The news & observer., 1902-02-06
HOT AFTER DUNCAN
The pigeon HoIed" Charges
Are to See the Sunshine.
The Men After The Collector Argue That Rcose.
vel. and the Civil Service Commiss
Will do tbs Rest for Them.

$50 they say those charges against
Duncan are pigeon -holed, do they" said
a leading Republican yesterday, while
talking to some friends, but I tell you
they're way off,
How do you know this?a asked one
of the party.
Let me tell you thing or two. I've
just been looking over a review of the
situation in Kentucky. and there the Re-
publican Federal officials are in d fine
fever. Internal revenue collectors, Uni
ted States marshals and district attor-
neys, who during the past four years have
been active in politics, and who have
iuggled with the civil service rules are
on the ragged edge, and some are fear
ing the result when the Civil Service
Commission gets a whack at them
While Mckinley was President these
fellows were OH Easy street. but Roose-
welt is stickler about civil service and
he is not going to stand any shying
around the regulations. Two OF the Ken
tucky office-holders had to walk the plank
and others are waiting for the thunder
bolt
''One trouble over in Kentucky was
scandalous methods in Republican con-
venticns, where negro delegates were
corralled loaded up with beer and used
by dark lantern methods by Federal Of
fce-holders to have them change their
votes As against their pledges and in
structions. In one fragrant case a re-
Tort of the matter was sent to the Sec
retary of the Treasury, but it has not
yet reached the Civil Service Commits
sion. They will. though. for If they
are in pigeon hole President Roosevelt
is going to be told OF it and they are
coming out into the light"
Nov as to North Carolina political
doings. In one or two of the conventions
held in 1900 for the nomination of cam
didates for Congress 1t is charged that
bogus kilograms, purporting to come from
Senator Pritchard, were read for the
purpose of influencing delegates to change
their votes. A pretty story of how the
game was worked can be had from James
A.. Check, of Hillsboro, and James d..
Parker, of Johnston county. They would
not be bad witnesses about these tricks
nor would |. NJ. Meekins, of the First dis
trict.'
One officious person, who had inter-
viewed couple of colored delegates in
his own official office in the government
building during the progress of a con-
venticn boasted that it only cost fifteen
dollars 70 change the two delegates to
his way of thinking"
Are you sure of that?" the eminent
Republican was asked.
Sure Why dead sure. If the party
| am speaking of should deny this, why
as our good old friend Joe Turner used
to say Give US a Squire and we will
prove it. ="
And so you don't think the pigeon
hole is tight enough to keep the charges
against Collector Duncan from reaching
Roosevelt ard the Commission?"
''Not by q jug full. l don't doubt but
that certain parties would be glad to
pigeon hole those charges against him,
but it won't work long They no. be
pigeon holed for awhile. but the time is
not far distant when they will be brought
forth and exposed to the bright sunshine
of public opinion. Truth cannot be
downed, and it's matter that Duncan
will have to face"
This is only sample of the kind of
talk that is going on in some Republican
quarters of Raleigh. Arguing from past
events in such cases the men who have
filed the charges now in Washington be-
l.eve they have gotten Mr.. Duncan into
a mold from which be cant escape. They
want his scalp and they say they will
Rave it,