The age-herald., 1901-10-21
VAUGHAN SAYS HIS
 TONGUE IS TED Can Say Nothing About Civil
 Service Charges HE IS ONLY A SUBORDINATE All News Must be Given Out In Wash. lngton - Alleged Dissatisfaction Over Distribution of the Ala
 bama Postoffiees.
HE IS ONLY A SUBORDINATE

United States District Attorney William Vaughan was asked yesterday for a state ment regarding charges sent out from Washington involving Postmaster Hughes and, incidentally as district attorney, Mir. Vaughan himself; the charges in the main being that the civil service law had been violated in the Birmingham post office. He said
 'As everybody ought to understand, &C., cordlng to the regulations of the Depart ment of Justice. my hands are tied and l am kept silent while Washington news paper correspondents make stabs at me for my alleged connection as district at- torney with alleged violations of the civil service law in the Birmingham postoffice.
 Certainly every government official and every man who has held responsible office under the government are aware that am powerless to defend myself in relation to a purely official matter that is in the keeping and regulation of the department of the government under which I serve. The attorney general knows the facts in all important cases and he alone can authorize their publi- cation. If there be any such irregularities in Birmingham as those charged in the newspapers, the attorney general Is aware of them. Until he acts or author izes me or some one else to speak, there Is no way for the facts to come before the public.
 Cannot Defend Himself.
 Meantime I absolutely refuse to be t,,t o% IaPa caIP or explaining anything whatever in this connection. Nor will be placed in the attitude of defending Postmaster Hughes or any man whomsoever upon any news paper or other charges. I know my duty as a subordinate of the Department of Justice, and I will not discuss the De- partment's business, however unpleasant any gossip may be to me personally. l have no authority to enter into any such discussion. As to the public court re- cords, they speak for themselves.
 "I hope I have said enough to convince anybody and everybody of the futility of official business of the Department of Justice!'
 Distribution of Offices.
 A special dispatch to the Ags-Herald from Washington says:
 Tt is learned from an authoritative source that the present system of dis tributing the Alabama postoffices is not entirely satisfactory to the postoffice de- partment, and in all probability there will be change made by the time Con- gress convenes.
 "At present National Commit eeman Dimmick and District Attorney Vaughan. who are officially termed by the post office department the referees for the State, have great difficulty In agreeing upon candidates. Neither one shows a willingness to recede to the other except upon unirnportant cases. The conse- quence is that the department Is fre- quently compelled to use it's own judg- ment as to the qualifications of appli- cants and the result is there Is constant delay.
 Plans Under Consideration.
 '1t is understood here that several plans to remedy the evil are now under consideration. One Is to appoint five referees who are to pass upon the papers of candidates and the department will &C., cept the views of the majority Another plan proposed which has been success fully tried in other Democratic States, is to appoint a referee for each Congress sional District Usually the Republican candidate for Congress Is given authority to make recommendations to the depart ment."