Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1906-05-24
To The Citizens of GOIdSbOrO.

=
About the first of last December in
an interview at the White House the
President stated that two terms of
Office were enough for any man, and
where new appointments could be
made without interferringin any way
with the efficiency of the service, it
was his purpose to make such
changes.
Until this announcement was made
public l had not become a candidate
for the postmastership at Goidsboro,
but aspirants had been circulating
petitions for serveral months previ-
Gus, and their canvass was about
over.
Acting upon the hypothesis that a
change was to be made in the post
Office at Goldsboro, L allowed my pc
tition to go into circulation among
the citizens of the town, and asked
fer their endorsement Sin the event
Of q new appointments The head
ing OF the petition was SO clear that
no II could misunderstood it, and
no one IAN truthfully say that any eff
fort was made to mislead many way.
This petition, together with many
letters of endOrsement), was filed in
the POstoffice Department at Wash
ington to be passed upon according to
its face value.
When in Washington about the
middle of January, l went to the
White House and was presented to
the President. In the course of the
conversation he was told that my
papers in connection with the post
mastership at G%oldsboro, N. c., were
on file in the Department. He asked
me the name of the encumbent post
master and his length of service, and
wrote a note to the Postmaster Gen
eral stating hat he thought l aught
to be appointed. No action was taken
by the Department., and two or three
days later the President sent my
name to the Senate for confirmation.
/ was informed by one of the highest
postoffice officials in Washington that
it was purely a personal appointment,
and was made without the knowledge
of the Department. No n can say
that the Presidents action in my
favor came as the result of any per-
!suasiOn or importuning, but was alb
solutely and enthusiastically volun-
tary and spontaneous. His action
was as much a surprise to Ele as to-,
any citizen of GoldsborO.
At this time Maj. Rollins, post
master at Asheville and father of
State Chairman Thomas S. Rollins,
was the only Presidential tppOintee
in the state who had received an APP
pointment to a third term. Serious
charges were preferred against him,
and though they were not sustained,
to have removed him at this time
| would have given color to them in
the public mind, and his reappoint-
ment was looked upon mere y as a
v~indicatiOn and not a prece lent for
future appointments. 1t was some
time after my appointment Vas made
that complications in North
Carolina matters and the President
began rea%ppointing officers to succeed
themselves, regardless of their length
of service.
In about three weeks after my
name went to the Senate, | received
a letter from "a member of the Senate
Committee on Post Offices and Post
Roads stating that my confirmation
was being held up at the request of
the President. This was done as a
courtesy to a little coterie of politi-
cians, headed by Marion Butler, who
were opposing my confirmation and
clamoring for an opportunity to be
heard, stating that they could ''show
cause' why L should not be ap.
pointed.
AS soon as [ learned of this,
wrote to the President stating that
had entered into no scramble for the
loffice, and if he found that the APP
lpointment was causing him the
slightest embarrassment, it was my
desire that he withdraw my nomina
r ton. Instead of doing this, with full
knowledge Of the opposition:
grounds of protest, he declined t.
rescind his action and said there wa
: no reason why the nomination SHOULD
t not stand.
/ Failing to accomplish their purpos'
lat the White House, the conspirator
determined to thWart the will of tn,
President by defeating my confirma
t ton at the hands of the Senate.
i They did not dare to come out il
the open and make damagin;
icharges, but representations or mis-
: representations made to Post
t office Department officials with tn
result that an Inspector was SEM her
to prove my record. Those who wer
:. responsible for the presence Of thi
i detective in Goldsboro were hopin'
that he might unearth something
/ upon which to base charges agains
tme. He not only failed to accom-
Iplish this, but I am informed that hi
report was favorable to me.
The opposition has been foiled a
lone point only to begin their guerrill;
warfare at another, and for the pas
-four months the attacks upon nj
have been persistent.
Fl [ have asked the courtesy of tn
ARGUS in publishing this statemen
in regard to my connection with thu
postmastership at Goldsboro, not be
cause 1 thought it would be O
especial interest to our citizens il
general, but rather in justice to my
Iself.
From time to time / have heard OF
Igross misstatements that have been
made in regard to my connection