Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-11
PEARRE TALKS OFVIERS
TELLS INSIDE OF ROCKVILLE
POST OFFICE CASE.

Representative George A. Pearre of the
sixth Maryland district has made full exc
PLANTATION of the circumstances connected
with the reappolntment OF Mr.. ]. p. q.
Viers as postmaster at Rockville, Md, to
representative Of the Baltimore Sun. He
said:
1.-THE truth about the Rockville post Office
matter Is this: 1t had been rumored for
some months that Mr.. viers. the postmas.
ter at Rockville. and Mr.. Burdette, chair
man of the republican county COMMITTEES
of Montgomery county would be candi-
dates for the postmastership at Rockville.
These rumors followed a hotly contested
local campaign last summer. in which the
issue was who was to be the chairman Of
the county committee. Mr.. Burdette being
one of the candidates. the other being Mr..
D. w. Baker. subsequently appointed
United States district attorney for the Dis
trict of Columbia.
During that campaign Mr.. viers' friends
charged Mr.. Burdette with being cam
didate for county chairman for the purpose
of improving his chances for the appoint
ment as postmaster at Rockville. TO which
they charged him with aspiring. This
seemed to increase the chances OF the de-
feat of MIR. Burdette for county chairman,
and he and his friends. in order to offset
the injury arising therefrom, declared re-
peatedly In public speech and private In.
terview that he was not a candidate for
postmaster ana WOUlu NOT De, ana only ue-
sired to be elected chairman.
Control Of Appointment.
'In that primary election Mr.. Burdette
and his friends succeeded in electing Mr..
Burdette chairman of the county commit.
tee. Shortly thereafter Mr.. Burdette an.
nounced himself as candidate for postmas.
ter, and called upon me to state that he
was candidate and desired to file his in
Hn,,f he hr
viers called upon me and made a similar
declaration, received both gentlemen and
told them l would be glad TO receive their
Endorsements. believing at the time. as they
also believed. that the postmaster at Rock
vile would be selected upon my recon-.
mendation, as had been the invariahle GUS
tom since l have been a member of Con-
gress-
Both these gentlemen then busted them
selves in securing Endorsements by patrons
of the Office, and by others. including menu
bers of the state central committee and of
the county committee. and subsequently,
filed their petitions and Endorsements with
me in person. still believing, as 1 believed.
that my recommendation would control the
appointment.
while I was considering the case and
before had determined upon which one of
the two l would recommend / received a
letter from Mr.. Frank H. Hitchcock, first
assistant postmaster general, which clearly
indicated to me. as II would to any
troll the appointment Of the post
master at Rockville. but that the same was
to be made by the department unless 1t
could be conclusively shown that such ac-
ton would not be for the best interests Of
the service. l replied to the letter of the
first assistant postmaster general, stating
that In view of his letter taking the APP
pointment away from me, 1 had rec
ommenda ton to make, as / was not In
position to present reasons showing con-
olusiyeIy that the reappointment of Mr..
Viere uOllfd he detrimental TO the DuDliC
service
II observe that man by the name Of
Duval, who claims to he a republican living
in Gaithersburg. with q show OF great salts
ia ction states in a communication to one or
the Washington newspapers that the clos
ing sentence of Mr.. Hitchcock's letter asked ,
me please to advise the department regard
ing this case at my earliest convenience.
and proclaims that this, to his mind, Is
proof that the department intended to be
controlled by my recommendation. This
has been specifically denied by the nrst
assistant postmaster general.
Dawson Might Have Got 1t.
ST have also noticed that Mr.. Burdette in
his numerous writings to the county and
other papers on this subject declares that
offered this appointment to MIR. Thomas
Dawson of Rockville. who is now being ,
talked OF by Mr.. Burdette and his friends
as a candidate for Congress against me IN
the sixth district, and argues therefrom
that If | could have given IT to Dawson
I could have given 1t to him. This Is quite
true except for the fact that my CONVERSE
ton with Dawson about thus matter took
place before received the letter of the first
assistant postmaster general above quoted.
subsequently, l am told, charges were
fled at the Post Office Department against
Mr. viers. either upon his own motion or
upon that of a friend of Mr.. Burdette. the
man who filed the charges being coloreo
man who admits malicious feeling against
Mr. viers by reason of the fact that when
an applicant for mail messenger to carry
most ONCE at Rockville Mr.. Viers, accord
ing to the statement of the colored man,
treated him badly in responding to some
questions asked OF Mr.. yiers by the second
ssIstant postmaster general IN a letter to