The sun., 1905-12-28
ROW OVER FEDERAL OFFICES.
NORTH CAROLINA REPIBLICANS
IN FACTIONAL FIGHT.
Charges That Former Senator Pritchard
and state Chairman Robbins Have
More Than FIFTY Relatives In Otice
Moody VIII Bc Called to TESTIFY

WASHINGTON, Dec. T.-h uehehuou'
row over Federal patronage in North caro-
lima has brought out highly interesting
story which Involves unique lawsuit,
charges of nepotism and the serving OF
notice upon u member of President hoose-
welt s Cabinet that he will be called on TO
testify under oath why he commented on
q case pending in North Carolina court
1t is apparently fight to finish and the
| two factions involved are growing more
and moro bitter.
! Spencer Blackburn, the only Republican
Congressman from the Old North state
Is the leader Of the faction which Is making
the charges. Thomas s. Rollins, chairman
| Of the Republican State committee, is the
leader Of the other faction, but 1t Is clalmeo
by the Blackburnites that the real heao
and front of this branch OF the party
the power behind the throne, as 1t were-ls
United States Judge Jeter Z. Pr1tchard'
formerly Republican Senator from North
Carolina. Congressman Blackburns tac-
ton is designated as the outs, while the
Rollins faction may properly and empnatio-
cay be called the ms" If all that the
Blackburnites claim Is true.
One Of the most interesting features OF
the contest is the lawsuit filed by State
Senator H. s. Anderson against Chairman
Rollins, II. r. Harkins, Collector OF Internal
Revenue at Asheville; A. +. Holton, United
States District Attorney at Greensboro
and others Anderson asks for damages to
the amount Of 500 900 against these men,
alleging in part breach of contract in fail
ing to provide Anderson with Federal
office.
Anderson in his suit says that Rollins
and the others named made written agree
ment that he would be appointed to place
under the United States Government paying
not less than 80 900 year.
Just before Christmas forty members Of
the "outs" appeared in Washington under
the leadership of Blackburn and had inter-
views with several high officers of the
Administration. This contingent, known
as -the flying squadron" came mainly to
protest against the retention of the third
termers," as they called the Federal office
holders in North Carolina who are allied
with the Rollins party The members of
the flying squadron" heard in Washington
that Attorney General Moody had said
that Anderson's suit was based on tissue
Of fasehoods" This was told to Anderson,
and he has sent letter 10 the Attorney
General which contains notice that Mr.
Moody will be called upon TO testify as to his
reasons for that statement, or if he declines
to 20 to North Carolina his deposition will
be taken in Washington
In his letter to the Attorney General
Senator Anderson makes some very re-
markable statements about the distribution
OF Federal PATRONAGE in North Carolina.
He brinEs out the TACT that State Chair
man Rollins is the son-in-law of Judge
lJr;t pbar ri whom a lad n Stata /
Oh hartman, and he asserts that more than /
fifty relatives by blood or marriage Of |,
Judge Pritchard and Chairman Rollins. are !
holding Federal offices. The Republican /,
party in North Carolina, he asserts, has |
de- generated into a family affair and the |
orr aniTatiou is maintained only for the |
purpose of getting Federal patronage for |
the family connections of Chairman Rol- |
lins.
In the complaint on which his lawsuit !
is based, Anderson alleges also that the |
chief reason of the Republican chairman |
and the others he has sued for their failure |
to carry out their agreement to give him |
an Office was the necessity of providing |
for so MANY relations. The names of these !
reputed relatives of Judge Pritchard and !
Chairman Rollins are given in his letter to |
Attorney General Moody, who is asked to !
interview his fellow cabinet officers to ascer- |
tain if the persons mentioned are not all |
on the Federal rolls,
II is contended that the authority Of |
Attorney -Ghncrai Moody for his statement |
that the suit of Anderson was based on a .
tissue of falSehoodS was a letter he received /
from State Chairman Rollins disclaimng
kinship to a number of the persons named ,
by Anderson, and asserting that those
who were related to hil had been ap-
pointed without the authority or sanction
Of Rollins.
torney-General that it is an extra ordinary
proceeding for a man at the head of the
legal branch Of the Executive Government
to express an opinion upon case Pending
in the courts: The right, and proper thing
for Mr.. Moody to have done, he contends,
would have been to hold his peace and lot
a jury of Andersou's peers say whether
his cause was just.
Anderson charges that not only are there
more than fifty relatives of Judge Prtchard
and Chairman Rollins in Federal Office,
but some OF them were appointed in viola,
ton of the civil service regulations and
of the Federal statutes. 1t is alleged that
Jacob Ray, Judge Pritchard'7 .stepson, |
was made q clerk in the West Asheville |
post Office, when a clcrk was not needed, |
In order that he might be transferred to |
the Post Office Department in Washington, |
where he now Is.
abolished. The postmaster there, il is as
serted, drew n salary Of $500 year, and !
Ray as clerk drew 500 year while the 1,
cancellations Of stamps ranged between |
S23 and $25 quarter, or about 500 year. |
This allowance Of clerk hire was made |
by authority Of George r. Beavers, former
chief of the salaries and allowances division
of the Post Office Department. now under
indictment in connection with the postal
frauds, when Judge Pritchard was holding
O Federal Office in Washington.
The postmaster at Asheville is Major
w W. Rollins, father of Chairman Rollins
When the flying squadron" came here
it asked that somebody else be appointed
to succeed Major Rollins whose term
was about to expire. Major Rollins was
nominated for another term and his name
is now before the Senate.
North Carolinians here say that there
will be meeting Of the Republicans Of that
State in few days to ask the Post Office
Department to reopen the contest over
the Asheville postmastership
NO NEIH TREATY WITH CHINA.