Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-09
JACKSON SCORES
BLALOCK FOR
INTERVIEW
Former Revenue Collector De-
cIares His Successor Is Either
Ignorant or Has FaIsified.

Charging that A. o. Blalock, his
successor as Collector of Internal
Revenue, is playing to the public for
political notoriety, Henry S. Jackson,
in letter to The Georgian. sharply
scores him for published statements
criticising Jackson's administration
Of the office and his alleged discrim-
ination in favor OF the negro.
Jackson declares that Blalocks
charges OF discrimination. and his
statements that the negroes employed
in the Internal Revenue Department
were political negroes and carried a
large vote for Mr.. Jackson at the ma
tional convention" are absolutely
false. In his letter he says:
81 have nothing to do with Mr. Bla-
locks negro policy. or with his de-
sire and efforts to remove negro
watchmen and elevator men from
their positions in order that he may
appoint some of his political allies and
friends to hn those jobs
Statement Called False.
q desire TO say that II Mr.. Blalock
stated that I had ever Disseminated
against white men in favor Of ne
groes in any appointments | made
while Collector or Custodian. he
stated what was absolutely false, and
he made the statement either in ig-
norance or in disregard OF the record
ed facts
IF he is correctly reported in say
ing that there was $4,000 a year paid
to negroes under my administration
of the office while competent white
men were forced 10 accept work suit
able for the negro only, ! desire to
say that there is not one word of
truth in the statement. Mr.. Blalock,
If he made that statement, made II in
either ignorance or utter disregard of
the facts which are matters of rec
ord.
Further. In his statement that
charges had been preferred against
the night and day watchmen and for
warded to Washington, If Mr.. Blalock
IS correctly quoted in saying that
these negroes in question are politi-
cal negroes and carried a large vote
for Henry S. Jackson at the last ma
tional convention he states what Is
absolutely untrue. At no time during
my administration did either Of these
two watchmen, or any other man
under me as Collector or as Custo-
dian carry any vote. either large or
small, for me at the national conven-
ton or elsewhere.
Long in the Service.
The men Mr.. Blalock Is now try
ing to remove were in the service
4 I'll
dian. When / took control. / found
their records good, and while | re-
manned in charge they performed
their work faithfully and well. They
are under the rules and regulations
of the Civil Service, and the appoint
ing oficer or head OF a department
can not remove any classified man
without charges preferred and sus-
tanned.
Perhaps Mr.. Blalock will be able
TO change all this, and so arrange II
that he will be able to remove COM
petent men who are supposed to be
under the protection OF the Civil
Service, and further he may arrange
10 have the commission certify to
him only white applicants, and TO
change the entire policy of the com
mission and the entlrel avs of Con-
gress, in order that he may carry out
the policy he has declared would be
existent hereafter.
"In conclusion ! desire to say that
while | was collector and custodian
inspectors were sent from Washing
ton at certain intervals, both from
the Revenue Department and from
the Custodian's Department, to make
regular Inspections In every instance
the inspectors reported the custo-
dams force under me as being com
petent and attentive to duties and in
the performance of them. and the
building, while in my charge and the
force under me, always received a
rating Of first class from these in
spectors This would absolutely dis
prove Mr. Blalocks assertions that
incompetent men were retained"