The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-01-08
THE PosroFFics FIGHT.
Was Gibson Honest? Did he fulfil
his Promises?

/ wish to give the readers of the
TIMES a clear understanding OF the
Postotfice fight from start 10 finish
as some of my friends seem to mis-
understand the matter / mean to
give plain straightforward ac-
count of events just as they hap
pened and let you judge as to who
did right and who did wrong. / do
not mean 10 make a single state
ment to which cannot swear
TO begin at the beginning, Inever
had any thought ofapplying for the
office until Judge Gibson encour-
aged me in the belief that he would
give me something. You ask how
he encouraged me. Before / had
thought of asking him received
letter from him dated Aug. 8, 1894,
in which was the following:
"Friend Leonard, all is well; and
when the final victory is won, yours
will be one of the brightest cr,wns.
I assure you 1 profoundly appreci-
ate your good will, and when / come
unto my kingdom will remember
it gratefully"
This is only sample OF many
written at that early day and later
He also told me in my Office here ia
Maryville soon after he was elected
that | would be the first man in
Blount County that he would take
care of when the republicans came
into power.
l must hasten On, / cannot give
all the quotations of like import, so
l come on down to a letter dated,
Feb. 10, 1896, in which he said:
II take advantage of this oppor.
tunity to again express my thanks
for all the aid and comfort you have
given me in the past, and my only
regret is that l will not have, until
"npxt year,, a "method" of reward.
ling" YOU" ~.
Being thus assured that an appli.
cation on my part would not be in
vain, applied for the postoffice in
Maryville. While the fight was
sill on l was compelled to leave
my work for a month on account o
bad health, which l spent in thu
Cumberland Mountains, and on my
return 1 found that through mis-
representation / had lost some
ground. l Immediately went t
work to correct the false impress
ion which had been made to Gibson
the principal one of which, was tina
my own family were opposed tt
me. This l did by getting the sig
natures of fourteen out of seventeel
voters, of the Goddard name, whc
, received mail at this office, to a pa
per saying that they were for me
This settled that point and to settle
others during the week aft, + came
} home, large number ofmy friends
went personally to Gibson.
1t had been said by more thar
one that Gibson had left the matte
of deciding who should fill the post
Office in Blount County to w. c
: Chumlea. This, / knew would bea
me if so, as Mr.. Chumlea was favor
ing one of two other men-nO ont
seemed to know which. founC
during the week that such was thu
case as the question was asked
Will you if you are appointed
, postmaster make Chumlea's boy
first assistants" This I absolutely
refused to do from the fact tina
both Chumlea and his boy were
/ fighting me as hard as they coult
! and if reports were true had sale
some rough things about me.
felt as though would be betrayins
my friends if l should get the Office
and turn around and give the bes
place I had to an enemy. I tolt
the gentlement who asked nae tina
| had to make the bond for thu
office and felt that / ought t.
. have some say as to who my clerks
were. l wanted to give the clerk
ships to someone who had, at least
not fought me if they had not espe
cially helped me. Other clerks
were proposed and as they hac
been friendly, after consulting witt
my friends, | decided to accept
them and on Friday evening of The
same week, Mr.. w. l.. Trent in
formed me that / was sure to bt
appointed andsthe next morning
Saturday, he was more positive
than ever that l would be appoint
ed. He told me that l might &c
home and rest easy as he knew
Judge Gibson had fully made III
l.; Mid nd that cannn daN 9Th