Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1916-01-24
TUMULTY REPLY
HITS ASSERTION
IN PRATT NOTE
Declares He Upheld John F.
Sinnott Because of Latter's
Support of Wilson.
REFERS TO CONTROVERSY
DURING STATE CONTEST
Laddey Confirms Pratt State
ment-Sinnott's Name Is
Sent to Senate.

in letter that Llewellyn j.. Pratt. of
Nutley, has sent to Joseph =. Tumul-
~, secretary TO President Wilson. was
obtained today. MIR Pratt declared
that in recent interview that lie had
with Mr.. Tumulty a Washington,
the latter asserted John F. Sinnott.
sr., would be appointed postmaster
at Newark because of his afilia-
tons with an element - the Catholic
church that is supporting Che Wilson
administration. The interview which
Mr.. Pratt had with MIR. TumIlty was
in behalf of the nomination OF John L.
Armitage. who has been candidate
for the postmastersnip for several
years.
The nomination of Mr.. Sinnott to
he postmaster at Newark WAS sent
70 the Senate by President Wilson
today.
Mr.. Pratt was accompanied to
Washington from here by Thomas
r. burning. John V. Laddev. John L..
Cox and Edmund \. Whittier. all
members of the Woodrow Wilson
Democratic League and supporters of
Mr. Armitage. president Of the organ
IAdi iIOlls IbF tilt IDNliiidH - snip. All
we're present at the interview with
Mr.. Tumulty at the White House
office.
Mr.. Laddey, who is a lawyer with
an office in tho Union building on
Clinton street. today SAID Mr. Pratt's
statements relative to Mr. Tumulty
were true. He asserted Mr.. Tu-
nulty declared that because of Mr.
Sinnott's stand in the religious con-
troversy he favored Mr.. Sinnott for
the office of postmaster AT Newark.
Refused to Deny.
Other members Of the party that
were at the Tumulty interview re-
fused to deny the statements at
tributed to Mr.. Tumulty in the Pratt
letter, Mr. Burning, who holds a po-
sition with the supply department of
the navy. left here early this morning
for Virginia. 1t is understood. how
ever. he refused to deny the contents
Of the Pratt letter.
dispatch to the Evening star to-
day from Washington says Mr..
Tumulty has written a warm re-
ioinder to Mr.. Pratt's note. The Sec
retary's letter said i'm part:
Regardless Of the fact that you
have given publicity TO n purely pri-
vate conversation and have thus Vio-
lated the proprieties that all gentle
men are bound to observe, ! have no
objection to you or the members of
YOUR committee giving the fullest
publicity to all of the matters dis
cussed i'm any conference ! have ever
Eeld with YOU. In order to prove
your insinuation against me, that I
have improperly used the office hold,
you have sought to give in the letter
YOU addressed to me but part of a
long discussion we had with reference
70 the candidates. of Messrs. Armi-
tage and Sinnott for the Newark
IN - postmastership.'
"When discussing this matter cat n
recent conference in the White Houso)
certain members of your committee
thought to helittlc the political stand
ing of Mr.. Sinnott.
In reply TO this I made the state
ment that I had known Mr.. Slnnou
personally for years. that | was ac-
quainted with his record for inde-
pendence of character While NOM
her of the Newark Common Council;
that 7 had full KNOWLEDGE of tho part
ho had plaved in defending woodrow
Wilson aqainst the charge of religious
hirotrv which was so freely and un-
fairly laid against him nv his politi-
cal enemies throughout New jersey,
some of whorn were members Of the
church to which I belong: that Mr..
Sinnotf had defended the president In
omen and manly fashion and that be
cause of this, among other things.
have learned to have Nervi high
opinion Of him as a man who was
broad and tolerant in all of his views -
Quotations from Books.
The Tumulty letter reference to a
religious propaganda against Mr..
Wilson a : the time he was running
for governor Of New Jersey recalls
the fact that efforts were f1ade a the
time to drag into the campaign some
quotations from Mr.. Wilson's books.
1t was alleged these quotations were
written in a. diSparaging manner TO
tho Catholic church by Mr.. Wilson.
The effort to inject religious matters
into the campaign was a failure be-
cause prominent Catholics imme-
diatelv took a strong position in the
support Of Mr.. Wilson. II is not a
matter of public record that Mr.. Sin
mott ever came into public notice at
the time because of his support of
the Democratic candidate.
Mr.. Cox was seen today at his
office. A Spring street, Monfclair. He
has been active in Democratic affairs
in Essex for MANY wears and was a
candidate on the Wilson League ticket
for register last fall. He is former
member of the County Tax Board and
is now engaged in the real estate
business. He was loath to discuss the
Tumulty-Pratt affair and would
neither admit nor deny that the state
ment had been made.
"T don't want to say anything
about it," he said 1T is too bad
such thing should come up at all.
ANYWAY. when it happened. if it did.