The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-31
HOW HAWTHORNE
 WAS DISCHARGED Political Steam Roller Was
 Used on Author WANT MAINE RELICS Rumored That Proximity of Baltimore To Washington May Result in
 Congress Staying in Session Until Late Summer
WANT MAINE RELICS

Washington March 90. = Cspeolal.)- The steam roller in postics Is no new thing. It may have been perfected and developed in these latter days, but that it was effective a generation ago Is proven by the cast of MT. Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the most noted of all American authors.
 The facts in the ca-e of MT. flaw thorne have been brought to public at tention by request rom the library of Congress that the treasury depart ment turn over to 1t a file of papers re- lating 10 an appointment and dismissal of Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of the Scarlet Letter." House of the Seven Gables" etc, to and from tho position of surveyor of customs of the port of Salem, Mas. Tho recommendation for Hawthorne's appointment in 1S45 ln- clude letters from Frai~1lin Pierce and George Bancroft, besides a considera bio number of politicians of lesser note, The file, whic his a part of the records of the appointment division of the treasury department, does not contain the actual record of Mir. Hawthorne's removal, but indicates the effect of that removal. which took place in 1S49. by the consld- ereble number of indignant letters com blaming of MT Hawthorne's dismissal from office, IS well as a iong statement from the whigs at Salem, Mass, ex- plaining why MT. Hawthornes removal was necessary in the interests of party success. Among those VITO protested aghinst the removal, which had then be- come fact. were Horace Mann and Rufus Choate
 The memorial of the whigs of Salem of nd he. ao
 terestlng political story. Hawthorne had been appointed as a democrat. Tho complaint of the whigs of Salem was that the majority of the best offices In the customs house, which were filled by appointment of the collector, were held by democrats, and that the GUS, toms house was the headquarters of To- cal democratic electioneering The whigs thereupon apparently made rep resentatations to the authorities in Washington, and successor was sum marily appointed to ssathaniel flaw thorne as surveyor of the port; where upon the local whigs pointed out to the democratic subordnates that their day of office was rapidly drawing to a close
 The fact that the democratic national convention is to be held In Baltimore may have an important bearing on the date of the adjourhment of Congress-
 The democratic majority in the House will be able to take as active part Tn the convention as 1t desires without ad- Journing Congress. and as there Is lots of work yet to be done before the demo- cratic programme is completed 1t is not at all improbable that they will hold the session well into the summer
 prominent democratic member of the House said the other day; "I do not know of an easier place than Washing ton from which to visit Baltimore. We can run over any time in less than an hour and If we keep in session the con vention will have the benefit of the ad. vice of representatives and senators to an extent never known before This may have an important result on the campaign.
 Besides there is lots of tariff leEis- 1ation yet to be taken care of and 1t will be good politics to force the republic an Senate to go on record on all these tariff measures Along about Agust is time enough for us to get back home to look after ourd fences and l see no reason, therefore, to hurry through the season."
 "A bill has been introduced in the House and Senate to provide for the proper care and compilation of all rec ords relating to the soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary war and the war of 1872" remarked F. .. Hays of Chi cago the other day.
 How careless the United States has been in the past in preserving docu- ments of this character is shown by tha fact that during the nrst half of the last century the muster rolls of the sailors who manned the American ships in the last wear with Great Britain were