Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-07
TYNER WRITES LETTER
To President Denying All Connection
with Postal Frauds.

| Washington. Dec. 6.-James NJ. Tyner,
who was assistant attorney general for
| the post office until deposed on account
of matters connected with the post office
Investigation, has sent the following let
ter to President Roosevelt:
| hi Kenesaw Ave-, S. W..
| Washington, d. c., Dec. ?, 1yo3.
| Sir:-ln you official statement as Pres
ident of the United States addressed to
the American pubic, in connection with
1.-THE report of Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General Bristow on the alleged postal
frauds, you make certain statements con-
corning my supposed connection there
with which | take the liberty. of answer
ing in order that | may properly go upon
yonr official records.
| Il do not desire to question your good
faith, or sincerity in accepting the con-
IcluSion OF your subordinate, Mr.. Bristow,
and in dignifying them with the weight
iof your high official position; but has it
occurred to you that pending the trial of
the three indictments against me, based
ION the allegations of the report and with
out having heard one word from me in
my defence, your premature and unwar-
ranted announcement of my assumed
guilt and your call to the court and jury
to endorse the same, is, to say the least
extraoi binary and dangerous? l am not
teVen asking that | should be presumed
by You or the department | should be
] conf 0nted by proofs and witnesses or
| gwen an opportunity TO De neafu IN my
defence; or that in the trial which con-
| fronts me / should have a fair trial-all
| | am asking is that in view of the uncer-
tainty of my life and the fact that my
sealed, this letter be filed among your Of
fetal records of my case, together with
my letter of July 9th: 1903, to Mr.. Bris-
| tow. a copy of which l attach.
Il desire again specifically to deny ev-
| cry one of the yelled charges made by Mr.
Bristow in his report and to call your at
| specific charge is made against me in the
conduct of my high office. nor has, nor
can one cent of gam be traced to me. If
my life is spared l shall fully refute all
the surmises and insinuatons of Mr. Bris-
tow and shall be able to show the reasons
which led him to withhold from YOU full
data and to 9arble, misquote and faisify
| that which he did submit to YOU.
II also desire to state that if any of
| the friends of Tyner' have, as you al
| legged, advanced the, theory that in this
case the chief offender was my nephew
Barrett and that my alleged offences
We're due to my failing mental and bodily
powers, they did so without my knowl-
edge or assent. 1t is true that owing to
two strokes of paralysis my bodily pow
ers have failed me and | have to face a
truer and sterner judge ere many days,
but my mental powers, | thank God have
never suffered, and / trust will not fail
me until | have convinced the American
public and you as Chief Executive, that
my acts have been honest and honorable
and man. | am confident that the rela-
tons Of Mr. Barrett with me and my de-
partment We're as innocent and honorable
and sure as were all my motives and acts
Il also wish to deny your utterly I'M
warranted statement that the gross cor
ruplion in case of Tyner has, gone on for
and your subordinates do know, that no
single act of corruption. gross or mild
has been discovered against me: and the
United States government with its 20 in
SntrtOCS and its chief iprnicitnr Ny,
Bristow, will he unable to discover one.
II have tried by 80 odd years of faith
zeal for faithfulness and honesty in the
puhi1c service. and | now say to you, the
President of the United States, my chief
accuser. if it We're the last word [ shall
and honorable zeal for the public good,
YOU have allowed yourself to he deceived
and imposed upon; and while L cannot
none for hearing at your hands. l shall.
at least give myself the wretched soiace
of having denied these wrongs aud of hiv-
ing, demanded that hearing which right
and justice ought to be accorded me.
Very respectfully,
The letter to Mt Bristow which is re-
dated July eth 1903. 1t is Gen Tyner's
answer to an invitation from Mr. Bristow
to reply to certain points involved in the
Iinvestigation submitted by Mr.. Bristow.
General Tyner says that as a full reply
to the ''unwarranted Deductions in Mr.
RrstoW's letter may assist him in a fair
and honest investigation of the generals
Office. he will return an answer at the
same time claiming attention to the fact
that he has no access to the files of the
DEPARTMENT but speaks only from his best
recollection. He then answers in great de-
Tail matters called to his attention by Mr..
Brstow and closes as follows:
1T certainly must be evident to you
| that your several specficatio narrow
themselves down to two propositions, and
| to two only. One. that | made certain
rulings as to which your Judgment and
mine differ. The other, that | auused my
position wiifully or unwillingly to further
the interests of my nephew by marriage
Harrison J. Barrett. a lawyer practicinG
his profession in Baltimore and WASH
in&ton. | cannot believe that you even
mean to insinuate that l showed him any
of the alleged favors, as the result of
corrupt bargain or understanding between
us. There is absolutely no evidence,
either actual or circumstantal, to justify
any suspicion of sucn corruption or of
any such understanding whatever, for