The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-01-12
.fINLY GRAY
tcont!nssd From Page ons.]

- SO0us!noe0 FROM rage One.J
Wayne county carriers with his own
party henchmen.'
Mr.. Foulke's letter to Representa-
tive Gray follows:
When I-saw you on December 80 and
asked how you came to request the
list Of eAgibles from the Civil Service
commission you told me that you did
not ask for the Wayne county eligible
list at all but that It was sent you
voluntarily. from the commission with
the statement that It was done at the
request OF, the post office department.
Before leaving Washington that even
Ing wrote to the commission express
ing surprise and wonder at such action
on its part. The commission has just
answered as follows: - ,-,-,
Quote Gray's Letter.
You state that Congressman Gray
tells you that he did not ask for these
lists at all but that such lists were
sent him by the commission. The
records of the commission show that
under date of October 80, Mr. Gray
wrote to the commission as follows:
"On the 22pd instant wrote you for
the list OF eligibles for appointment as
rural carriers In the auto service to
be inaugurated in Wayne ooi;a.s. Ind
and received your response of tie 5Sth
that the eligibles under the eyar..ns
tiOn Of Angus. 18th would be- sent me
What want is the list Of the eligibles
under the examination held during the
present month for the auto service in
Wayne count as soon as such eligible
70 =
same can be sent to me without de.
lay" -,
The records further show that under
date OF November l, he autographed as
follows:
Send Immediately eligible list rural
auto carriers Wayne county, Indiana. "
Commission Answers.
Under date of November 2 the com
mission wrote as follows:
In response to your letter of Oct
80. regarding the motor rural carrier
exsn!uatiOn held in Wayne county.
Indiana. on August IA. the commission
has" the honor to inform you that a
list CT the eligibles obtained with their
grades was mailed you under date OF
November 2, which list has doubtless
reached your office by this time"
You ask ME to state what criticism
] had to make Of your recomme sda
tions Of eligibles ror these rural car.
rier places. tcll you thai under
Section 10 of the civil service law you
had no right to make recommends
lions, at all except as to residence OF
character and you told me that you had
found the character OF everyone, of the
applicants to be good so there would
hardly be any special ground for
recommendation Of one above another
In this respect. D..
Gray Explains Action.
As to the manner in which YOU
made your selection Of carriers you
said you thought the people ought to
have: the carrier they wanted and you
assumed that the people of a particu.
lar town wanted the carrier from their
own town and that therefore you gave
tho preference to the man comine
from that town rather than to the
highest eligible from the county. but
that otherwise you chose the highest
man ON the list and you asked me ia
show single case where you had not
made your choice properly. I told
you that after had heard from the
commipsion should write to you upon
this subject. -
Foulke Makes Denial.
. now wish to say that YOU do not
appear to have acted upon the princi.
pie claimed by you in, t, choice Of
these places. II you think that men
from the particular locality where the
routes start should be selected even
above those who stand highest upon
the eligible list, why did you choose
Verlon P. -'oland for Route B, which
starts from Richmond, a town six
miles away from Centervil,e, where
Poland resides. Mr.. Poland himself
appears to have explained the reason
for your departure from. the thod of
selection which you claim to have OBJ.
served. He told Mr.. Joseph f. Peltz,
who was showing him over the route
in December. that his father and Fin
~ Gray We're old school friends and
that his father had spent week; with
Mr.. Gray in Washington" He said he
had been down to see Mr.. Gray at
Connersville about taking the examin.
alton and Mr.. Gray told him to go to
Postmaster Bee. who would explain
the whole thing about papers. etc. Fo.
land added that he went to Beck, who
asked him where he lived, and when
he said Centerville. Beck said. That $
they are coming here expecting us to
do everything for them" and told Fo-
land to go back to the postmaster at
Centerville and he would give hin,
what instructions he needed. Poland
then said to Beck that it was Con
gresham Gray who had told him to
come and get his instructions. Then
there was q great change in the post
masters manner al Beck gave him
his instructions and Poland, although
living in Centerville. was appointed
carrier In the route from Richmond.
incident 10 illustrative.
This incident illustrates exactly the
way in which this peculiar system of
: double eligible list might be expect
ed to work and does work in distribE-
ling congressional patronage, by which
the congressman can alwa.-s give
tome good non-political reason for the
appointment and vet can always sue
eeed In getting his own party and po-
litical friends ia the places.