Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 August 1889 — A BASE ATTACK ANSWERED. [ARTICLE]

A BASE ATTACK ANSWERED.

Editor Rensselaer Republican : Dear Sir. —Enclosed find clipping from Indianapolis Sentinel which you will please publish: DISGUST AT RENSSELAER. To the Editor— Sir: Considerable dissatisfaction exists here on account of the selection of Edward Rhodes to succeed our excellent and efficient democratic postmaster, N. P. Bates. The selection was made by a mass convention of republican patrons. Rhodes is a professional heeler, and at the last election yoted a block of nine floaters—hence his reward. Four of his competitors were old soldiers whose friends claim that, inasmuch as the incumbent was an old soldier, he should be succeeded by a soldier. But in republican conventions — In time of war, and not before, Ood they worship nod the soldiers adore. Bnt when the war is over, and all things an righted, God U forgotten and the soldier Is slighted.

One John W. Powell, a professional office-hunter, departed one* day this week for Washington, where he has received $n appointment in the bureau of public printing. He prides himself on his slugging propensities, and during the last campaign, openly boasted of being able to “whip any democrat in the coanty,” and on one occasion knocked down and terribly beat, an old, gray-haired man for daring to disagree with him politically. He is no more fitted for the place to which he has been chosen than John L. Sullivan is fit to be mayor of Boston. David W. Shields. Rensselaer, Ind., July 20. As far it concerns myself I am peifectly willing to let the public be the judges as to the charges made by Mr. Shields and am also perfectly satisfied to let the Public Printer be the judge as to my competency to fill the position to which I have been appointed. But as to the author of the said communication he is an unmitigated liar and with-al a coward. A liar inasmuch as he knows that the statement that I beat without provocation, an old gray-haired man, to be false, foi it is a fact well known that the party he alludes to went before John Graves, a Justice of the peace in W heatfield and plead guilty to the charge of assault and battery against myself, proving by the injured party, himself, that I acted in self defense; and those who have known me longest and best know that I never, under any circumstances, am given to sach expressions as he quotes me as making; a coward, in-as-much as he waited until I was some eight hundred miles away before he makes his charges, notwithstanding the fact that my appointment had been a matter of public comment by all the local newspapers for some weeks previous to my departure. Yours Truly, J. W. Powell.