The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-02

Ny Dear Mr.. Payne.-I thank you for
your courteous letter of the nine
teenth and twentieth inst. cali
ing my attention to certain assertions
one OF 8. w. Tuiloch. ex-cashier OF the
Washington post office and also the
statement OF Mrs. Winans. formerly OF
Ohio, who Is quoted as saying that she was
carried upon the rolls OF the Washington
Office with the understanding that she
was not TO render service to the govern
ment.
II Mrs. winans did not render service
equivalent TO what she received her SUI
perior officers were deceived. did not
know the woman when she was appointed
and had no personal interest in her Her
name was amongst the large number al
ways on my desk and / recall that she
was we'll recommended for position. I
did not and could not attempt to person
ally ascertain whether persons appointed
to positions in post offices, rendered sat-
isfactory service.
do remember that this woman became
a nuisance about the post office depart
ment, and that / refused to see her. She
was reported TO me by my chief clerk
as being persistent in her demands for
promotion, or more desirable work.
Necessarily could not follow the details
OF the work of the post office clerks;
was compelled TO trust my subordinates
and TO rely upon postmasters. We had
a change OF administration. war, the
America nizing OF immense foreign SER
vice. and the taking over of vast expan-
ses of new territory. But i mastered as
many details as possible and proudly
hold myself responsible for all that did.
for the humble part / took in the work
OF the department.
The intimation that there was an hon
orary roll" upon which persons were
placed for political or personal or otner
purposes than good service Is a lie Out
OF whole cloth. as are most of the impu-
tations of Tulloch.
There was a period extending over
many months when many more men pr,e we,e
demanded for services In CUBA, Porto
Rico and at military camps In our coun-
try than we could supply.
We drew through larger postonlces Tor
men from classified service. receiving
many, but when responses from postof-
fees ceased TO be sufficient we Grew
names from applicants outside the classi-
fed service and men conscientiously Sc
iected. those whose capability and char
acter we deemed best established. In
this hurried dispatch of men and mate
rials TO scenes OF action; some dnnsoe LnIs.ahes
TO integrity blasted, but these things oc-
cur and will so long as men live.
I made a visit TO Porto Rico when the
Spanish form of postal form OF service
was taken over and applied under our
system For every dollar expended youch-
ers were rendered and accounting made l
made a trim to the Pacific slope. i believe
in the spring OF 1898. In connection with
conditions existing In postoffices at Port
land, Tacoma and Seattle. incident TO the
ha andiing OF the Alaskan malls and local
for which a strict accounting
was made. Possibly Tulloch did not deem
these trips necessary. but I doubt ~ he
has the slightest conception Tor what
they were made or what was done upon
them.
There are two personal references 10
me In the Tulloch assertions that l desire
TO mention briefly and the others I Will
pass over as unworthy OF mention or
for reply from those who have had later
access to the official records. for these
Incidents occurred four or Ave years ago.
Complaints were made to me by clerks
In the postoffice department or the offices
auditory treasury. that an employe OF the
latter named Gilmor, frequently entered
The rooms and In surly. offensive and
preemptory manner demanded records
and carried them without leaving receipt
DR. simply helped himself. and when re-
reipt was requested snubbed the clerk.
was asked by our clerks and did request
of treasury officials that Gllmor be in
structed 20 act like n gentleman and TO
protect the clerks In the postofice de-
partment by leaving receipts for all
records taken by him from the depart