Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-12-13
To Ask Tolbert to Make
Defense.

Washington, Dec. 6.-The Demo.
cratic national committee issues the
following today:
Investigation of charges against
Joseph w. Tolbert, to whom Presi.
dent Harding gave a recess appoint
ment as United States marshal for
the Western district of South Caro-
dina, has been undertaken by a new
subcommittee of the senate judiciary
committee. The charges against Toll
bert include one that he was convict
ed and fined for misusing funds of
the postoffice department when he
was postmaster at Ninety Six in
1894.
members Of the new subcommit-
tee are Senators Colt of Rhode Is
land and Brandegee of Connecticut,
Republicans, and Senator Overton Of
North Carolina, Democrat. They sue
coed Senators Shortridge of Califor-
MIA and Ernest of Kentucky, Re-
publicans, and Senator Ashurst of
Arizona, Democrat, to whom the
charges were originally referred.
"The first committee called Toll
bert to appear and defend himself
against the charges, being considered,
but he failed to appear. The present
committee, it is announced, will in
sist on his appearance: 1t is expected
that several witnesses who have writ
ten letters decribing Tolbert's alleged
practices in connection with federal
patronage in his state will also be
summoned.
Senator Dial of South Carolina,
by whom the charges were laid before
the judiciary committee, believes that
the present investigation Will result
in the rejection of Tolbert's nomina-
ton. Senator Colt is a former. judge,
and it is expected that he will be scru-
pulous in protecting the courts from
the reputation of being represented
by unworthy attaches.
"The record of the federal court
for the Eastern district Of South
Carolina shows that Tolbert was in
dicted on nine different counts for
taking money from the postofice at
Ninety Six during his term as post
master there. 1t was proved that he
used the money in making purchases
of produce. After a trial before Judge
Brawley, Tolbert was found guilty
and fined $50.
GAS an additional ground for the
rejection of Tolbert's nomination it
is alleged that he has been peddling
federal patronage in South Carolina.
Besides being Republican national
committeeman for South Carolina,
Tolbert is a referee in the distribu-
ton for the federal appointments so
that the Harding administration. 1t
is charged that Tolbert has been col
lecting fees of from $500 to $500
from applicants for federal jobs.
cat least one witness is expected
to testify before the committee that
Tolbert had a plan for creating COM
petition for Federal appointme nts so
that he could increase the amount Of
his fees. One mar wrote in a letter,
now in the committees possession,
that Tolbert would promise, on pay
ment of a given sum of money, to use
his influence in obtaining a federal
appointment for one applicant, and
then tell another candidate for the
same position that he had a rival.
When the latter would agree to pay
$50 or S10O more than applicant No.
/, Tolbert would back him for the
job, it is alleged.
"The renewal of the fight against
Tolbert's confirmation is expected
to disclose to what lengths President
Harding is willing to go For a mem
Der of the Republican national organ
ization. In the face of the charges
against Tolbert and Notwithstanding
the senate's refusal to confirm his
first nomination, President Harding
has stood pat. When the. senate adj
journed in September without having
approved Tolbert's selection, Presi-
dent Harding promptly made a recess
appointment.
"Tolbert's case recalls President
Harding's fight for Newberry, Nat