The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-06-20
SENATOR BRYAN TO CONGRESS
MAN L'ENGLE
United States Senate,
"JaV 26 1919


House of Representatives
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir-Upon receipt of your re-
markabIe letter of the 18th instant |
discussed its contents with you over
the telephone. and supposed it was
unnecessary for me to send YOU a
written answer.
However, in view of the fact that,
in your capacity of newspaper cores
pondent, you have used up half page
Of space in Dixie, perhaps I had bet
ter write a reply. SO that you may not
have an excuse to add to my many
other faults. shortcomings and wrong
doings tho charge that lIgnored your
letter
The habit Of that kind of a states
man, who devotes an hour TO work.
and then takes a week to tell about
it, with much self-glorification. in the
newspapers, seems to have seize
upon gu.
Ia your letter to the postmaster
general which you, also. of coarse,
publish, you say: i am willing to do
ever yfhing in the service of the reo-
pie except make myself ridiculous
But. the plan you outline in your let
ter to me is nothing if not ridiculous.
That letter has but one meaning:
Whenever your choice for postmaster
is appointed, you will be able to take
all the credit for it; and whenever, in
your view, an unfortunate appointment
has been made, you will be able to
shift the blame from your shoulders
to mine. Let me prove this assertion
by your letter. On page one, you say
that your are going to let me take the
responsibility fer all pOstoffices in
Florida, and that you will continue to
recommend for appointment; but in
order to claim credit for appointments
that suit you, you propose to exercise
your right az a citizen OF Florida and
as representative of the people to
endorse those whom you think viii
best advance the peoples service.
In other words, you viii n5t rec
ommend, but you win endorse What
is the difference. unless there be a
difference between tweedledee and
tweedledum? There is no difference,
and you know it,
"You ought TO Ercv by this tjnc.
that neither one Of u> can m.He a
single appointment The only thing
either one OF us can do. S far as the
appointment itself is concerned, is to
recommend or endorse. If there is
any difference between these terms,
will you please point it out to me? If
there is no difference, why did you
say to the postmaster general: !,
therefore, have the honor to inform
you that / will confne myself in mat
ters OF p0stoffice appointments TO an !
expression OF my opinion as to who /
would best perform the public ser /
vice?' What else besides that can !
either you or I do in the matter of ,
appointments? According to your let I
ter to Dixie, you give evidence of hac-
ing read one clause of the constitu- /
ton. You make the discovery that /
senators are required 10 cOnsanI to |
\ presidential nomination before a !
commission can be issued. The sen
ate therefore, fortunately has an OPP /
pOrtunity to correct mistakes. Until
l read your letter did not know that !
you ever made mistakes, but you ad- /
mitted that you had mistake when
you included in your list of names a |
republican candidate Tor postmaster |
You complain of me because of my !
friendship for General Law. would
be ashamed of myself if I had not
complied with his request. Of course
it is easy for you to say that this and |
other things do have no higher in /
spiration than can De found in selfish |
~" q. II ! snt would De q pre-
ty tribute 20 an old wa horse. who |
has also won Q high place in time OF
peace, and who has maintained it in |
advocating policies and principles in |
which believe. especially from al