The times., 1901-05-27

! Potcning about the men who were be
/ hind and had better come up and had
DIR L. W. German. another Federal
| empoye in this office. was dismissed with
out charges Cas he personally informed
the chairman of your committee) within
| three DAYS after he had refused to pay his
per cent assessment.
But not only did the collector thus
! punish with summary dismissal the men
| who refused to submit to these illegal eX-
1 actions, but he also personally violated
! The law by handing over TO }. j. Brile
I one Of the gaugers in his office. money to
| be used for political purposes.
MIR. Brile Swears to conversation IN
! the office Of the collector just before the
| Republican primary of June 10, 1873 IN
! which Mr.. Sapp Informed him that Ger
! tain 'darkeys' in the Fifth ward OF Louis
| vile had called upon him. Brile says he
! told me to go and see them; that he had
| said to them that we did not want to use
| any money for this mass convention, but
| that probably after the nominations We're
! made lots Of money would be needed IN
| the fan. and he said: Probably you can
| get some beer or one thing and another
/ for them and keep them in good humor.
| told him all right | received SO from
| Mr.. Sapp to pay for the hall and other
| incidentals." | paid three of the
"darkeys' $3.50 apiece.
Besides violating the law as to assess
| ments. Mr.. Sapp has used his official intiu-
! ence to coerce his employees in their pohtl-
! cal action, by keeping them from attend
| ing the meetings Of the sO-calied Ham
! brick faction of the Republican party
! which they desired to attend, and by com
| pelling them to take part in meetings of
! the so-calIed Davis faction, contrary TO
| their convictions. In regard 10 this.
| Charles Wetzel testified that be had con-
! versation with Mr.. Sapp in his oihce our
/ ing which the Collector suggested that he
| thought it would be best not 10 attend the
! Hambrick meeting. NetZel adds 1 ola
not much like to stay away from the
meeting. but upon his suggestion | stayed
away. The Davis wing of the committee
rkasaWH H~..F= had inc Ng4aTa
asked to attend that meeting, but | did
not go. Wctzel was advised by the chief
deputy collector, Mr.. Newman, to tell Mr..
Sapp that he had come over to the Davis
wing; since il was foolish for him to butt
his head against a brick wall Wetzel ac-
cordingly saw Mr.. Sapp and had a con-
versation with him. Wetzel states that
he did not want to leave his friends and
his convictions, but after being advised
that he was taking great chances, he
came to the conclusion that 81 a day was
better than nothing and thereupon he
left the Hambrick people and went over
to the Sapp and Davis and Evans crowd
But worst of all. Mr. Sapp used his
official authority, not only to coerce his
subordinates, but TO overthrow the free
dom Of elections in the Republican pri-
maries of Louisville, which were held
June 10, 1899. for the purpose of electing
delegates TO the Republican State Con-
ventlOn on July Z, 1899. Mr. Sapp and
the Davis faction were in favor OF the
nomination of Mr.. Taylor for Governor,
and set about controlling these primaries
with little regard 10 the wishes of the
voters.
u J. BriIe (gauger) testffes that
the Collector asked him whether he
tBrile) did not think that mass conven-
tiOnS in the wards would be the best
thing TO which Brile replied that he would
have hard fight in the Fifth ward ow-
ing TO the fact that all the opposing forces
We're centred there. Mr.. Sapp then asked
him, Does 1t make any difference to you.
II you nave q mass convention and you
are chairman, who is opposed to YOU?
BTile replied, II ! am chairman. ] viii
win, as chairmen Of mass conventions are
expected TO do Mr.. Brile was directed
by Sapp to call the meeting TO order by
solar time.
L ". German, then one of the depu-
ties, stated TO the chairman Of your com
mittee: ! heard Mr.. Sapp tell Mr.. Brile
TO close the doors when they went into |
the hail TO call the convention to order
and to recognize a certain man who was |
formerly nlght-Wat lehman at the court
house, who would introduce the list of |
delegates Brile was then to put the mo- |
ton and have the delegates appointed |
tiOn to adjourn.
John Searcy. a business man and mem |
Der Of the Louisville Republican City and |
County Committee. testifies TO what ac- |
tually occurred at the meeting thus held |
IN the Firth ward. The internal revenue |
men. he says, went into the hall at l |
clock in the forenoon and locked the |
doors This was done for the purpose of |
keeping out the friends of other candi- |
dates. About forty people were thus /
locked up In the hail The call for the |
convention stated that it would meet at I
! clock; II was not specified whether |
this would be solar or standard time and |
as every business house in Louisville kent |
standard time, 1t was naturally stlDposed |
that the meeting would be held accord |
lngiy. But the meeting was called to or |
der on solar time, eighteen minutes ear
ler, and the men who had locked them |
selves ~ appointed their delegates. fin |
lshed their business, and filed out of the |
hall five minutes before l o o'cIock standard |
time. Then the friends Of the opposition |
candidates to the number of 20J gained |
admission, all TO no purpose. for Mr. |
Sapp had prophesied (according to Bun |
neil testimony that II a contest were |
made the district convention would de- |
clare the Davis delegates elected.
BY such simple methods as these a |
majority of the ward conventions were |
carried by internal revenue and other |
Government employees, acting under Col 1
lectOr Sapp. And when the Republican |
convention met at Lexington on July z /
il was seen that there were among the |
delegates over sixty Of these Federal en- |
ployes from Louisville Including the rol- |
lector, the chief deputy, the assignment |
clerk, etc) in all, about oEe-third Of the
entire delegation from the county and |
Attorney General TAYLOR Uhe candidate |
mentioned in Sapp's letter to PotoningJ |
was then enthusiastically nominated for
the gOvernOrShip.
On November a. 1899 the Civil Service
Commission sent to Mr.. Gage Secretary |
of the Treasury. brief containing sum |
mary of the principal facts stated above |
The Secretary replied November 2S. sug-
gestlng that the matter. so far as it re- |
lated to the collectors official conduct |
should be referred to the President and |
that evidence showing violations of the |
penal provisions of the law should be |
brought to the attention of the Depart |
ment Of Justice.
Accordingly. on February 26, 1890, the |
Commission transmitted both TO the |
President and Attorney General sum
maries of the testimony. The papers were |
forwarded By the Attorney General to the |
District Attorney at Louisville and sub
mitted to the Federal grand jury during |
the week beginning November 25 1900. but |
the grand jury ignored the charges.
"On the 18th Of April, 1901. the chairman |
of your committee called the facts to the |
attention Of the Secretary of the Treas
ury, and Of the Commissioner OF Internal
Revenue, in a personal interview, and was
informed that inasmuch as the office of |
collector was a Presidential office, the
matter ought to be communicated to the |
President directly, and that the Secretary |
would be glad to Investigate the case If |
referred to his department by the Presi-
dent.
Accordingly, upon the 18th day Of |
April, 1901. the chairman Of your com |
mittee addressed 10 the President a com
munication setting forth the principal |
facts and calling his attention to the |
sections of the Civil Service act forbid
ding political coercion and the soliciting |