Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-04-24
MIR. IRVINE PUTS IT STRAIGHT

Editor the Roanoke Times:
Your issue of the 18th carried Il
communication from Washington, dat
ed the 18th, regarding certain mat
tiers of patronage in the Ninth dis
trict, which contained some errors.
which | wish to correct.
Your Washington correspondent has
been misinformed in so far as am
concerned with his narrative.
The facts of this point are. that
sometime before the Bristol conven-
ton | was in Washington for sew
cral days OH legal matters before the
Interstate commerce commission. and
while there had an interview with
President Wilson regarding the col
lectorship only. l urged him to give
the collectors qplace to this district,
and told him that | believed the ap-
pointment of General Ayers would be
an eminently good one from every
standpoint; but further said, if for
any reason he would be embarrassed i'm
the district, any one of whom would
be entirely acceptable to all the Dem
ocrats of the district; and that was
authorized by General Ayers to say
that he would be glad to have his
name withdrawn from consideration
If such step would tend to bring
about the harmonious settlement of
IN ~ Of h.. "A. -.
democracy.
Urges Speedy Action.
| also had brief interview with
Postmaster General Burleson, in
which | asked him if practicable to
find speedy solution for the settle
ment of the Presidential postoflice
controversy in the district | sug
gested no particular method of set
Element and did not suggest that he
allow the Senators from this State
to name the posto masters, as is stat
ed by your correspondent. NV ONLY
lnsistence was that the post office de-
partment make these appointments
as speedily as practicable and in ac-
cordance with what might appear to
be the wishes of the people at the
several places involved, as | felt it
would be for the best interests of ,he
party to have this burden put upon
the nominee of the Bristol convention
whoever he might be.
Nominee of Whole Party.
In accepting the nomination at the
hands of the Bristol convention | stat
ed that felt | was the nominee and
representative of all the Democrats of
the district, and not of any particu-
lar class or classes, and that while the
nominee | would take no part in CON
troversies regarding the patronage
among Democrats in the district and
would make no recommendation
ana that IN such few cases as | had
therefore made personal endorsements
would ask that the friends whom |
mad endorsed release me, to the end
that all applicants and their sunport u
ers might feel that they stood on an
equal footing in so far as the weight
mat might naturally attach to the
endorsement of a nominee was rom
Ncerened; that if elected to congress
, and required by usage in such mat
tiers to make recommendations
would do my best to fulfill the respon-
slDliity involved for the best interests
OF the party and the communities 10
De served, trying to give to every man
square deal.
Letter to Burleson.
ms has been and is my position
IN TINS matter and | believe it is nm
derstood in the district and accented
IN good faith and approved by the
| Democrats of all shades of think;no
l am and have always been solici.
tous to see the offices filled PROMPT
~ as vacancies occurred by good and
competent Democrats and on this point
! recently wrote Postmaster General
burieson a letter, of which the fol-
lowing is copy: ~
Regarding the presidential post
Offices in the Ninth district / beo IN
say that. being the nominee of the
democratic party for election next No.