Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-19

own moral.
statement read to him Mr. Keefe said:
Il was not closeted with President
Roosevelt at all. / did see him on Oct.
3, but for only four or five minutes,
and several others were present"
The Charge Reiterated
New York, Oct 1.-THE democratic
national committee issued statement
tonight quoting Timothy Healey, pres
ident of the International Brotherhood
of Stationary Firemen, as authority
for the allegation that Daniel j. Keefe
had been promised by the president
appointment as commissioner general
of immigration in return for the De-
troit labor leaders support of Mr.. Taft
The national committee had promised
to make known its informant if the
charge was denied as it has been both
by Keefe and at the White house.
The national committee quotes Mr..
Healey in part as follows:
81 was in Washington on Wednes-
day of last week on a matter dealing
with our organization which brought
me in contact with an official of high
standing in the government service.
He said to me: Dan Keefe has been
selected for commissioner general Of
immigration
"Is that SOP I asked.
eyes, the job is his he replied.
81 asked him how he knew, and he
| told me that his informant was a men,
Der of the presidents cabinet and
knew what he was talking about
This information was not given to
me in confidential manner, but l
will not give my informant's name,
i for it is plain to see what would hap
pen TO him if his name came out.
There is not any doubt in my mind
I, but that the statement that the presi-
dent offered Keefe the position and
that Keefe agreed to accept is true.
Perhaps the offer was not made at
this conference on Oct. 3, last, but
believe ii has been made"
| Another Statement from Keefe.
Cleveland. Ohio, Oct. 14.--Daniei J.
|
Longshoremen's union and member of
the executive committee of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, was in
Cleveland today attending a meeting
of the Lumber Carriers association
Mr.. Keefe reiterated his statements
cations that he was promised the com
missionership OF immigration as a re-
ward for his support of Candidate Taft
Mr.. Keefe said:
at is not reasonable to suppose
that the republican party, if it was in
the business of buying up votes, would
waste its energy and efforts on life
long republicans.
"On Oct. | went to Washington to
see Mr.. Wright, secretary of war, on
Isome business pertaining to my or
| ganiZation While there l called upon
and paid my respects to the president
| p H. Morissey, head of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen, and others
were with me at the time. l talked to
] the president in their presence. Nc
mention was made of the immigration
department and the president did not
ask me to accept the position made
vacant by the late Frank Sargent
81 am not and never have been a
candidate for that position. / do know
of two other prominent labor men
who are being urged for the place"
/ Roosevelt and Loeb Deny 1t.
i Washington, Oct. 14.-While no for
NAL statement was issued from the
White house, Secretary Loeb today
ldenied that President Roosevelt prom
ised the office of commissioner genera
of immigration to Daniel ]. Keefe OF
detroit, president of the international
/ Association of Longshoremen in con
sideration of Mr.. Keefe's action in de
claring for Mr. Taft in opposition t.
the pro-Bryan campaign of President
Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor Mr.. Loeb added that Mr.
Keefe in his denial of the story was
absolutely correct.
After the Election.
: Washington, Dec. daniel J. Keeft
of Detroit, Mich, was today appointed
: commissioner general of immigration
to succeed the late Frank p. Sargent
| Mr.. Keefe is president of the Interna
, tional Longshoremen's union.