The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-09-25
Attitude of Federal Officials to
Politics in the State.
CONDITIONS MUST BE CHANGED
senator Simmons Grants an Interxia,x
on the Activity of Federal Officers
OF HIGH and Low Degree-Crea,
rover i'm the Hands of the Republic
can State Chairman.
Especial TO The Messen ger

Raleigh, \. c., September %. 1906
Chalrrsan Simmons speaking with
reference to the attitude of federal
once holders in this state towards 10
cal politics, said to a reporter -odav
that the situation in North Carolina
was somewhat anonolous his year,
He said that OF course everybody
khe" that the republican partv and
us convention had been 1Or a nur1ar
OF years controlled and run by the
poStmaSters, revenue officers and other
lederal officers Of low and high degree
ana .that these officials had ALWAYS
oeen more or less active in behalf Of
thelf candidates and against demo-
crauc candidates, but this year he said
they were marshalled as an army nm
DER the direction of its chief, and pre-
sents front of ORGANIZED activity
never before shown by them in this
state. This he said was due to the
TACT that the president and the depart
ments OF the government had turned
over 70 the chairman of the republi-
can party all federal officers in his
state not under the civil service. To
1urther strengthen the power of the
chairman over these Office holders. the
republicans, at their recent cOnven-
uCn IN Greensboro passed a resolution
requiring all candidates for federal
positions to file their applications for
appointment with the executive COM
mlttee, and to agree in writing to
abide by the decision of the commit
tee. This puts every federal officer
holder in the state absolutely under
the control Of the republican chair
man. He can kill Or make alike
Hence the officer holders scattered
throughout the state, furnish a regu-
lar army always at the beck and call
of the republican chairman. When
ever he commands they must do or
take the consequences. All he has
to do is to Issue his orders and they
must lay aside their public duties if
necessary and obey.
The senator commented severely
upon the spectacle Of state chairman
mashaling thousands Of federal office
holders in a tight to gain control of the
state for his party He said there
had been no such federal interference
in the politics Of a state in our his
tory so far as he knew, and that it
could not be too severely condemned.
Concluding this part OF his statement
Chairman Simmons said the republican
activity we hear about is not the &C
tivity Of the republican masses but O.
these republican officials carrying out
the orders Of the man who has by the
action of the president and the repub-
can convention been invested with the
power of official life and death and
been put over them.
Continuing, Senator Simmons said
that shortly after the outrageous as
sault of Revenue Agents Samuel and
Hastings upon the editor OF neWspa-
per who had dared expose the colluslon
in a western collection district between
the revenue officers and the blockaders
and licensed distillers, he declared that
conditions in the revenue service IN
that collection district had become SO
dsgraceful that they must be invesu-
gated and the offenders brought to
Justice. and that if the government and
the courts did not take hold of the mat
ter he would be compelled to demand
senatorial investigation. He said that
shortly after that declaration the gov
which disclosed the condition Of Official
rottenness without a parallel In the
revenue service Of the country, ana
that the prosecution which followed re-
suited in a conviction and punishment
of a greater number of republican rev
enue officials, and he hoped in the pet
terment of conditions in that sectloh
Of the state.
The senator added with earnestness
that he intended to call upon the peo-
nle of the state to advise him of any
noltical activity or interference OF
federal officials in our local politics, ana
that whatever the evidence furnished
showed that such official was violating
the civil service rule by improper and
offensive activity or interference, he
would refer the matter to the presi-
dent. the civil service commission, or
the department under which the ofhclai
was serving.