The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-22
PAYNE's POSITION
VIII President Roosevelt Continue Him
= '..'- .. NffteA?

VIII President Roosevelt Continue Him in
= office?
New York Sun Special Service. -.r .->..
Chicago, June 22.-Walter Wellman in a
Washington special to the Record Herald
says: - .-.- ...- . -.
Now it is the head Of the postoffice de-
partment, Postmaster General Payne him
self, who is under fire. The effort to drive
him out Of the cabinet is being renewed
with redoubled energy. The little plot
formed some time ago to destroy certain
officials, to smirch Perry Heath and to
put an end to the political career Of Mr..
Payne is still on. Many newspapers and
and cry for Mr.. Payne's head. They call
upon him to resign; they urge President
Roosevelt to dismiss him. Evidently they
have in mind the fate Of Mr.. Alger, secre-
tary of war 1t will be remembered that
Mr.. Alger was offered up in sacrifice by
President Mckinley to appease the news
papers which demanded a victim. Within
forty eight hours after saying that Mr.. AL
ger had done nothing wrong and that to
dismiss him would be a confession of guilt
on the part of his administration, Presi-
dent Mckinley yielded to the pressure
and sent Vice President Hobart to Gen
eral Alger with request for his resigna-
ton. General Alger fell victim to the
bad system which prevailed in the war de-
partment and in the faulty organization
of the army which Secretary Root has
since successfully bent his energies to
correcting. 1t is now generally admitted
even by his most loyal friends, that in
dismissing General Alger President Nc
Kinley for once showed the white feather
in the face Of public clamor.
President Behind Payne.
Can President Roosevelt be stampeded
into dismissal of Mr.. Payne? Probably not,
and yet there is no certainty about it. At
ho fpoo
stands squarely. behind his postmaster
general. He says he is all right and that
it is absurd to talk Of letting him go. The
president expresses his opinion with char
acteristic frankness of this well organized
and deliberate attempt to force Mn. Payne
out. He speaks of his postmaster general
| in terms of confidence and affection. Tho
| not denying that Mr.. Payne has made
mistakes, he says they were errors of the
head and not of the heart, and have no
| important bearing upon the question at
! issue.
| The president declares that all talk to
the effect that the postmaster general has
| not faithfully and Zealously pushed the
| investigation Of the postoffice department
! is stuff and nonsense. And yet, in the ma
! ture Of things, no one Is able to foresee
what effect upon the mind of the presi-
\ dent the crusade against Mr.. Payne may
have. If the newspapers continue their
demand for the head Of the postmaster
general and insist in their sea S.,ag COM
ment upon his mistakes and shortcom-
| ings, his judgment and nerve may in the
end be affected In the same way Mr.. Nc
Kinley was affected in the Alger case
| That is for the future to determine. just
now. the president is firm and frank In
his defense of Payne. AT the same time
4 1t is possibly somewhat significant tina,
semi official announcement has been made
at the White House that the president
| knew nothing of one Of Mr.. Payne's mis-
takes, the reference to President McKin-
ley, until he received 1t in the newspapers
In other words, that statement of Mr.
! Payne's to the effect that the Tulloct
charges were an attack upon President
Mckinley was not authorized by President
Roosevelt and is not now approved by him