Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-07
MIR. DOYLE DENIES 1T.
A Civil Service Controversy With a
Postmaster.

The Hamilton (Ohio) Democrat of March
2 printed a long article headed Partisan
Malice" and directed against the civil serv-
Ice commission. 1t was called forth by the
report of Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt
to the Senate Incorporating the report of
Secretary John T. Doyle on the investiga-
ton into the post office troubles at Hamil-
ton. 1t contained an interview with the
Hamilton postmaster, Mr.. John e. Lehman,
in which he is quoted as having violently
attacked Mr.. Doyle. Yesterday afternoon
Mr. Doyle sent Mr.. Lehman letter as fol-
lows
MY attention has been called to an arti-
Gle in the Democrat of March respecting
my official conduct in recent investigation
of charges against you of removals for po
litical reasons Ordinarily l would pay no
heed to mere newspaper SANDER but you
are quoted as having made certain state
ments in an official capacity respecting me
which are not true, it is proper that 1
should give you an opportunity to disavow
them publicly they have been made
You say that 1 visited Hamilton at the
instigation of the editor of the Hamilton
Daily Republican. The order of the civil
service commission directing me to stop at
Hamilton on my return to Washington
from Toledo was based upon the complaint
of Mr.. Rybolt, which, if true showed pur-
pose on your part to discriminate against
persons whom you did not wish to appoint
for political reasons, by requiring compli-
ance with unusual and seemingly unneces-
sary conditions The statement that l was
entertained at Hamilton by the editor Of
the Republican for twenty-four hours be-
fore l saw you is not true. l was not en-
tertained by him or by any other person
In any manner whatever during any portion
of my stay in Hamilton. l called at the
post office and inquired for you Immediate
ly upon my arrival in Hamilton, and L was
not aware until now that you hunted me
up. You state that l held my court in
the office of a leading republican politician
l am at loss to know to whom you refer,
as / took no testimony except at my room
at the hotel and at your office, with the ex-
ception of the statement of one gentleman
whom L visited at his office. You state that
l publicly expressed an unfavorable opin-
ion of you before / met you. This is false
l expressed no such opinion to any one at
any time. If my report is a tissue of false
hoods and Misrepresentation you had the
fullest opportunity of knowing and answer
ing it at the time, for / submitted all the
testimony to you for such answer. Your
statement as to partsanship on my part is
scarcely worth my con ment, in view of the
fact that | am of the same party as your
SELF and we both hold commissions from
the same President.
Il trust that you have not been correctly
quoted in these reflections upon my con-
duct and that you will disaVow them as pub
licly as they have been made Otherwise
shall feel obliged to ask the commission to
bring the facts to the attention of the Post
master General. The improperly of one
officer of the government slandering the Off
cial conduct of another in the public press
is so obvious that l sure ii will not be
tolera ted by those who have the authority,
and " hose duty it is to see that the public
service is not brought into dispute"