The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-11-03
jim
PUT ON SPOT
AT LOVE FEAST
Watson Runs Into VeritabIe
Hornets Nest at Big
Harmony Rally
BY BEN STERN
Times Stan Correspondent

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Nov, g.
Back against the wall, not fgura-
lively, but literally. fists shaking
under his nose, cries of Who's a
liar?" in the air, Senator James E.
Watson, majority leader of the SEN
ate, advisor Of Presidents, and world
political figures, was put on the
spot" Monday afternoon by a group
OF precinct committeeman.
Brickbats and roses, louriShing
fists and lavish eulogies we're the
gifts of his party to the Real Re-
publican as he celebrated his six
ty-seventh birthday and the thirty
seventh anniversary of his election
to congress, at a Sixth district har-
mony meeting that was distin-
guished by a lack of harmony.
And the cause of Senator Jim's
woe was the thing that has killed
more politicians than bullets-post-
maSterships. This time it concerns
the p~ostoffice at Terre Haute.
Watson Is Dazed
In the midst of receiving con-
CALCULATIONS on his birthday, Wat
son was backed into a corner by
eighty of the eighty-six Vigo county
precinct committeeman and told
that Hugh Cuthbertson, the coun-
ty chairman, has to be named post
master"
The onslaught was so unexpected
that for a moment, for the first
time in his political career Of forty
years, Watson was dazed.
Slowly backing toward the .neu-
trial corner Jim looked about for
aid, all the time taking in on the
chin.
Lucky" Arthur Robinson, the
junior senator, who shares re-
sponsibility for the appointments in
districts represented by Democratic
congressman, as usual, was not
present when the heavy Smelling got
under way.
Dash Out of Room
Noble Johnson of Terre Haute,
former congressman, whose derelic-
ton Of duty caused the entire fuss,
high tailed" out of the room at the
first hint of the breaking storm,
while Representative Fred Purnell
of Attica, in whose new district Vigo
county has been placed, said he
had to go wash his hands"
1.-THE organization wants Cuth-
bertson and you have to appoint
him." Watson was told.
II want to appoint him postmas-
ter, but he wasn't placed on the
eligible list after two civil service
examinations" he retorted,
Some one in the audience shouted
something about liar"
Climbing on a chair, Watson
yelled Who's a liar?"
Goes Into the Battle
And then jim went into the bat
tie. He declared that he believed
that the organizations choice should
have the postoffice berth.
Il am an organization Republic
an" Watson cried. "Cuthbertson
is the organizations choice and I
am for him, but he isn't on the eli
gible list. Both Robby and myself
have to pick from the three highest
and Hugh isn't there.
"Why?" came the shout.
"Ask the civil service commission"
Watson retorted. when the first
examination revealed Hugh's name
was not carried I went to the head
of the commission and got what no
other senator in the whole United
States could-another examination,
and eve then Cuthbertson couldn't
make the list.
Against Service Idea
II am against the entire civil
service idea. 1t has caused me more
grief than any other single thing"
Jim declared. But 1 can't do any
thing now, Cuthbertson wasn't
picked"
The storm broke again with de-
mands of I'VE don't want any n
but Cuthbertson. He has been dou-
ble-crossed and traded out"
81 can't set aside the civil service
commission single handed" cried
Watson, still looking about for aid.
But no help came. Robinson did
not attend the district love feast
and neither Johnson nor Purnell
would come into the meeting DON
Passed Buck to Senators
If there ever was venom in any
ones heart, it almost would be een
in Watson's at that moment.
JohnSon'S term as congressman
expired last March, but the term of
Will Hays, the Terre Haute post
master, terminated in February,
and the congressman could have or
dered an examination. Instead, he
passed the buck to the senators. One
of the states bitterest p~oStoffice
battles broke then.
The eligible list selected the fol-
lowing three in the order named:
William B. Hice, assistant postmast-
err; John w. Wood, county chair
man, 1922-24, and Charles G.
Reynolds.
The committeeman present shout
ed that Hice was a Democrat, that
Wood hadn't voted in years, and
that Reynolds was not a party
worked.
All this happened in the after
noon. AT the night meeting Jim
was presented with a basket of
roses by Judge Eugene Rice on be-
half of the Republicans in the
Sixth district and made his usual
type of speech, defending the Hoo
yer administration.