The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1910-01-13
SHOULD PLACE PRINCIPLE Re
FORE PATRONAGE.

more Post-office.
Editor Of The Caucasian:-I con-
cur with the views expressed in The
Caucasian that Federal ofice-holders
snouid not go as delegates to conven-
tions, for since my first recollection
the Democratic cry has been that the
Republican conventions are packed
with and run by Federal ofice-hold-
ers. We all know that this has hurt
the party, and l hope that the Re-
buplicans of North Carolina will cut
out this part of the Democratic press
song, by sending other than Office
holders to the conventions as dele
gates.
We must break the everlasting
hold of the patronage machine which
| runs and ruins the party for their
own selfish purposes. We can never
build up the Republican party and
achieve success unless that is done.
Nobody wants to join a patronage
machine except office-seekers.
The fear expressed that if this ele-
ment were unhorsed it would knife
the ticket, may be well founded; but
| its Importance is over-estimated. Let
us begin to look forward Immediate
ly for the purpose of organizing the
| party along progressive lines, and
then the knitting of the ticket by the
| depOsed machine would be reduced
to very few disgruntled individuals.
and at the same time a hundred or
| more new recruits would be gained
for every kicking, knitting, sulking
| deposed member of the machine
| The defeat of Spencer Blackburn
in the Eighth District was the knit
/ ing by the patronage machine.
| The election of Grant and More
head was in no wise expected by this
/ element, or doubtless, they would
have met the same fate, or at least I
know that to be the case as to Mr..
/ Grant; and after being thus sur
| prised, they went to work and tried
/ to embarrass the two Congressmen.
| The wrangle kept up over the Bilt-
more post-office through the machine
organ is for the purpose of embar-
RAISING Mr.. Grant and to try to bluff
him out of making other recon-
mendatiOns for removals, right here
in Buncombe. That is all there is
in it. DR.. Geo. w. Reed, whose wife
succeeded as postmaster, was my
cousin; we were schoolmates, Office
mates, and the closest of friends un-
I'll his death; but II ne were living 1
would not favor his re-appointment.
The voters of this District will not
pointments, and had Mr.. Grant be-
gun by recommending them he
would have been committing politi-
cal suicide, and it was in keeping
with this understanding that Mr.
Grant declined to recommend Mrs
Reed as her successor from the
start.
Bribery.
Now, then, a word as to that.
q do not think Mrs. Reed intended OF
expected her proposition to Congress
man Grant or State Chairman Adams
( to be construed as bribery or as il
: the nature of offering a bribe, to b'
retained in the office: but takins
what Mrs. Reed and Mr. Moore say
she did and said in the way of an of
fer, has not Congressman Gran
placed the proper construction upol
Il the proposition, intended or not?
l. What is bribery? The act or prac
n tice of giving or taking reward fo
the performance of that which i
known to be Illegal.
The law says that any person hold
ing office who shall receive anythin
y whatsoever of value, or the promis
&c thereof with the understanding tha
Of his official action is to be influence
W thereby, shall be guilty of felony.
, That any person offering bribt
- whether it be accepted or not,
guilty of felony.
Now, was not the offer made
H. Chairman Adams, that if Mrs. Rec
If would be retained in office she woul
tv contribute, and was not that offe
or made to Mr.. Grant, an offer to col
tribute more than the other appl
ai cant if she was retained?
Now, who is responsible for th
W0Ol0 WFdnSl0: 1t Is not hSO
n and it is not her friends. Of cours
ma she would have liked to have stage
on in the office, and many of her pc
sona1 friends would have liked
have seen her keep it; but many
ely her personal friends have chang,
their position. and now are in favor
upholding Mr.. Grants hands. Th
ter is because they have seen that ce
ca tain machine Republicans who ca
ITO nothing for Mrs. Reed have gott
behind her back and are using t
as' Democratic Senators and the Dem
m cratic press to make an attack
er. Congressman Grant. And VIII
Because they do not want any inc
:, pendent Republican Congressme
They want to handle the patrona
ha' of his district and every other d
&C trict in the State. and the fewer
ox. publican Congressman there are
de- better they like it. This is the squs
lalf issue 'ha' has nVn 'ss,;oaa 80 80 - ., !;
Republican from principle and "
wants to see his party succeed sho
ced get behind Congressman Grant
mo- uphold his hands and go to work
tho yindieate him and the party and
denim his enemies by re-nom1nat
nan and re-electing him by a bigger
3Tu- ;orify than before.