Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-15
THORNTON OUST|NG
MORE MUDDLED
Postmaster Says He viii Stand
on Letter He Wrote Hays
November 2o
CAN'T BE FOUND ON FILE


into the removal Of Postmaster John 4
Thornton today when the Postoffice de-
phrimrnt in Washington received A
letter from the Philadelphia Postmaster
saying he would stand on his letter Of
N"vrmhcr ~ 70 the Postmaster
General
This was his reply 10 the telegram
from first Assistant Postmaster General
Hubert Work, informing him he Nvould
be- drcppcd from the Government rolls
Tor service rCaSons' on December 81,
ana inStru"ting him to transfer the
i"Slothre to Colonel George T.. Kemp.
4 his successor, on that date.
pom receipt Of his reply, addressed
/" me hr>t assistant, search of the
3 department records was made without
revealing the receipt of any previous
letter from him addressed to Postmaster
General Hays. Neither in the personal
files of the Postmaster General nor in
: th' department files was there any cvi-
Nrn"C that Thornton had written him on
the date.
Nobody around the department ever
saw nor heard of such q letter" Il high
"fiIrta of the department said today.
IT ne sent it the letter was never re.
r"lvrd here. We don't know what was
m it or anything about it; haven't the
siightoSt idea of its contents or what
4 nc says in the letter just received"
Thornton Must Explain
ImS development puts it up 10 Post
master Thornton to CnliChter the de-
partment US to his intentions and to
supply IT with a copy of the letter he
i S"I1 hr wrote lays, 1t was suggested
Meanwhile the Philadelphia post
ma>t"rShip is egarded by officials here
aS Il closed inciGcnt-Mr. Thornton goes
out and Colonel Kemp comes in De.
rembcr 81. There can be no change in
that order, 1t il asserted officially.
The poStmaSter- designate has fine
war record. lie is Il veteran National
Guardsmun and went overseas with the
nld Third Regiment and commanded the
10th Infantry for time. He is now
superintendent of the West Philadel-
phiR postal station
Asked today what charges had been
brought against Thornton, First Assist
. ant Postmaster General Work said:
: His services lately have not been
= satisfactory. That's all care to say
about it now. -
, II was suggested that the department
will have nothing more to say on tho
= subject, at least for the present, and
that If any more talking is done it will
have to be by Postmaster Thornton.
No response had been received By the
department today from Colonel Kemp
in acknowledgment of the message in
forming him of his appointment as act
Ing Postmaster, dating from Deccm-
Der 81.
"A President OF the United States
appointed me and 1t is up 10 the Presi
dent to remove me, and nobody else
will. said Mr.. Thornton. a Democrat.
who has been Postmaster here since
December 81. 1919.
Mr.. Thornton bases his stand on the
fnct his commission does not expirc
until September IL, 1922. He contends
the President alone can remove him be :
fore that date. Meanwhile he has uo
c intention of resigning.
The issue is believed 10 have been
+, forced by Senator Tcnrose. who scv
\ eral months ago announced he would
i seek the appointment Of Colonel Kemp
Q as Postmaster of Philadelphia. The
Q Senator's announcement Mt Washing
ton eread on the heels of statement
by Congressman Ware, IN this city, that
, the Ware Organization was backing the
e doughty colonel for Postmaster.
. Congressman Wares announcement,
at that time caused furry, because
n tolnnel Kemp. AZ the Voters League
= candidate for Receiver of Taxes, ha,
: led thu nnti-C Combine ticket in the Sep.
! tcmber primary.
o Kemp Denies Deal" RumOr
= This incident was banded about BY
. some politicians, who set atioat rumor,
: that the Independent ticket had beer
y sold out. - Colonel Kemp heard tn,
reports and declared emphatically tha
he had fought hard to win the nomina
tiun.
H Observers, however, believed Con.
grcsSman Wares move was an effort t
steal Senator PenroSe's thunder. TIL,
= Senator was just beginning to pick VI
It the threads of his influence again aftei
d long inaCtiOn due TO Illness.
u As matter Of fact, the Senator wat
: considered out of the good gracrs o.
y the Harding Administration so far a
l. patronage went. Statements he isSuet
T. after the election and before the in
lie auguratiOn wrr" reported as diSpleas
ir ing to Mr.. Harding.
An entente apparently was cStab
" lishrd when the Senator called on tn
President when Mr. Harding was
n guest Of Senator Knox Mt Valley Forge
"a His patronage stock was regarded a
II rising after that visit.
- bur Cew large pumS have been OBJ
j. tanned by the l'cnr0Sc leadership. Th
" pOStmastership here is considered one q
= the most desirable. Accordingly, ther
has been strong pressure exerted on tn
Postofice Department t0 have Mr.
Thornton removed 1t was regarded n
significant that the dismissal ordc
came at time when Postmaster Gen
y pral Hays was out Of Washington an
Mr.. Work was acting head Of the de
1s partment.
,n Important cs tn" PhiIGdclphia Of
70 fee is, tho situation is broader thn
fh surface Developments imply. There ar
r. II number Of Democratic "hold outs"
Y. PENNSYLVANIA nostotice> and elsewhere
IN ard Republican leaders are anxious
replace them with Republican support
ri crs The Thornton case will be prece
<. dent for numerous other cases.
ng
r. r. P. R. T. PARK HEARING END