The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-03-09

cause there as DANGER a. =.
would build up machine, ana tar
any machine built up Ard CONDUCTED
! ~ him would be operate. v@xara-
lea OF the rights Of tie people q
] the State.
What Senator xsnce's soa says.
This man Simmons aarts-ea
what seemed 20 be hfx political eon-
vsctions b. agreeing 10 become ~
agent Of the Cleveland regime In
order 10 secure an once and 10 se-
cure power to build un such . M
chine al Senator Vance had warned
/ against. and from that aour be
seems 10 have joined in : eonspsr-
aey With certain other people 10 rnls-
represent and hound senator Vance
10 the day Of his death. Senator
Vance. though 4 sick man-a man
| who knew that he could not live
many months longer. raised his pro-
/ test against the confirmation Of thIs
man for the collectorahip OF the
/ Eastern District Of North Carolina.
and as long az Senator Vance lived
he could not be confirmed, and was
not confirmed.
| After Senator vance's death. this
man Simmons. 1t seems. attempted
/ TO try TO fool the people OF North
Carolina, including a host Of admir-
ers of Senator Vance. by denying
that Senator Vance ever distrusted
or opposed him, and also specifically
/ denying that Senator Vance ever
| filed any charges in the Senate
against his personal character
and fitness for Office. This braz-
en- audacity of Mr.. Simmons caused
Senator vance's son, Charles n.
Vance, to feel forced to arise to the
occasion and defend the honor and
beloved memory of his distinguished
father, He did so In a letter ad-
dressed to DR.. /. w. Faison, of Char
lotte, which / will now read:
Washington, Oct. %, 1900.
DR.. I. w. Faison, Charlotte, N. c.
/ Dear Doctor:-I have received
your letter of the 20th inst, in
which you asked me to state what
were the objections of my father to
the confirmation of r. M. Simmons
as collector.
Under ordinary circumstances, /
would not be inclined to revive rec
objections of political controversies
with which my father was concern
ed, but when impressions, as l un-
derstand, are being made in the
State that at the time Of his death
he and Mr.. Simmons were on friend
ly terms, I desire to state that this
is not the fact, but on the contrary, a
short time before my fathers death
he stated that in his opinion Mr..
Simmons was not fit for this office,
Or worthy of the confidence Of the
people of North Carolina. I know
the fact that my father regarded Mr..
Simmons as a INSCRIPTIONS politi-
clan, and for that and other reasons,
he opposed his confirmation for col
lector
know of my knowledge personally
that there were enough Senators at
that time with Senator Vance to have
defeated Simmons confirmation.
i My father stated to me that if
tics of North Carolina it would be
conducted as a machine, regardless
of the rights, privileges of the peo-
pie, and if there was anything that
my father abhorred in politics, it
was a machine or bossism. What
ever honesty he got came from the
people and he trusted them implic-
lily.
AS expressed in card which he
wrote to the Asheville Citizen, in
February, 1894, he opposed the con-
i firmation of Mr.. Simmons ION per-
sonal as well as public grounds
grounds connected with his unfitness
to. hold the position for which he
had been appointed"
Mr.. Simmons stated in recent card
that Senator Vance did not oppose
him on account of any charges
against his personal character.
There was some charges of this kind
and some serious objections to him,
which were filed at the time with
the finance Committee of the Senate.
have made a diligent search for
these papers, but failed to find them
in the records, they have been abb
stracted by some one, do not know
by whom Or when.
Another reason for Senator
vance's opposition to Mr.. Simmons.
That gentleman came to Washing
ton early in 1894. and in his capaci-
ty as chairman of the Democratic
, Executive Committee of North Caro-
, lima told Mr. Cleveland in an inter
/ view with him that Senator Vance,
who was then fighting the nomina-
ton of certain party as collector In
, the Western district, did not repre-
sant the Democrafic marty OF North