The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-07
ANSWER OF TYNER
IS MADE TO THE COMMENTS OF
ROOSEVELT
UPON POSTOFFICE AFFAIRS
TYNER DENIES THAT HE WAS IN
ANY WAY TO BLAME.

Former Assistant Attorney General
of the POstOflice Department Has
Addressed "A Letter to the Presi-
dent-PrOtests Against IA Judg-
ment Before His TriaI-Fears "a
Speedy Death, but Wants Vindi-
cation Before 1t Comes.
Washington, Dec. 6.-James N. Tyner,
who was assistant attorney general for
the Postoffice Department until de-
posed on account of matters connected
with the postofice investigation, has
sent letter to President Roosevelt,
dated Washington, Dec. 2. 1t says in
part:
1.-The President; Sir-In your official
statement as President of the United
States addressed to the American pub
lie in connection with the report of
the fourth assistant postmaster general
Bristow, on the alleged postal frauds,
you make certain statements concern
ing my supposed connection Herewith,
which 1 take the liberty of answering
in order that it may properly go upon
your official records.
Il do not desire to question your
good faith or sincerity in accepting the
conclusion of your subordinate, MI.
Bristow, and in Identifying them with
the weight of your high official posi-
ton; but has it occurred to you that
pending the trial of the three indict-
ments against me, based on the allega-
lions OF the report without having
heard one word from me in my de-
Tense, your premature and unwarrant-
and your call to the court and
jurye to indorse the same, is to
say the least, extraordinary and
dangerous?
What He Pleads For.
81 am not even asking that l should
be presumed innocent or that before
1 am condemned by you or the depart
ment l should be confronted by proofs
and witnesses or given an opportunity
TO be heard in my defense; or that in
the trial which confronts me l should
have a fair trial-all L am asking is
that in view of the uncertainty of my
life and the fact that my lips may be
forever sealed, this letter be filed among
your officials records of my case, to-
gether with my letter of July q, 1903,
TO Mr.. BristOW, copy of which l at
tach.
81 desire again specifically to deny
every one of the yelled charges made
by Mr.. Bristow in his report and to
call your attention to the fact that not
one direct or specific charge is made
against me in the conduct of my high
office, nor has, nor can, one cent of
gain be traced to me. If my life is
spared 1 shall fully refute all the sur
misses and insinuations of Mr. Bristow
CHI. IL IL
which led him to withhold from you
full data and to garble, misquote and
falsify that which he did submit to
you.
Mental Powers Untouched.
81 also desire to state that if any of
the friends of Tyner' have, as you
allege, advanced the theory that in
this case the chief offender was my
nephew, Barrett and that my al
legged offenses were due to my failing
mental and bodily powers, they did so
without my knowledge or assent. 1t
is true that, owing to two strokes of
paralysis, my bodily powers have fail
ed me, and l may have to face a truer
and sterner Judge ere many days, but
my mental powers, l thank God, have
never suffered, and l trust will not fail
me until | have convinced the Ameri-
can public and you, as chief executive,
that my acts have been honest, honor
able and straightforward in the sight
of God and man. | am confident that
the relations of Mr. Barrett with me
and my department were as innocent
and honorable as / am sure were all
my motives and acts.
II also wish to deny your utterly
unwarranted statement that the gross
corruption in the
case of Tyner has gone on for a num-
Der of years You should know, and
your subordinates do know, that no
single act of corruption, gross or mild,
has been discovered against me-