The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-29
|BANKHEAD ANSWERS OLVER'SSTATEMENT Latter Says He Had No Reference to Offices
 in Washington

| Washington. March 2S.-(Special) Senator Bankhead today issued the following statement in reply to the al | legged speech of w. B. Oliver. candidate for Congress in Sixth district, charg- | ing that the pay rolls of the govern ment al Washington were more or less burdened with members of the Bank head family, The statement follows: q had hoped that the contest for head would be conducted to the end | on the high plane promised in the beginning and that no personalities and mud singing would be indulged in. l note in the Tuscaloosa News of March 23 what purports to be a speech delivered by Mir. Oliver in Eutaw in 1 which he is reported as referring to | the great number of offices which are now and have been for many years held by members of the Bankhead fam l fly and called attention to the num- erous places in the federal pay roll at Washington held by members of my family. l mak following offer to MT. | Oliver, namely If he can name a sin gle person, male or female, who is on the pay roll in Washington who is related to me in the remotest de- gree. or who has one drop of my blood in their veins, I will go to Alabama on April and cast an open ballot for MT. Oliver for Congress. If he does not name one so related he will of coure, withdraw his statement in the same public manner in which he made it and apologize for the same. This would be his plain duty as an honor able fair minded man.
 
 Other Offices
 II Again he says that there are several postoffices in the Sixth district which had for many years been held by mem bers of the Bankhead family. There is only one postmaster in the Sixth dis trict and never has been but one re- lated to me. That one was appointed by MT. Cleveland on the unanimous indorsement of the patrons of the of flee and has been kept in since on his record as a postmaster.
 During my 27 years of public serv- ice 1 have never appointed a boy ir any way related to me to either An tnapolis or West Point. These appoint ments are regarded the most attract live places a member of Congress or senator have to dispose of. 1 hay, nothing to do with the controversy be tween the candidates if it Is confined to them but I do protest against be
 
 district and misrepresented in a wa. intended to detract from my characte as public servant, and put a bio on the good name which I prize abov any office the people can bestow.
 "J. H. BANKHEAD."
 Oliver Explains
 To the Editor of The Age Herald
 My attention has been called to pua lished report of my speech last Mon ct Ento vyh that in lply to the charge that Tuscaloosa count had too many offices, "I called attentio to the numerous places on the feders i l pay roll at Washington held by mem bers of the Bankhead family"
 This report is inaccurate. The fact are these: The charge had been mad that Tuscaloosa county had too man offices I expressed surprise at this froi a member of MT. Bankheads famil. which l said had been well provided wit rublic offices. With w. B. Bankhead solicitor, his father in the Senate. l brother in the army by appointment. brother-in-law at Montgomery, brotl er's father-in-law under federal appoin n,ent at Fayette an uncle at Sulligen and others enjoying nice jobs in the pas I thought the family ought to be sa lisfed.
 . made this reference in reply to u charge that Tuscaloosa county was asl ! ing too much. l was care1ul 10 sta' that 1t was no reflection on the member of MT Bankhead's family; that I wa sure they were all competent and qua fled. I cited these instances to sho that the charge against county WE unreasonable when as much might said regarding a single family.
 In letter from Senator Bankhea , dated March 26. he very properly CO 7 rects the newspaper reports insofar 2 mi a WQShinHtOI However. he does not refer to the oth, |pubic offices I mentioned. I cited thel rot as a reflection on my opponent { his family. but in answer to the charl that Tuscaloosa county asked too mucl I further stated that the people of tf Sixth district could vote on but thrt g members of the national Congress, nam' U iy. two senators and one representativ I do not think two of these should from the same family, when it has bee 20 years or more since Tuscaloosa cour lty man represented the district. For tyears off that time the districts repr,