Evening star., 1902-01-06
7 WO RE SIGNATiO MS
LETTERS OF MEssRs. SMITH AND
GAGE MADE PUBLIC.
President In Reply Expresses Regret
at Losing Them From His Omcial
Famtly-The correspondence.

The following correspondence between the
two retiring cabinet officers--Postmaster
General Smith and Secretary Gage-and
President Roosevelt was given out at the
White House today. and is self-explanatory:
WASHINGTON, December IA, 1901.
My Dear Mr.. President
Following my verbal communication of
some time ago, l beg to tender my resigna-
tion of the office of Postmaster General, to
take effect at your early convenience on the
appointment and qualification of my sue
cessor.
This step is taken in fulfillment of a
plan long since formed, for purely personal
reasons. the execution of which has been
delayed until it could be carried out with
out embarrassing your declared policy, and
until department measures in which l am
deeply interested could be satisfactorily ad-
vanced and assured.
In laying down the trust committed to
my hands l want to thank you most sin
cerely for the confidence you have repoSe1
III me. and for the great pleasure | have
found In an association which has deepened
my esteem for you personally and my ad-
mirat1on for the spirit and aims of your
administration.
With my best wishes that you may have
the largest measure of success, l remain,
Faithfully yours,
To the President.
WHITE HOUSE,
WASHINGTON. January 4. 1902.
My Dear MIR. Postmaster General:
1t Is with the most genuine regret that
accept your resignation-after having vain
ly tried to prevent your sending it. Dur
ing our four months close service together
| have grown not only to value most high
ly your trained ability and answering rec
titude OF thought and purpose as a public
man, but also to prize your personal friend
ship. I thank you for the great services
you have rendered in your office. deeply
regret that We are no longer to serve side
by side. and | earnestly wish you well in
the future, and bid you Godspeed in your
new duties for wherever you may be- the
weight of your influence is sure to be
potent on the side of clean and honest gov
ernment
Faithfully yours
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
To Postmaster General Smith.
WASHINGTON, December 10, 1901.
The President:
1 respectfully submit this as my resigna-
ton of the high Office of Secretary of the
Treasury, the same to take effect upon the
appointment of my successor.
In this step toward separation from your
executive staff, permit me to thank you for
the confidence bestowed upon me, and for
the kindness and courtesy of which have
been the recipient at your hands.
With most earnest desires for the highest
success of your administration. l remain,
Sincerely yours.
LYMAN J. GAGE.
WHITE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON. January 4. 1902
My Dear Mr.. Secretary:
In accepting your resignation l wish to
express my great regret that you feeI II
necessary to leave the cabinet and my
hearty thanks for the invaluable services
you have rendered. Your service to the
nation has been rendered at the cost of loss
to you-heavy loss, from material stand
point as must ever be the case with man
like you. who deliberately abandons the
comparative ease and the high pecuniary
rewards of a large private business for the
exhausting work of the position you have
so honorably filled during the last five
years. With all good wishes. believe me,
most sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
To Hon. Lyman J. Gage.