Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-07-01
REPLIES TO TULLOCH.
Former Postmaster General Smith
offers Supplementary
Defense.

master general DS ~hl. Id lie, mace
public on Friday his reply to the
charges made by Mr. Tulloch, in con-
Eection with the post office investiga-
ton. Appended to the reply, and
which Mr.. Smith asks shall be treated
as a, part of it, are, first, a complete
copy of the itemized statement of the
Tulloch charges. as submitted to Mr..
Smith at the time they were made; sec
eond, complete copy of the confden-
stial report of Inspector in Charge
Smith, which is the main document
accompanying Gen. Brist ows letter;
third, complete copy of the report
which came as result of the exam
1natlon made when the Tulloch
charges were submitted, and which en-
bodies the answer, and the explanation
of the transactions referred to. Mr..
Smith then says:
1T will be seen that the Tulloch
statement and the inspectors report
are practically Identical. At many
points the language is exactly the
same. 1t is as if they were written
by the same hand. The Tulloch state
nent was submitted to me. The in
spector's report was submitted to the
fourth assistant. 1t was the business
of the inspector to find whatever
seemed to call for explanation; it was
left to the postmaster general to hnG
the explanat ton and the truth. This
was done by probing the Tulloch state
nent when it was presented. All of
the transactions described as irregular
were examined and report was made
10 me which took them up item by
item and groups of items and gave
abe facts and explanations in each
ease. To this report | direct particu-
lar attention. If its statements are
correct, then on most points its ex-
plantations are satisfactory. Its ac-
curacy in all its special averments has
never been impeached in any quarter.
On the main points it is believed to be
beyond successful challenge.
"These main points may be thus
summed up, each in sentence: First,
names of military postal clerks We're
put on the general roll till the mill
tary appropriation became available:
then they were transferred to the
military roll. Second. the bond premi-
ums of military clerks were paid for
good reasons which are plainly set
forth and which had the approval of
the comptroller. Third, the purchases
of Porto Rican supplies were made
from the regular department con-
tractors named under competition and
at regular contract prices. Fourth,
the vouchers for expenses of depart
ment officials travelling on official bust
ness were made as /required by the
auditor. Fifth, the lease of the Wash
sngton post office was shown to be
entirely justified. Sixth, the ,appar-
emily double payment Of those en-
ployed in examining letter carriers
claims is fully explained. These points
embrace all that are specified in the
charges, except the items relating to
appointments, including the individu-
"a! cases of Larner and 0. I'll. Smith,
and thus the matters open to question
are reduced to the appointments
which all told involve Ii clerks and
seven cleaners. Even this is not an ir-
n educible minimum. for several of
these appointments were perfectly
right and beyond any question.
Il wish to accept the largest meas
ure of responsi bility which belongs to
me in connection with all these mat
tiers, but it seems due to fairness to
state certain facts. The war against
Spain, declared three or four days
later, was dated back to April p, $685.
That was the very day on which | was
sworn in as postmaster general. My
: first duty, before even familiarizing
myself with the department, was to
make immediate provision for the let
tiers of the scattered army of 100000
men which was so promptly raised,
followed by provision for the full mail
of the islands. The administration
had been installed for more than
year. The department force had been
organized, and, of course, it was prop
erly accepted as it was found. When
the immediate duty in hand was taken
up, it was discovered curiously
enough, that there were absolutely no
records of the military postal service
in the civil war. There were no known
presidents. We had nothing to guide
us. We had to make our own plans.
The determination of tie general plan
and policy devolved on the postmas-
ter general. The execution Of the de-
tails devolved on the first assistants
bureau. We had at first no special ap-s
preparation and so had to meet the
requirements out of the regular ap
preparation. Afterwards when the
special appropriation became availa-
bls we had to reeoup the general ap-.
preparation in order that the regular
service might not suffer. These things
were effected in part through the
Washington office, and orders were
given which subordinate officials
neither did nor were required to under
stand, and out of it has grown a vast
deal of unnecessary misunderstood
ing"
In this connection it can be stated
authoritatively that the reports that
Postmaster General Payne contem-
~T<xLx ho ,of