The sun., 1903-12-08
Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Tyner.

The Hon. JAMES NOBLE TYNER Of
Indiana will be seventy-seven years old
if he lives until next January He has
served three terms in Congress, to which
he was first elected in 1858, when Mr..
ROOSEVELT was ten years old. He has
been Second Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral, First Assistant Postmaster-General,
Postmaster General, twice Assistant At
torney-G General for the Post Office De-
partment. In ALL he has been in the
Post Office Department some seven
teen years.
In a memorandum, dated Nov. 30,
1903, relating to Fourth Assistant Post
MASTER General BR1sTow's report of his
investigation Of corrupt practices in the
Post Office Department, Mr.. ROOSEVELT
wrote:
"The Investigation discloseS gross corruption in
the once Of the First Assistant Postmaster
and In that Of the Assistant Attorney General for
the Post once Department INF. TrSERl .
In the case Of Mr.. TYNER It has gone on for mum
ber OF years, but II Is impossible to say when II
began. A melancholy feature OF tho case is that
=
number of years In the Government service. =
The three chief offenders In the Government ser
vice were TYNKR. MAcHEN and BEAVERS. The
friends Of TYNER have advanced the theory that In
his case the chief offender was really his nephew
by marriage, BARRETT, who was his assistant in the
once for part OF the time. and that TINER's Of
fences are due to his failing mental and bodily
powers. The facts set forth In Mr.. BRIsTow q
report do not tend to substantiate the validity OF
these excuses for TYNER, while they show literally
astounding m isconduct In BARRETT"
Mr.. ROOSEVELT goes on to say that
in the Office of the Assistant Attorney
General for the Post Office Department,
under TYNER and BARRETT far greater
wrong was inflicted upon the public than
could be measured by pecuniary stand
ard, for in this office the corruption of
the Government officials took the form
of favoring get-rich-quick concerns and
sim liar swindling schemes
Three indictments have been found
against Mr.. TYNER. His guilt or nno-
cence is yet to be established in court
of law and by jury. Until he is found
to be guilty, he is to be presumed inno-
cent. In his enthusiastic desire to hunt
down corruption, Mr.. ROOSEVELT seems
to have assumed that Mr.. BRIsTow and
Mr.. CHARLES j. BoNAPARTE and Mr..
HOLMES CONRAD, the special counsel
employed on the investigation, were the
final judges of Mr.. TYNER's case. Ac-
cepting their statements, presumptions
and conclusions as. facts, Mr. ROOSEVELT
finds Mr.. TYNER guilty.
In a digniied letter published yes
terday Mr.. TYNER protests against Mr..
RoosEvELT's premature and unwar-
ranted" announcement of his guilt; in
sists that he will prove his innocence,
! if he lives; and denies all the charges
made by Mr.. BRIsTow. He brushes aside
the theory that the offences ascribed to
him are due to his failing mental powers
and his nephew, and that corrupt prac-
tees have been going on under him
| for years:
ills true that. owing to two strokes OF paraly SIS
my bodily powers have failed me, and may have to
face q truer and stener Judge ere many days; bu,
| my mental powers. thank GOD. have never suf
fered. and trust will not fail me until have
| WINGED the American public and you. as the CHIEF
| Executive. that my acts have been honest honor
able and straightforward in the sight Of GOD ant
| man.
lam oonnden. shat the relations Of NJ. BA.azEz