The Political Ousting of a Postmaster
A Civil War veteran is pressured to resign his post so a G.A.R. member can take his place.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The mantle of postmaster has fallen upon the shoulders of Capt. Robert Dunn. His commission has not yet been made out, but he has the backing of the powers that be and has already assumed the duties of the office. Postmaster Carey’s term has not expired, but he was notified that the Republicans and Grand Army men demanded a change and that the most graceful thing for him to do would be to send in his resignation, in which event his successor would purchase the post office fixtures, which are the personal property of Mr. Carey. With these powerful arguments in mind, Mr. Carey, who served two years in the War of the Rebellion but who is not a member of the G.A.R., sent in his resignation to make way for Captain Dunn, who also answered to the call of his country and is a member of the G.A.R. Captain Dunn’s two daughters will attend to the clerical duties of the office.
“he was notified that the republicans and Grand Army men demanded a change and that the most graceful thing for him to do would be to send in his resignation”
This reflects the hyper-partisan nature of federal appointments in the 19th century, where local post offices functioned as political spoils. While the system has professionalized, the tension between veteran loyalty and civil service tenure remains a classic American political struggle.
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