Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-02
His Answer to the Postmaster
General.
TULLOCH'S CHARGES.
HE SAYS THEY ARE A GLE OUT
OF WHOLE CLOTH"
Explains the Administration of His Of
fce-Was Besieged by Friends to
Have Ex-Cashier Reinstated.

"It is a lie out of whole cloth, as are
most of the imputations of Tu1loch." This
| is the language of Mr. Perry S. Heath,
former first assistant postmaster general,
| and now secretary Of the republican ma
| tional committee, in his reply to the Tul-
| loch charges. This reply was made public
| by Postmaster General Payne today, and
| is perhaps the most vigorous in language
| and sweeping in denial of any Of the sew
| erai answers which have been secured by
| the Postmaster General to the Tulloch al
| legations The language used above is
| used in denying the existence of "comph-
| mentary roll. Mr.. Heath's reply in full
| is as follows:
The Reply in Full.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah,
| MAY %. 1908.
"Hon. H. c. Payne,
| washington, d. G..
| MY dear Mr.. Payne: thank you for your
| courteous letters of 10th and Goth instant
| calling my attention to certain assertions
| of one S. w. Tulloch, eX-cashier of the
| Washington post office, and also the state
| ment of Mrs. WinanS formerly OF Ohio
| who is quoted saying that she was car
ried upon the rolls of the Washington post
| office with the understanding that she was
not to render service to the government.
| eff Mrs Winans did not render services
! equivalent to the compensation she re-
| ceved her superior officers were deceived.
I did not know the woman when she was
| appointed and had no personal interest in
| her. Her name was amongst the large
| number always on my desk, and l recall
| that she was we'll recommended for a po-
stion. I did not and could not attempt to
| personally ascertain whether persons ap
| pointed to positions In post offices rendered
| satisfactory service. do remember that
| this woman became nuisance about the
| Post Office Department. and that l refused
to see her. She was reported to me by my
chief clerk being persistent in her de-
| mands for promotion. or more desirable
| work. She at least pretended to my chief
| clerk, so he reported to me. to perform
| services warranting promotion or better
compensation.
| by the same token, upon the same line
of comment employed by Tulloch. nearly
| if not quite all of the transactions Of the
executive departments in Washington could
| be called into question, and improper mo-
| tives could be assigned Necessarily I
could not follow the details of the work
of post Office clerks; I was compelled to
| trust my subordinates, and so rely upon
postmasters. We had change of admin
| istration. war. the Amsricanizing of i'm
| mense foreign services. and the taking
| over of vast expanses of new territory. But
1 mastered as many details as possible,
and I proudly hold myself responsible for
all that I did, for the humble part took
in the work of the department.
A Pure Invention,
1T never appointed any person to any po-
sition or retained any one In any position.
at any time, with any sort of notion or idea
that he or she was not to render full and
honest service to the government for the
pay received. The intimation that there was
an honorary roll" upon which persons
were placed for political or personal or
other purposes than good service, Is pure
| invention 1t is a lie out of whole cloth, as
are most of the imputations of Tulloch If
| any persons were SO appointed or retained
1t was through their own dishonest designs.
There was period extending over many
months when many more men were de-
| manded for service in Cuba, Porto Rico and
at military camps in our country than we
could supply. We drew through larger
post offices for men from classified service,
receiving many, but when responses from
post offices ceased to be sufficient we drew
names from applicants outside classified
service and conscientiously selected those
best established. In this hurried work of
| appointments. hurried dispatch of men and
materials to scenes of action, some mistakes
| were of course made some confidence as to
| integrity blasted, but these things occur and
will so long as men live.
II made a visit to Porto Rico, when the
Spanish form of postal service was taken
| over and placed under our system I did
not seek the trip, and never made more
| disagreeable one. or one where rendered
better service or made more sacrifice. For
every dollar expended vouchers were rem
dered and accounting made. I made a trip
| to the Pacific SLOPE I believe in the spring
! Of $685. in connection with conditions exist
| ing in post offices at Portland, Tacoma and
| Seattle, incident to the handling Of the
Alaskan mails and local concessions for
| which strict accounting was made. Pos
] sibly Tulloch did not deem these trips neces-
| sary. but I doubt If he had the slightest con-
| ception for what they were made or what
was done upon them.
The Case Of Gilmer.
There are two personal references to me
| in the Tulloch assertions that desire to
mention briefly. and the others will pass
over as unworthy of mention or for reply
from those who have had later access to
the official records, for these incidents oc-
Cured four or five years ago.
Complaints were made to me by clerks
in the Post Office Department, or the Office
of the auditor for the treasury, that an
employe of the latter, named Gilmer, fire.
quentry entered their rooms, and in a surly.
offensive and peremptory manner demanded
records and carried them away without
leaving any receipt or simply helped him
self and when receipt was requested snub-
bed the clerk making the request. was
asked by our clerks to request, and did re-
quest of treasury officials that Gilmer be
instructed to act like gentleman, and to
protect clerks in the Post Office Depart
ment by leaving receipts for all records
taken by him from the department A dis
placed document would naturally subject
| the responsible clerk to censure If not, In
deed a charge of dishonesty What pur-
| pose Gilmer had in carrying these records
| from the department 1 do not pretend to
say. This incident had no connection with
Gilmer's work as auditor. s--Fs'
AS to Tulloch's Removal.
1.-The other reference relates to TuIloch's
displacement from the position of cashier
| in the Washington post office The first
distinct recollection have efTulluch was
| shortly after the induction Of Postmaster
| Merritt and the appointment of new
| cashier A number of Tulloch's friends called
upon me, singly, and asked me to intercede
| for his reinstatement After had steadily
| declined to make any intercession one or
| two or more men called and advised me- as
matter of politics and prudence, to have
him reinstated was advised that TuIloch
had been collecting evidence of improprie-
| ties in the post Office and that If he were
not reinstated he would expose them; that
l would be made to suffer and McKInley's,
Administrations would be scandalized. I re-
member to have stated to one of these i'm
| Fortunate friends that I could not conceive
how honest and conscientious employe
| of the government would want to remain
| in a position where wrong was being done
much less reinstated under such conditions
| and that as he had been sworn officer of
| the government. and had not to my knowI-
edge reported these alleged Irregularities. I
could and would not in conscience recon-
mend him for any position This is the
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