The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-19
"STUMP SPEECH" SAYS PAYNE
REITERATES ms OPINION or
TCILOCHS STATEMENT.
hut Tie Is quite as Emphatic In Declaring
That TuilOch's Charges OF lrreguIari'
ties Occurring In the Post once he.
partment VIII lie Fully Investigated.


partment VIII lie Fully Investigated
WASHINGTON, May 49, Postmaster-Gen-
eral Payne this afternoon reiterated with
added bitterness his assertions OF last
Saturday regarding the worthlessness OF
the Is, OOO-word statement made by Seymour
W. Tulloch, former cashier Of the WASH
ington post Office, in support OF his allega-
tions concerning irregularities and crooked
ness in The Pos. Office Department.
at is a stump speech. said Mr.. Payne,
emphatic and the most serious charges
contained in it's fifty pages are those against
Comptroller of the Treasury Tracewell and
Auditor Castle of the Post Office Depart
ment that they passed improper accounts
and called off" an important inquiry Just
as the investigating officer was about to
strike pay dirt.
an regard to these charges OF passing
improper accounts wish to say lust this
that there is a vast difference between an
account being irregular and its being UNI
lawful If | have a roll of money in my
vest pocket. and another bundle in my
pantaloons. and | make purchase and
pay for il out of the vest pocket roll, when
usually take the money out OF my trousers.
IL NAV he irregular, but there isn't anyone
who can say it is unlawful. That, believe,
Is fair instance Of a great deal OF this
alleged irregularity.
AS understand il, there was an amount
of approximately $4,000 disallowed by the
Auditor for the Post Office Department and
the Comptroller of the Treasury, and after
ward passed by those officials. Why was
it passed? Simply because an investiga-
ton proved that vouchers for expenditures
had been charged to a wrong account and
that matters were easily Strengthened out
by little clear-headed bookkeeping.
After brief discussion of that phase of
the Tulloch charges concerning the alleged
appointment by former First Assistant
Postmaster General Heath of charwoman
whose names did not appear on the De-
partment rolls. and who by his express order
were not required to work. Mr Iayne swung
his chair around so as to face the reporter
of local paper, and, pounding his desk to
emphasize his remarks. said
II have read in your paper that one of
these women mentioned by Mr.. Tnlloch
called at your office and asserted that his
statement was true; that she had been APP
pointed with the express understanding
That she was not to do stroke of work.
and was only at the Department twice
month, when she appeared for the pur-
pose of signing the payroll Give me the
name of that woman, md will DO all in
my power to collect from her the money
she stole from the Government.
"To draw money under such an under
standing as that, by means of COLLISION
az pronounced as that must have been,
II the allegations are true. constitutes theft
pure and simple, and il we can secure the
names of one or more, persons who will
confess to thing like that, the machinery
OF this De artment will be put in motion
in an effort to collect this stolen money,
paid ostensibly as compensation for honest
toll. Tell me the woman's name"
Il am sorry, Mr.. Payne" the newspaper
reporter answered, but that incident is
OF confidential nature
The Postmaster General waved his hand
in an annoyed manner and said:
"Oh, of course, if you fall back on the
plea of confidential l have nothing more
TO say understand also that this woman
Of this nature. says that she really wanted
to work, but was not permitted to do so.
Isn't that remarkable? Isn't that wonder
ful9 But will tell you this again-al of
you-that if we can ascertain the name of
single person, and can prove that he or
she accepted money from the Post Office
Department and did not even pretend to
do any work in return, and that this con-
dition was the result of an express under
standing and in the nature Of collision,
! will take the necessary steps to collect
that stolen money.
But wish to call your attention to some
thing more These charges are made.
and the names of the persons who are said
to have received the benefits of this graft
are given. They will be looked up and the
Department will make every effort to sub
stantiate the allegations. But there is
no proof offered in the statement which will
aid us. The arrangements charged by
Mr.. Tulloch are admitted to have been
at Washington, the really reponsble per-
son, and the only one who could give us
any Information on the subject, is dead.
And another thing is also true, 1t doesn't
follow because Mr.. Seymour Tulloch never
saw those people he mentioned as having
the graft. or anybody else except himself
for that matter, doing any work around the
post Office, that no one except MIR. Tuloch
ever did any work.
MIR. Tulloch was cashier Of the Washing
ton office. From all / understand that
is a responsible position, and requires deal
of work and constant application to duty.
yet Mr.. Tuloch saw more than any one
else of what was going on and displays
an intimate knowledge of these irreEu-
larities. do not wish to beltte Mr., Tul-
lock or Mr.. Tuloch's charges Each and
every one of his assertions, allegations,
accusations and insinuations will be care
fully investigated, but am not permitting
myself to be too optimistic or sanguine
Mr. Payne said that although he had
received letters from former Postmaster
General Smith Comptroller Of the Treas
ury Tracewell, Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General Bristow and Postmaster Merritt
of Washington, telling Of what they, knew
Of Tulloch and his charges, he had writ
ten to these gentlemen, again, following
the receipt of Tuloch's detailed statement,
requesting such additional information
as they might have. These replies are
Mr., Bristow will take up in real earnest
his invest gati ion into the charges in the