The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-13
Montgomery Money Order Clerk
Writes to President
HIS LETTER is A SCORCHER
Charges Irregularities In the Mont
gomery Office and Challenges an
Examination of His Record In
Comparison With Buckley's.

Montgomery, December 12.-(Special.)-
The situation in the Montgomery post
office is, to say the least of it, interest
ing. Postmaster Judge c. w. Buckley
has been trying to get rid of his money
order clerk, Egbert J. Hughes, and has
caught a tartar. He offered to let him
resign, but Hughes is under the civil ser
vice and declined. He then preferred
charges and the Inspector, who came
down, sided with Hughes and recon-
mended Buckley's removal instead. Judge
Buckley then went on to Washington to
explain, and newspaper kilograms came
back saying the postoffice department
accepted his explanation, highly regarded
him and the like, and that Hughes would
have to go pretty soon. Hughes friends,
1t seems, have advised him to make his
fight while he is still In and not wait till
he is fired, and the result is that Hughes
has taken his case to the President in
an open letter over the heads of the de-
partment and asks Mr. Roosevelt to take
personal hand in 1t. A friend sent
copy on to Senator Pettus asking that
he call on the President and make sure
the letter was not sde-tracked by the
mails Hughes has given the letter to the
press and it tells his story as followsi
Clerk Hughes Letter.
Montgomery, Ala. December g. 1902.
The President.
My apology for addressing you in this
open letter and plain way is the ap-
! k11o fr0F MT IlIR
Julien Walker, Washington correspond
ent of the Montgomery Advertiser, print
ed In that paper no Friday December 5,
COPY being herewith enclosed. The
| high character of Mr.. Walker and the
high esteem in which that paper Is held
| In Alabama, causes the semiofhclal au-
| thorfty on which the telegram is avowed-
iy based to be accepted here, and admon-
| ishes me that, In justice to myself l
must no longer be silent. 1 am moved
| 10 address you directly because your long
| carer of devotion to raising the stand
ard of the public service advises me that
wrong in any of its departments OF OF
fees however remote, Is a matter oE
both official and personal concern to
vourself [ know you will resent any
assault upon its integrity. l am the
more bold to do this because l have no
| favors to ask and no appeal to MAKE
| but am standing pat upon my record as
an officer, upon my rights under the
| laws of the land, and upon my conouce
and reputation as citizen
have been an employe OF the Mont
| gomery postoffice for many years and
steadily rose In that service to the place
| of money order clerk, which now hold.
| During these years enJoyeu tne coh-
f1dence and esteem Oh 9uuse - :,
formerly as now the postniaseel' wy
first intimation tnat tnele was al. a,ls
change IN ms ieeniiss sowa-u ~ .,,na.,rrt
ed me last winter a.iu ePiine sas.s,.
reports tnat my piace MaS psl,,s ,,s+o &c
ed on the pohtIcai oai eaisi ss4IoS.a, S,f~
prize IN the settieiaene - - 80, T.
ferences Wathln .ne ~ t,ada a. tbat
was maoe tie suD''
unhappy suie'
| Was Asked to Resign.
| On Nav 10 1902. | received an official
,ot+ar fron, Postmaster Buckley informing
me- that an order for my removal had
| 49,, tssued sueeestine that 1t would be
Teoy,s to me to resign rather than
~ he TerernntoriIv removed, and saying
- ~ Nd deterrnined TO make change
T., w. ofeice His statement was false, as
ha NOD No such order. and his design to
sr,ohta, me into giving IN my place that
| he might use II In the settlement or some
political trade, miscarried.
Judge buchiey 'nen - 80 had heen
against me 70 lne eiso 80. sA.ss. "a sr,,-it
sulity .. S H,r, the+ there was
anu hau IN. ~. " n =, .ha ofr,ca 7 did give
s.eal,ls Suns s., -. - - a. NOS trne Tn
nm si.e a. t,,n ,,ostrnestars charges IN
response ~ ~ ,,,a,, nos cent here to in
epec.oi W. ~ ras,,I+ ~ his inves-
vesusa.e, an aort Un or, ,v,,I,ne 70 stand
.ieSsu seu - ,1,, 20 b,s o,astions 7 made
~ ia'l aI,on.io,ia - tha+ the nostmaster had
tHO oiiCSoeAO''D
oieIeu NY ,,, trafts bv a clerk
,na. nc 60. .."e 80 ao,n,ued at their con-
~ ,ne oii 80 reta,nad tbe clerk. that he
,'.,.,o.,,a5 ls9sa from the money order
s'asa sao Ia retained n for more than a
...,, iua,u 1'' ,s,ne the money to cover the
1nnrtao. of this favored clerk who is
st'u an emnlove of the postoffice. This