Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 213, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1913 — POSTMASTER MURRAY WILL BE REMOVED [ARTICLE]

POSTMASTER MURRAY WILL BE REMOVED

Democrats Plan to Oust Him and Rumor Has It That N. Littlefield Will Get Place. A postoffice inspectpr visited Rensselaer about three weeks ago for the particular purpose of trying 'to find some room for the .removal of Postmaster Murray and the appointment of a democratic successor. The inspector came because several letters had been received by the department in Washington making complaints about Postmaster Murray. These complaints were not founded oh any justified objection to the manner in which the postoffice is conducted, hut with a view to stirring up enough trouble to cause his removal and the substitution of a democrat. The inspector visited several while in Rensselaer, mostly democrats, it is understood. These were the people who had been making the complaint. He is said to have related the character of the objections to Mr. Murray. Some letters to the department said that Mr. Murray devoted his time to his other business, some letters said that the stamp window was not open enough, some that it took too long to distribute the mails, and several little things, small criticisms that could be made against any postoffice of this class in the country. It is said that the inspector Indicated to several that the charges were very Insignificant and that he favored Mr. Murray, but it is also stated that this is the method employed by the inspectors and that the attitude was the same at Lafayette when Post master Haywood was removed. It is understood that everything has been fixed up for the removal of Mr. Murray and the appointment of his successor and that Nehemiah Littlefield, the democratic county chairman, is to be named and the change is apt to occur -any day now. There were only two active candidates for the office, it is said, Mr. Littlefield and Editor Babcock. The latter favored the retention of Mr. Murray until his term was completed, he states because it has been the "custom,” but it is generally believed there was a deeper motive than this with the democratic editor. He knew that if the change was made during the time Mr. Peterson was the congressman that Mr. Littlefield would be the man selected, while he had hopes that if the term of Mr. Murray was completed Mr. Peterson might be out of the way. Of course, that is a little democratic trouble that don’t worry the most of us any, but Brother Babcock neglected to. make this part of it clear, probably just an oversight, and as about all of the democrats of the county seem to be back of Mr. Littlefield’s candidacy, we thought that they should be informed in the things which their “party organ” neglected to enlighten them In. Mr. Littlefield Is In every way qualified for the office and his work as a party man for many ydars gives him a well-grounded claim for recognition and if the flimsy charges preferred against Air Murray are to be used for the purpose of removing him, we know of no democrat* in this city or county whose appointment would be more acceptable to democrats and members or all parties and the public in peneial than that of Mr. Littlefield.