanding the restoration
OF this most efficient and worthy per-
son TO her old office. She presented a
| petition more numerously signed than
that of any other applicant, and repre-
senting an overwhelming majority oil
| 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
Harrison, became president? On the
contrary, the office has been given tC
John Zimmerman, who has beer
chairman of the republican county com
mittee, and whose only claim to the
place is party service.
On the Goth of March, 1886, Benjamin
Harrison told the story of Mrs. DE Ia
Hunt down to that dale. The Evening
Post to-day adds another chapter
bringing the story down TO the present
time. Benjamin Harrison made GER.
tain comments upon the story three
years ago. In preference to any com
ments of Its own to-day, the Evening
Post simply reprints the comments o
Benjamin Harrison:
Now, Mr.. President, perhaps my
distinguished friend from Kansas
whose command OF language so faI
surpasses my own, might characterize
this transaction, perhaps he could touct
ii up a little; but to me that work ]
impossible. The story Of Mrs. De u
Hunt carries its OtOn pathOS and It's OW'
indignation.