The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-05-18
CLAUDE L'ENGLE MAKES
DISCOVERY IN TAMPA
COLLECTORSHIP CASE
Name of Jno. w. Martha,
Who Was Appointed to
Office May 1, Has Been
Withdrawn Through Ac-
tivity of F1orida's Con
gressman-at-Large.
BY CLAUDE L'ENGLE.

Washington, D. G, May 17.-H the
letter writing hunch hadn't taken pos
session of certain Florida "Crac cker, -
causing him to take his pen in hand
and write a few lines to Floridas con-
gressman- at Large, the biggest ponti-
cal job. and also the biggest sesleral
office in Florida, would have been held
down for four long years by one J0Afs
w. Martin, a travelling salesman or
has heretofore followed the reaction
airy line.
It would be remembered that Martin
received the appointment as collector
of customs at Jacksonville in place
of w. Fl. Lucas, superseded.
His name was sent tc the senate,
May first, as a result of an agree
ment or a compromise, between Sen
ators Fletcher and Bryan, it being un-
derstood by the two senators and Sec
retary McAdoo and even by the peer
less himself. who wants the big six
thousand dollar job for his friend Cal
houn. that Martins term of office
would terminate July first, when the
new customs order goes into effect.
This looked all right and everybody
was pleased or appeared to be- but it
won't do to make trades in politics
or in governmental matters, for Mr..
Martin would have had the big job
for four years, in spite of the gentle
mans agreement in which the secre-
tary of state, secretary of treasury
Senator Fletcher and Senator Bryan
were the high contracting parties, If
that humble but patriotic citizen of
Florida had not written me a letter
asking for information as to the mat
toms will be appointed under the new
order.
H Q. Sparkman, who is up here in
the capacity of secretary helping me
hold this job down, opened this letter
and Immediately commenced to dig for
the information desired.
In reading over the law, Mr.. Spark
mans attention was arrested by para
graph six, which. among other things,
provides: THE collector of GUS
toms for any. district here
tofore existing, in which the port above
mentioned as the headquarters of the
district hereby created Is located, shall
continue to hold Office as the collector
Of customs for such new district under
his existing commission"
Remembering the appointment of
Martin. this provision looked mighty
suspicious to Sparkman and he brought
the pamphlet containing the law with
him when he met me by appointment
IN the postmaster-ge generals office. We
agreed that II Martins appointment
should by any accident go past the first
of July he would be the collector of
six thousand dollars per year.
A visit to the office of the secretary |
OF the treasury, which Mr.. Sparkman !
made at my suggestion,
disclosed the fact that Mr.. Martin had F!
been appointed for four years, and that |
the only thing lacking to give him |
cast iron cinch on the big Job was his |
confirmation by the senate, which un-
der the agreement of the two senators |
was merely a matter Of routine busi- |
ness to be completed when it was |
reached in the regular order.
AS Mr.. Martin was not my choice for |
stther the big or the little job, (for |
have always said that a Tampa man /
and a fighting progressive ought to |
have it, this looked like a chance for |
me to get into action to prevent at |
the same time a plute getting an office |
and q Tampa man getting shut out.
I went straight to the senate cham
Der. the senate being IN session at the /
lime, and called Senator Bryan fromf
ris seat to the settee in the back of |
The chamber and asked him If Martin
had been confirmed, as this action
night have been taken that very day.
Senator Bryan said that he had not
been confirmed. but would be as soon
as it was reached and repeated his /