The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-04-26
NO POLITICS IN 1T.
Appointment of Former Governor
Aycock as Member of the CON-
mission to Pan-American Con-
gress, Was Personal and Volun-
tary Act of President Roosevelt
Entirely.

toi MI VI iSoioShs A>"o'>'
Entirely.
/ In his letter this week our Raleigh
correspondent, ''llewxaM," says:
Some OF the politicians here are in,
terpreting the declinatiOn by former
Governor Charles b. AycOck Of the
appointment rendered him by the
President during the past week to
mean that the Ex-Governor has final
" decided to become Il candidate for
the nited States SenatOrship, to
succeed Senator Simmons. The pO-
sitiOn rendered by the President was
Il nOn-polt;cal and n very honorable
and desirable one. with a salary OF
ten thousand dollars attached for
Onl V IL few months of Work-a place
on the commission from this country
to attend he Pam American Congress
which is to meet in Rio Janeiro in
july
According to some OF these pOliti-
clans, one reason which actuate1
Governor AycOck to decline was the
TACT that an acceptance would take
him out OF the United States during
the most important time to IL candi-
date for the senatOrship this year
while the selection ofnOminees for the
legislature was being made this sum
mcr-Which might and would Opper-
ate against his chances of success.
Others have seen fit to uni Justly
crltlciSc Senator Simmons III cOnner-
ton with this matter. The report
has been circulated and printed i'll II
number OF newspapers that Senator
Simmons had secured or was instru-
mental III securing this appointment
OF Governor AycOck, and for the sell
fish purpose OF eliminating he latter
as 1t competitor for the senatOrship
to be- filed next winter by the Gener
I'll Assembly. And, some OF the crit
les add, this fact came to the knOWl-
edge Of Governor Aycock, which ac-
counted for such very prompt and
decided refusal OF the place.
am informed on good authority
that this is not true, not even III part.
This criticism probably grew mis-
takenlv out OF the fact that Senator
Simmons tclegraphed the fact that
the President had selected him to
Gov. AycOck jas soon us he learned OF
it. and asked If he would accept. OF
course under such circumstances it
was entirely proper for Gov. Aycock
to send his declinatiOn to Senator
Simmons, us reply for the formal
a i.,I ,nI no
appOintee. 1t is further explained
that Senator Simmons did not secure
he appointment and that he did not
Know that it was to be made until i'll
formed by u newspaper correspond
cnt who got his information from Il
Senator from another State. the lat
ter having that day been told OF it at
the office OF Secretary of State TAFT
probably in explaining why it
would be useless for that Senator to
further urg" the appointment ofsOme
candidate whose claims he was pre-
senting. 1t is represented on excel
lent authority that President Roose-
welt personally selected Gov. AycOck,
after it was decided to add two MEM
bti = ~ Tue tOHlHllSSlcli IL OH tie
South. NesSrS Roosevelt and Az
cock are personally known to each
other, and the former has heard the
latter deliver at least one great
speech 1t is no wonder that the
President at once tured to Governor
AycOck, then. when he was looking
for two of the best and ablest men in
the South.
As to he refusal OF the place, Gov
crnor Aycock has Il right to expect
the people OF North Carolina to be
lieve his own explanation OF that,
stated i'll his message of declinatiOn.
And this was not that given by two
or three editorial fire-caters who
have explained that the eX-Gov-
crnOr could not afford to accept Of
flee at the hands of Il Republican
president. The office is not an Of
flee and politics has nothing in the
world to do with such an appoint
ment. and certainly cut no figure in
the case with so sensible and broad
minded Il man as Governor AvcOck.