The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-01-07
TAFT's SIDE OF THE STORY.
President Tells Victor Rosewater He's
Not Using PATRONAGE Club.

rTes'uent 'eIlS VlCtor HoSeWater He's
Not Using Patronage Club.
Washington, Jan. Especial to The
News: Victor Rosewater, editor of
the Omaha Bee and national commit
teeman for Nebraska, had an inter-
view by appointment with the presi-
dent with reference to political mat
ters in Nebraska. After leaving the
president, Mr.. Rosewater said:
"The president said to me:
az want you to help correct the re-
ports that are being circulated to the
effect that l am using the patronage
club to whip so-called insurgents into
, line. There is a well founded custom
that has become almost a rule that in
making certu.n appointments, such as
to postoffices, the president should act
on recommendation of members OF
congress in whose district they lie, IL
represented by member of the same
political party. This obligation rest
ing on the president, however, is re-
ciprocal. The republican congress-
man is under a similar obligation to
support administration measures
recommended by the president to carry
out platform pledges on which both
of us were elected. | have not turned
down recommendations of insurgent
congressman, but am simply preserv-
ing the status and impressing them
with their obligations
It's all the Talk In Congress.
"Are the so-called insurgents in the
house to be punished for III cir attacks
on Cannonism Ind rules by deprivihg
them of their .patronage?" was the on
ly question heard about the capitol
But one subject was wheth-
er the administration was really at the
bottom of holding up the appointment
of postmasters, as alleged by certain
of the insurgents, or whether the rules
, of the postoffice department had
brought about a most unusual state of
affairs.
Miller Of Minnesota was the first to
feel the heavy hand of the administra-
ton in his failure to get his postoffice
/ appointment past the arbitrary first
assistant postmaster general, DR..
Granfield, and he raised a mighty "hol-
Ter" Hubbard of Sioux City was the
next victim to Withholding patronage,
then came Len Root and Cooper of
| Wisconsin who openly charged Post
master General Hitchcock with all
kinds of deviltry in connection with
their postoffice recommendations.
Nebraska Suffers in Same Way.
Mo- I'D,
the Fifth Nebraska district who, while
not making direct charges against the
postoffice department, says that things
look mighty Suspicious" and unless
something drops mighty soon he will
come to the conclusion that he had
been punished because he had courage
to stand up and protest against the
rules Of the house of representatives.
Three weeks ago Norris attention
was called to the fact that a recon-
mendation he had made for postmas-
ter at Orleans was ''up in the air"
Early in October last the postmaster
at Orleans died. and in the usual
course, notice came from the postof-
flee department of the death of the
recommend successor which he did
in the person of Mr.. Olmstead, a mil
Ter at that place. Thinking nothing
more of the matter, Judge Norris went
about his business supposing that Ohm
stead had taken over the office Just
before the holidays he learned that
the postoffice department had done
I nothing in the nf annnipt D,a nf
Olmstead and he got busy. He wrote
| DR.. Grantield, first assistant postmas-
ter general, asking as to the status of
the Orleans case but received no an
swer. Another letter was written.
with no better result, and then a third
letter was sent to Granfield, insisting
that some attention be given his sew
eral communications which brought
fourth the reply that the matter was
under consideration.
Hitchcock Won't See Him.
Norris had personal interview with
Granfield in which the latter told Nor
ris in so many words that the mat
ter had been held up at the instance
of the postmaster general" Norris
was amazed and at once sought an in
terview with the postmaster general
but without success, not being able to
see Mr. Hitchcock, and there the mat
ter rests.
What makes Judge Norris particu.
larly bitter is the impression that has
been sent forth in some Of the news
papers that he is being disciplined be-
cause of his alleged opposition to poll
cIaS Of the admin 81 tInn