The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-02-04
IT'S A VERY RAW DEAL
Mrs. Caroline youno Smith, of Des
'Moines, Is Nominated for POST
mistress of Leon.

.s.sS susSSs zoe W ASVWs
The long drawn out controversy
over the appointment of democrat
postmaster for Leon has been ended
Mrs. Caroline Young Smith. of Des
Moines, being named last Saturday
for postmistress. And the democrats
$of Decatur county and of the whole
state are sore, mighty sore, and they
have good cause to be.
When the announcement was
made by Mrs. Smith that she was q
candidate for the appointment, the
democrats of not only Leon, but all
over Decatur county protested. They
alleged that she was not a resident
Of Decatur county, that she was not
democrat, and these allegations
are proven by her public and private
record, but it seems that In some
mysterious manner she had an In
fiuence with state chairman DR.. j. W.
Reynolds, of Creston, who is also the
Eighth district member of the state
committee, and with Judge M. J.
Wade, the member from Iowa of the
National Committee which could not
be overcome.
Right here and now the editor OF
this paper desires to make state
ment. He was never a candidate for
the appointment in Leon. He has
been actuated in his course solely
through love and royalty for the
democratic party of Iowa and the
nation. We have published a demo-
cratic paper and worked for the sue
cess of the democratic party in Leon
R~~ %hoY fvN0
without hope of reward, but we do
protest against this appointment of
a postmaster for Leon, for the reason
that it is not the wish or Will OF
the democrats of Leon and Decatur
county that Mrs. Smith should re-
ceive this appointment. She IS not
entitled to it, as her own athdavlts
and public record show. Mrs. smith
has not been resident of Leon since
her marriage about twenty-five years
ago. She has never until within the
past few months been resident OF
Leon or Decatur county since quar-
ter of a century ago. Her pubic
record shows that she has been for
many years a resident of Des Molnes,
Polk county, and that she is afi1liat-
cd with the republican, not demo-
cratic party. These are not idle
statements, but are born out by MRS.
Young's own statements and afi1da-
Wits. We submit the record in the
case In December, 1903. MRS.
Young was granted q divorce IN the
district court Of Polk county, and
in her petition she states that for
more than three years she has been
a resident of Des Moines, Polk coun-
ty, Iowa. In 1911, she was elected
as a republican as engrossing clerk
OF the house of representatives, and
the Iowa Official Register shows that
she was resident of Des Moines,
Polk county, Iowa. She was elected
to the same Office by the assembly
Of 1913. In 1912, the year in which
President Wilson was elected presl-
dent, she was candidate for the
nomination for record
er OF Polk county, Iowa. more than
TWENTY-FIVE hundred republicans OF
Polk county voting for her at the
primary election. In order to nave
her name on the republican primary
ballot she made an affidavit that she
was q resident of Polk county, and
that she was affiliated with the re-
publican party. She was defeated
for the nomination, and within
short time was employed by NICK
Reed. chairman of the democratic
state central committee, as clerk IN
democratic headquarters at Des
Moines, and she was similarly en-
ployed at democratic headquarters
during the campaign of 1914. we
state this fact for the purpose OF
showing our fairness, we are giving
the records in the case. In the Des
Moines Daily papers of this week, the
Abatement is made that the name OF
Mrs. Smith appears in the blue
book as resident of Des Moines.
The democrats of Leon and Deca-
tur county have always. been loyal
democrats. They have worked lot
the success of their party, year In
and year out, without hope OF re-
ward. They feel that their wishes
should have been consulted In this
matter. That they were entitled to
some consideration in the matter.
There were two candidates for the
appointment as postmaster OF Leon
who were bona fide residents OF
Leon, and who were recognized as
democrats by the loyal party work
ers. Mr.. S. E. Beneflel and Mr.. w. Q:
Stempel. They were both endorsed
by the democratic county organ1za-
ton. with the statement that the ap-
fpointment of either of them would
4 be satisfactory to the democrats OF
Leon and Decatur county. They were
making no fight on each other. They
!. both stated that in the interest OF
haSmony they would would decide