The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1893-07-21
The Newfane POstoftice fight-A letter
From an Old Democrat.
Newfane, July 18th, 1893.


Newfane, July 18th, 1898.
Mr.. Editor.
The slumberous lethargy of OLD
Newfane has been broken by the gun,
in the postoffice battle. The antics Of
some republicans are very amusing and
remind us of A. Wards "Phunny
Phellows. Months before democrats
made any stir, one set of republicans
tried to induce leading democrat to
go for the office so no other democrat
could get it away from Batchelder.
The idea Of trying to make F. 0. Bur
dit a political traitor.
Another set urged other democrats
to get the Office and sell out to the
other store, even putting it on the line
of duty, sit would be 50 much more
convenient for the public" and because
OF our refusal twitting us of lack of
financial thrift and public spirit. One
set wanting to keep the turkey and
give us the owl, the other set wanted
we should take the owl and give them
the turkey. But finding that demo-
Gratis were not in the catspaw business,
not caring for the name without the
game, and had put up candidate of
their own, then these advocates of re-
moval for public benefit showed their
public spirit by signing a petition for
Batchelder's reappointment because,
they could not dictate the selection of
the democrat candidate. | was quite
elated upon learning that there were so
many democrats as the claims of the
other side made it appear, but when
some they claimed as such said they
never had voted democrat ticket and
never expected to, and others that they
had not for a great many years | was
enveloped in a cloud OF dependency,
then finding others who said they never
had voted that way but had about
made up their minds to as they thought
the republicans were the biggest hogs,
| began to see the silver lining.
That a democrat should fail to 90
ior an Office that he could probably
have for the asking passeth the under
standing Of our friends, but we old
democrats have observed that some Of
flee holders get such morbid banker
ing to hold on that they use nearly as
questionable methodsto keep themselves
in as an old topper does to keep himself
supplied with liquor, and feared that
our tactics might become depraved and
our constitutions weakened by anxiety.
Verify the weak need doctor to
scribe" for them, their scribe seems to
have got the dose of civil service reform
badly compounded. Should one of the
principal ingredients be hiring men to
circulate petitions for the appointment
n
OF republican or trying to hire them?
Sometimes those who services are con
sidered worthy Of pay happen to be
running some other kind of business.
Or it may be all right for the incum-
bent to 90 about seeking the aid OF
democrats to secure his reappointment,
claiming that the Office belongs to him
and that it is wrong for the democrats
to set up candidate against him be-
cause he spent a few dollars enlarging
his store several years since. Do civil
service rules require counting partisan
noses or those procured by pressure and
deception when a vacancy is to be
filled? Beyond selecting a capable
person what has civil service reform to
do with postoffice appointments any
way? In the absence of legislative en-
actment custom makes law. With
thirty years of republican precedent it
seems ridiculous for them to cry baby
and yell to be nursed on civil service
reform after they have broken the bot
tie and spilled all the milk Lullabye
babies go to sleep in your little Offices
and let the democrats run their affairs
then you wont be burning your own
fingers.
c. E. SKINNER.