The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-02-11
HITS BACK
Replies to Presidents Statement
on Federal Patronage.
CITES ONE SPECIFIC CASE

Ohio Man Selected for Postmaster of
His Town Turned Down With Rep
rimand When He Said, Taft Was
Losing His Following.
Washington, Feb Ex-senator For
aker has made reply to the presidents
statement concerning charges that
public patronage has been used by
him (the president) for political pur-
poses. He took the floor in the SEN
ate on question of personal privilege
and, reading at length from the pres
ident's correspondence with William
Dudley Foulke, proceeded to explain
his own attitude towards the federal
patronage in Ohio
ut is difficult to prove cases of this
character" said Mr.. Foraker, "be-
cause ordinarily there is no evidence
reduced to writing bearing on them"
"But, fortunately" he added, 1--WE
A1fO OuV SeloS Ill OAAlO WnSle IuSI0 IS
written testimony. I do not charge
anybody with bad faith I supposed
all the while that the president was
acting upon recommendations made to
him without knowledge of basis of
fact upon which these recommends
lions rested" He referred to the re-
cess appointment of Charles H. Bry-
son as postmaste at Athens, O., who,
he said, was appointed without his
solicitation upon recommendation of
Representative Alfred Douglass. He
then read from local paper an inter-
view with Mr.. Bryson in which he
stated that Taft lost his following in
Ohio and Foraker had greatly grown
in strength.
At the conclusion Of the reading of
tie interview Mr.. Foraker observed
that there was nothing in it hostile to
Secretary Taft, but that it expressed
an honest difference of opinion on a
subject entirely within his rights of
individual opinion Mr.. Bryson re.
turned to Athens, said Mr.. Foraker,
entirely unconscious that he had made
any trouble until a few days later
when he received a letter from Repre-
sentative Douglass telling of talk he
had with Postmaster General Meyer
on the subject of the appointment.
According to this letter Mr. Douglass
had been sent for to be told that the
president had decided not to appoint
Mr.. Bryson after all. Representative
Douglass said that the postmaster
general was nice about it, but deter
mined, and evidently was carrying out
the presidents ORDERS
Appeals to the White House.
From the postofice department Mr..
Douglass went to the White House,
where he took up the matter with Mr..
Loeb, the presidents secretary, who
said the president could see mo rea-
son for appointing men to office who
were not in harmony with his pol
icies." Mr.. Loeb, according to Mr..
Douglass letter, said the president
was determined that Mr.. Douglass
should recommend another appoint.
ment
Mr.. Foraker said that Mr. Douglass
had told Mr.. Bryson that it would be
advisable for him to come to Wash
ington and take the matter up him
SELF After receiving a reply, dated
Dec. 8, in which Mr.. Bryson said he
would be in Washington within a day
or so, Mr.. Douglass saw the president.
The story of the conference at the
White House was told in a letter
which MIR. Douglass Immediately sent
to Mr.. Bryson, saying:
"The president bluntly told me that
I would have to recommend another
man." MIR. Douglass said. that he
urged the president to reconsider, but
that he was insistent
Mr.. Foraker said he did not want
to comment upon the correspondence
beyond showing the pressure that had
been brought to bear on one man
who had expressed his personal view
on matter on which he had a right
to express them"
Mr.. Foraker asserted that he could
establish to the entire satisfaction of
any unbiased mind that there are
hundred such cases in Ohio. He said
that estimate was no exaggeration,
although the presidents hand could
not be traced to all of them. He said
they had been engineered by men who
represented the president.
During his statement the senator
was compelled to suspend in order
that the senate might receive mes
pearance Of the White House messen-
ger at this juncture provoked much