Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-11
DECLARES PRESIDENTS HAND
is SEEN IN OHIO
rAFT,s OPPONENT is REFUSED
APPOINTMENT
Senator Replies to RooseveIt's State
ment-Believes Department Is
Used to Boom Secretary
of War


ing concerning charges that pupllc
patronage has been used by the presl-
dent for political purposes.
Foraker took the floor in the senate
on a question of personal privilege ana
reading at length from the president
correspondence with William Dudley
Fo,lIlxe proceeded to explain his own
attitude toward the federal patronage
in Ohio. -,
Mr.. Foraker opened his remarks by
saving that on January IA, 1908, the
senate in executive session, at the m
stance of the two senators from ONO,
refused to confirm certain postomlSse e
appointments when hau peeh niNos
by The president.
"ITreed by our friends of the press
ae IN the reasons why we had taken
such action" said Mr.. Foraker Il made
d statement in about these words:
.,,'rhat the action taken meant that
there would not be in ONO any lur-
Their prostitution OF patronage lor Po
litical purposes without being re-
Awaited Answer
That the senator said, seemed to be
enough. and it was announced that
the. president would make tuii
answer to all charges of that KIND.
Mr.. Foraker referred to the presl-
dents statement published IN TINS
warnings papers and said he did not
nronose 10 go into details in his reply
10 that statement because the appoint
nent of a postmaster outside the COM
munitv in which he lived is not OF IN
terest TO the public. He read part
of the presidents statement IN winch
the latter declared that no presidential
candidate had been favored IN any
appointments. -
These general propositions are i'm
por,apt." said Mr.. Foraker, referring
to the presidents words. "Whiie the
neonle are not interested in speclfc
details of appointments they are IN
terested in the general propositlons
efunciated by the president; they are
interested in knowing that the appoint
meats are made with an eye single 10
the good Of the public service.
at is difficult to prove cases OF TINS
character because ordinarily there Is
not evidence reduced to writing Dear
ing on them. But fortunately we nave
one case in Ohio where there is writ
ten testimony.
nointment of Charles II. Bryson as
postmaster at Athens, Ohio, who, he
said. was appointed without his So
lie,tation upon recommendation of Rep
resentative Alfred Douglas He then
read from local paper an interview
Taft had lost his following in Ohio
and Foraker had greatly grown IN
President Refuses Him
AT the conclusion of the reading of
the interview Mr.. Foraker observed
that there was nothing i'll it hostile to
Secretary Taft, but that IL expressed
an honest difference of opinion on d
subject entirely within his right of
individual opinion.
MIR. Bryson returned to Athens, said
Mr.. Foraker, entirely unconscious that
he had made any trouble until few
days later when he received a letter
from Representative Douglas telling OF
q talk he had with Postmaster General
Meyer on the subject of the appoint
nent According to this letter Mr.
Douglas had been sent for and TOLD
thar the president had decided not &c
appoint Mr.. Bryson after all. Repre-
sentative Douglas said that the post
master general was nice about it, bu
determined and evidently was carrying
out the presidents orders.
From the postoffice department Mr.
Douglas went to the White House
where he took up the matter with Mr.
Loeb, the presidents secretary, WHIT
said the president could see no reason
for appointing men to office whI
were not in harmony with his policies.
Mi. FORAKER Sdlu lildl MI. lCou6loi
had told Mr.. Bryson that it would b.
advisable for him to come to Wash
jngton and take the matter up himself
After receiving a reply dated De
cember ., in which Bryson said n
would be in Washington within da,
or so. Douglas saw the president. TIL
story of the conference at the Whit
House was told in a letter which Doug
las Immediately sent to Bryson him
self, saying;
"rhe president bluntly told me tina
would have TO recommend anothe
man"
Mr.. Douglas said that he urged tn
president to reconsider, but that II
was insistent
Calls 1t "coercion"
Mr.. Foraker said he did not wan
to comment upon the correspondent
beyond showing the pressure that ha
been brought to bear on one man wh
had expressed his personal view on
matter of which he had a right t
express them, to fooerce," as the pres
ident had said In his letter.
Mr. Bryson then sent letter to MI
Douglas, said Mr.. Foraker, in whic
he gave his view of the situation. II
said that in his interview he had sal
that Taft was losing and Foraker gain
ing In Ohio and that Taft, if nom
mated, could not carry his state. MI
Bryson reiterated this and declare
that it was true.
He SAID he had always been in favo
of the presidents policies and tina
nothing had ever appeared In his pape
in opposition to the administration. II
reviewed some of the things he ha
printed however, including the state
lnent that the president would be com
PEELED TO take another nomination be
cause with Taft as a candidate tn
labor, capital and negro vote woul
be eliminated. He asserted that I'll
presidents statement Of his (Bryson's
activity as represented to Mr. Dougla
was entirely wrong, and in concusio
Mr.. Bryson said Il favor the pres
dent. but not his candidate, and
shall not so long as think Bryan ca
beat him at the polls"
Shows independence
,rhe letter contained a declaration ,
Dolitical independence so far as e5
pressing preference for candidates
concerned, and Mr. Bryson announces
4hat while he would like to continl
in office he would not do so by II
sacrifice of his independence, and II
president could have the office Il
some one who was willing to carr
out his wishes In all matters
Mr.. Foraker characterized the lett
by Mr.. Bryson ian able. frank, cand