Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1884 — THE WIDOW’S REJOINDER. [ARTICLE]

THE WIDOW’S REJOINDER.

Mrs* Duncan’s Answer to Ma* Jor Calkins* A Vigorous Defense against False Statements* To the Editor of the Inter-Ocean: Chicago, Aug. 22. —Please do me the fayor to publish my statement of the facts concerning my removal from the Westville (Ind.) postoffice. In your Sunday issue of the 17th inst., there appeared a statement of the matter, purporting to come from the Hon. Wm. H. Calkins, that does me great injustice. He says that I was removed from the Westville postoffice for “irregularities in conducting the office and in answer to a petition from the leading citizens,” etc. In regard to the irregularities charged, it should be understood that a personal enemy of mine made complaint against me. The Washington authorities sentSpecial Inspector Turner to investigate the matter, and after making a full examination he stated publicly that’my office was unusually well conducted, and that his report to the department would be such as to preclude the possibility of my removal from spite, he being convinced that there was no other reason. They did not again/attempt to secure my removal until Mr. Turner was transferred to another district.

As to “a petition from leading citizens,” there was none. The patrons of the office will testify that there was no petition circulated among the citizens for my removal. A few enemies, inspired chiefly by motives of revenge, secretly plotted for my removal and wrote letters to Washington. When this became known it created great surprise. Three of my friends, all pro'essional men in high standing, immediately wrote to headquarters a statement of my circumstances and the general wish of the people to have me retained in the office. A reply soon came from Congressman Calkins that “the matter had gone beyond his control,” and that “the petition for my removal was from persons whose desires in the matter he could not disregard.” My friends then forwarded a remonstrance signed by 206 patrons of the office, who were amply competent to judge of their “desires.” and the work was all done in one day. and without removing the remonstrance from the counter in the office. Many more desired to sign it, but time could not be given them to come in, and it was hastily mailed to First Assistant Postmaster General, the Hon. Frank Hatton, accompanied by two more urgent private letters in my favor. Major Calkins further states that my successor “is the widow of a soldier who died of his wound.” The war wife and daughter of this soldier were living at the time of his marriage with the present Postmistress, and Mr. Miller did notdie of “wounds received in the army.” The statement that he did will be a surprise to his physicians as well as to the people who knew him as an usually strong and vigorous man. The further statement that I was in good health and had two able-bodied sons-in-law to help me, is not true. I was neither “strong” nor “healthy.” My husband’s son, the hope of our old age, was killed at the battle of Atlanta, and his death so shocked his father, who was in feeble health, that he never rallied, and both were sacrificed to our country’s cause. With the aid of my family I faithfully performed the duties of the office, although we were afflicted with much illness. As to the statement that I had an. income outside Wmy salary, I would say that my earnings never amounted to over SSO per year, and that during only the last three years. Mr. Calkins says that my appointment was made without the “knowledge or .consent of but a few Of the Jatrons of the office,” and charges that came from “another State." In 1870 I moved to Westville, where I had formerly taught school and had many friends and relatives, and had often joined in their church services. Mr. Allen Warnock, then the Postmaster, wanted me to buy his home and take the office. He resigned in my favor and sent a petition signed by a dozen prominent citizens to Congressman Jasper Packard, saying that “Mr. Packard’s acquaintance with them would be sufficient.” I disapproved of his plan and was greatly relieved when the honorable member of Congress refused to take action without a general voice of the community interested. Mr. John Warnock then took a petition and visited every business house in the village and returned it in three hours’ time signed by 104

patrons of the office asking for my appointment. General Packard will remember that he accepted the petition and recommended me with pleasure. The fact that I retained the position thirteen years, and leaving it after but ten days’ notice without indebtedness to the department or trouble to my bondsmen, is all the comment necessary. In his interview, Major Calkins says, “as far as the assessment is concerned, Mrs. Duncan probably did receive a circular letter, as all the others did, and I understand she did pay $lO of the $12.” Mr. Calkins knew that I was poor and had an aged mother, an invalid daughter and two grand children to support; he knew that I ought not and did not pay one penny of the assessment; he knows that his letter to me was not a circular, but that it wag a written letter on goveffffnent writing paper. He says my “money cut no figure in my removal," but states that “before he would remove me he had his committee send me $10." About four months after I received the assessment letter, a letter came to me from LaPorte, containing $lO, with a statement that “it was sent to me as a part of the surplus of the campaign fund ” I was surprised, but as it was said to be “a surplus campaign fund.” I retained it and replied that I would hold it in trust for use in the next campaign.— It seems that the supposition that I had been assessed created conscientH ous difficulties, and for this reason the 810 was sent to me, and really did “cut some figure.” In conclusion, , I may that about the only part of Mr. Cdkins’ statement that is true is where he commends Mrs. M., the presedt P. M. She is a worthy lady, and has three children. .If Major Calkins has anything more to say about this postoffice matter I hope he will be careful to tell the truth. If he had done this in his interview I would not have felt obliged todefend myself from his false statements.

MRS M. M. DUNCAN.

The Widow Duncan’s husband was a Methodist preacher for eighteen years before his death, and it will go without saying that he left his wife in poor circumstances. As a rule, Methodist preachers are the hardest worked and the poorest paid men in the United States. It has been reported by some of the over zealous and unscrupulous friends of Major Calkins that Mrs. Duncan’s father left her a large amount of property. This is not true. He left her only a small property at Clear Lake, in Porter county, which was sold to Jas. Boodgood for seventy-five dollars, and this was the best price that could be ob tained for it. She put the most of the money in the Savings bank in LaPorte, for use in case of her mother’s sickness or deaths and it stands there yet as a fund to guard against possible contingencies of the nature suggested. This is the “large bank account" some of Calkins’ friends talk about Mrs. Duncan having. It will be seen that Major Calkins does not scruple to use paper furnished him by the government, for official use, to write his campaign assessment circulars on.