Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-11
FRIENDS ARGUE !: :
DENNE' 5 CASE.
THEY REPLY TO CLAIM MADE
BY DEvINE's oPPoN-
ENTs.
FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS
ARE ALL IN POLITICS
Regret That Pierce V, Should Have
suttsd In With Telegram Question
ing Dsvine's Fitness For the Place
- History Of the Old Political Incl
dent.

The town is alive with canvassers
| for petitions today and IT looks as tho
two special furniture cars would be
chartered in which to convey the doc
uments to Washington. Inasmuch as
McFarland's friends made a public
| statement in this newspaper Wednes-
day, DR.. Devine's friends reply today
as follows:
Statement For Devine.
The friends of DR.. w. s. Devine wish
to make public statement in his behalf.
l. He has received the endorsement
of the republican congressman from
this district for postmaster because in
ability he is eminently fitted for the
place and because he has been the
close political friend and active work.
.er for the congressman ever since the
latter first sought the nomination
| whereas so far as the congressman
knows Dr. Devine's opponent either
voted against the congressman in the
party primary or at least did nothing
for him to put him under obligations.
2. He has received the endorsement
of the congressman because it is the
rule in appointing postmasters all over
the United States to recognize poltica.
service where ability to serve is UNI
questioned. If the protection of the
civil service is desired for DR.. Devne's
opponent he should not leave the good
position he now holds and by becoming
postmaster hazard his employment by
taking chances with a new admin1stra-
ton which might reward others with
the place. In our southern states re-
publican postmasters are appointed by
republican presidents in towns IN
which eighty per cent of the voters
are democrats and when democratic
presidents are elected democrats are
appointed postmasters in northern
towns under like conditions.
| Until the civil service Is extended
| by statute to include 'postmasters it
| is unfair to attack Or. Devine for re-
ceiving the recommendations OF the
congressman in exactly the same man
liner that every other postmaster has
Ebeen appointed that Marshalltown has
ever had.
DR.. Devine comedies the right Of any
one to oppose him with a petition and
he is pleased to note that the majority
tof the committee supporting his OPP
fponent has repudiated the action of F.
C. Pierce who telegraphed to Washing
ton an implied charge that Dr.zDevine
was unfit for the place because OF an
| indictment Tong ago secured in poll
tical controversy and of which he was
fully acquitted and exonerated both by
jury and by public sentiment. -
| His friends regret that this town
should be again disturbed by petitions
and factions but we fully exonerate
! DIR. Devine's opponent of responsibility
for it. He has assured US, and we be-
.lieve, that he personally preferred to
drop the contest and that he had made
up his mind to do so until Mr.. Pierce
had convinced his friends that he
should permit a try for it.
We ask all friends Of fair play in
politics to give DR.. Devine a square
deal by signing his petition. Had Con-
| gresham Good been defeated and his
fopponent Trewin elected. DR.. Devine
could not. have secured this appoint
ment with a petition of 50 per cent
of the patrons of the office and we all
know it. Nor could democrat now
secure it with such a petition. Why,
then, seek to deny Devine what he has
| fairly won in an open game, the rules
of which are known to every one and
which govern the selection of all fed
eral office holders thruout the United
States from cabinet officers all the
way down to the clerical positions
which have been specifically reserved
by civil service statutes. 1t looks to
us like a political effort under cover
of an opponents friends to embarrass
the congressman who has made his
| TN,
vine and his friends for fractional or
democratic reasons.
THE FRIENDS ofy-DEv1NE.
Pierce's Mistpks. 's
The statement Of Netherlands
friends that they were not responsible
for the Pierce telegram and the reply
today, were occasioned by the fact that
Pierce. in his anxiety lest the Devine
appointment would notss~be held / up,
rushed a telegram to Washingtonsteil.y,
ing the authorities to hold up. the APP
pointment because Devine had been
indicted in 1901. He did ittwithout the.
knowledge of any Of .McFarlandss
friends and, because it seemed like un-
fair play, McFarland's campaign was
all but dropped Tuesday, fact the
T.-R. was requested to withhold pub
lieation of the Pierce Incident until
the matter of no contest could be de-
cided, and late Tuesday it was an
nounced that no. contest would be
made. ~
In the evening. however, Mr.. Pierce
succeeded in convincing McFarlands
friends that what he had done would
not queer" the deal. spitby Wednesr,
duy morning the game was on. 80
Facts Which Were Not Wired.
The incident was unfortunate in that
Devine was completely exoncrated at
the time. During a heated political
campaign, when Mr.. Bradford was
conducting the democratic Reflector, it
was discovered that the members of
the board of insanity commissioners
who were republicans, were being al
lowed by the county officers fees for
leach case passed upon regardless of
the fact tina. sometimes twc or more
cases were acted upon in one day. This
Ehad been the custom In this county for
twenty years or more, and was sup
Eposed to be in accordan6e with law.'I
was commended, however. that TIE STAT
lutte contemplated SD9ly pea2edieMs fees or
q single fee for the day. to Include
tSif cases acted upon. and Messfs. De-