The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-15
EXPOSED BY FLEMING
REPUBLICAN BLACKMAILERS WILL
BE DEALT WITH.
THE PRESIDENT IS INDIGNANT.
WILL VISIT SUMMARY PUNISH
MENT ON THE ''GRAFTERs."

uo.i+ive Proof That Office Holders
or oHlce Seekers Have Had to Buy
,be Endorsement of County Re-
rublican Organizations in GeOr-
RepubIicans Holding Jobs
and Guilty of This Matchmaking
Will be Discharged - President
sick of His Negro Friends.
Washington, Jan. 14.-Southern Re-
.,,blican leaders, who have been gull
-, Of Matchmaking officeholders or of
eaIIing their influence to ofticeseekers,
are to be pushed to the wall by this
administration. President Roosevelt is
nm IN arms against all such persons
aud threatens to overturn the local
Republican organizations by ignoring
hon, wholly in making federal APP
pointments.
The announcement of the Presidents
,,lrnose was made to-day to Senator
cav and Representative Fleming. The
president had asked these gentlemen
- call at the White House. He intro
ducad the subject by referring to Rep
resentative Fleming's action in calling
.ba attention of the Postoffice Depart
,,4nt TO the charge that in number
Of cases in the Tenth Georgia District,
offfceholders and officeseekers had
been the victims of a system of black
mail instituted by the local Republi-
can leaders.
The President said that the reports
Of the inspector sent to this district
mad been brought him by the Post
master General, and that they reveal
cd a most disgraceful state of affairs
He said the congressman had per-
formed a public service by bringing
the matter to the attention of the au-
thoritles. and he thanked Mr. Fleming
Tor his action.
Some of Them Have Offices.
The fact that candidates for these
small offices have had either to buy
the organization influence outright or
submit to systematic blackmail seems
not to have been known to the Presi-
dent until it was brought to his atten-
ton in these Georgia cases. In some
instances the men who have done the
Matchmaking. under the guise of repre-
senting the Republican organization,
hold small federal offices. These men
will be discharged. In other cases,
where. they cannot be reached that
way the papers will be forwarded TO
the district attorney, with instructions
to see whether the guilty persons can
be reached under the laws. and If so
they will be prosecuted
The President is of the opinion that
the Investigations which have been
conducted show that the benefciaries
Of this arrangement, the persons who
hold the offices, have in most instances,
at least, been the victims of system
which has long obtained and that
there is no reason to punish then1 so
long as they have made good records
as officials. With regard to Georgia,
the President has every confidence in
United States Marshal Johnson and
Postmaster Harry Edwards, whom he
consuts as referees in Georgia mat
ters, and is confident they have no
knowledge of such actions as are re-
vealed by these recent Investigations,
and will not for a moment condone the
Offenses. He has summoned both of
these gentlemen to Washington to con-
fer with them about the necessity of
purifying the local Republican organi-
cations, and especially about getting
uIlIy the pest men IOr the OIllCSS.
Roosevelt Sick of Ii All.
The President is heartily sick of the
negro business. The fact is that all of
this agitation, growing primarily out
Of the Crum case, has given him
large disgust for the professionally
political negro.
Mr.. Fleming and Senator Clay would
not discuss the details of their con-
versation with the President, but its
purport is known, as is the course
which the President will pursue. Mr.
Fleming first brought the matter of
this sort of blackmail to the attention
Of the Postoffice Department three or
four years ago, but got no satisfaction.
The postoffice officials at that time
contented themselves with presenting
affldavits of innocence from the ac-
cused parties. When he again brought
the matter to the attention of the de-
partment last September, Postmaster
General Payne acted promptly, and
the result is the report of the inspec-
tors, which shows what both the Post
master General and the President ac-
Knowledged to be a most disgraceful
state Of affairs.
While the details, of the report are
not obtainable, it is known that it con-
talns convincing proof in half a dozen