The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-24
NOT AT ALL SURPRISING.

diC always CdTpiHS DIT DeU1OcTdlS anu
making Mckinley and Pritchard little
gods express great surprise at the APP
pointment of H. F. Jones, of Allegheny,
convicted OF perjury, to a position as
brandy deputy collector by Collector Har-
kins, of Asheville. They say that it is a
shocking" appointment and call upon
Pritchard to have Harkins removed from
Office The facts are that Jones was con-
victed by jury containing ten Repub-
publican Judge, and, in order to save his
right to vote and hold office a nolle
prosequi was entered, AFTER CONVIC-
TON, upon the stipulation that Jones
should pay the costs in the case. Imme-
diately thereafter-or as soon as the
Radical bosses could arrange it-Jones was
appointed deputy brandy collector. In
stead OF being a barrier against appoint
ment, conviction for perjury seems to be
sure passport to office in the Radical
party.
Jones will not be removed unless he is
given something better. If all the Radi-
cal officials of the Jones stripe were re-
moved, there would be long list of va
cancies in the Federal offices in North
Carolina, and men would have to be i'm
ported to fill the positions. Pritchard has
maintained himself by getting such fell
lows as Jones to do the work needed for
Republican success, and his obligations to
Jones are such that he will not let a
little thing like Jones perjury cause him
to keep him out of public office.
On the day before the vote for Senator
in 1897, Pritehards leader, Maj. Grant,
said that Pritchard would be elected and
added:
"You can readily see why any wavering
Populists or ANY WHO EXPECT ANY
THING IN THE WAY OF PATRONAGE
will vote for Pritchard."
On the next day, when the vote for
Senator was taken in the houses sepa-
rately, Jones, of Allegheny. was "absent,
and when the vote was taken at the joint
session on Wednesday, January goth, 1897,
Jones ran away after a Democrat had
asked permission for him to vote. On jan
uary 22nd the News and Observer said:
There is but one Jones in the Legisla-
ture. And that is quite enough-of that
kind OF Joneses. Shortly after the cleo
How he Hoo va
out that one Democratic member of the
Legislature was a gold man and would
vote for Pritchard for Senator Democrats
did not believe it until Jones, of Ale
ghany, received call on Sunday after
noon from Senator Pritchard's brother
and took an afternoon drive with the two
Pritchard brothers and another Republi-
can That night he was boldly claimed
as a Pritchard supporter. They say they
got him before the election, having bar
gained to throw to him the whole Repub-
lican vote Of Allegheny county if he would
not vote for the Democratic nominee.
Since his arrival in Raleigh, though pro-
testing that he was a Democrat, he at
tended only one or two caucuses. and has
been very thick with Reynolds, Blackburn
and the Pritchards."
And now, Jones (after conviction OF
perjury is given a Federal office.
II you will read the record, you will
see that every Populist, with perhaps one
exception, who voted for Pritchard got a
Federal office for himself or some mem
Der of his family. Maj. Grant understood
the gang when he predicted you can
readily see why any wavering Populists
or any who expect anything in THE WAY
OF PATRONAGE will vote for Pritch-
ard" The Allegheny man did not get a
Federal office until he was convicted OF
perjury by jury composed Of ten Repub-
lcans and two Democrats. But that is no
bar to official promotion among Southern
Republicans.
Nobody is surprised or shocked at the
appointment of Jones except those pap
suckers who have been making halo
for Jeter.