The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-02-18
The POST OFFICE FIGHT
United States Post Office Inspector
will Come to Leon and Make
an Investigation of Case.

The absorbing topic in Leon the
past week has been the post office
contest, following the news as pub
lished last week that the confirma-
ton of Mrs. Caroline Young Smith
had been held up and that an investi-
cation of the merits Of the case
would be made. Congressman Kirk
patrick, of the Sixth Iowa district,
took the matter up with the depart
ment and the postmaster general
wrote to the Senate post office COM
mittee asking that the appointment
of Mrs. Smith be held up, and other
prominent men at Washington have
been interested in the matter, and it
looks very much as if she would
never be confirmed as the postmaster
general intimated that her name
would probably. be withdrawn. The
postmaster general has also made an
order that a U. S. post Office inspec-
tor be sent to Iowa to make an in
vestigation independent of the demo-
cratic state organization, who have
been using all the means at their
command to secure this appointment
for Mrs. Smith Protests galore
poured into Washington against her
appointment on the ground that she
had not been a resident of Leon and
was affiliated with tho republican
party, having been candidate on
the republican county ticket at Des
Moines only two years ago. 1t has
been reported that Chairman Rey-
nolds and National Chairman Wade
are determined to land Mrs. Smith in
the office over the protests of the
local democracy, but Postmaster
General Burleson has intimated that
he is displeased with the state or
ganization's attitude and that the ad-
ministratiOn has been deceived in the
matter.
Protest petitions were circulated
in Leon and on all the rural routes
running from the Leon post office
last week and they were signed by
nearly every one to whom they were
presented.
1t is not known when the inspec-
tor will come to Leon to make his in
vestigation, and we presume there
will be nothing more doing in the
matter until he makes his report to
the department.
3 The following dispatches to the
Des Moines Register and Leader
from their Washington News Bureau
tell the story of what is being done
at Washington in the matter:
81 Washington, d. c., Feb. To-,
Representative kirkpatrick called
on Postmaster General Burleson this
afternoon and told him of the pro-
tests against the appointment and,
SeSSn {rv Yr~& In q
Smith as postmaster of Leon. Kirk.
patrick told the postmaster general
that she was republican and non
resident and for this reason she
should not be named. The pOstmas-
ter general expressed great surprise
at what Kirkpatrick told him and at
once sent word to Senator Bankhead,
chairman of the senate postoffice
committee to hold up confirmation.
More than this, Kirkpatrick was
given to understand that the appoint
ment would probably be withdrawn"
Washington, D. c., Feb. IL.
Representative Kirkpatrick has
been advised the postofice depart
ment will send an inspector to Iowa
to look into the facts with respect to
the appointment of Mrs. Caroline
Young Smith as postmaster at Leon.
Meantime, he announced, confirma-
tiOn is help up in the senate with a
possibility of withdrawal of the
name.
"It is learned there is disposi
tion to blame the democratic Organi-
zation in Iowa, at the postoffice de-
partment for picking on a candidate
n
the party
been guided in the matter by Judge
Wade, and the other patronage
referees and is by no means pleased
over the idea that he may have been
misled into naming republican and
nonresident as alleged by Mrs.
Smiths, opponents.
''Under the circumstances he in
tends to find out the facts without
reference to the organization. Some
OF Mrs. Smiths opponents at Leon
are attacking her severely, but Rep
resentative, Kirkpatrick will not
icountenance such attacks. He is
standing simply on the proposition
that Mrs! Smith is republican and
lis not Leon resident. Kirkpatrick
received kilograms from Leon today
from opponents of Mrs. Smith who
were bent on coming to Washington
to oppose her.
kirkpatrick advised not to
come as the department would look
into the facts through an inspector. !"
Washington, D. G., Feb. IL.
THE formal application of S. E.
Bcnefiel for postmastership at Leon
in place of Mrs. Caroline Young
Smith, who has been nominated, was
received here today He has pc
-tition signed by 400 persons in favor
of the appointment. He expects the
confirmation of Mrs. Smith to be pre-
vented. 1t is still held up in the sem
ate
Board Selecting New Names for
Jurors.
The board of supervisors met in
special session Monday for the pur-
pose of selecting names from the var
ious townships for the jury list for
1915 and 1916, it having been held