Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1903-12-11
IYI[R MAKES A Statement
.,swER TO RoosEvELT's LET
TER ON POSTAL SCANDAL.
49,. y. Was Never Given Chance
4. pefend Himself Of charses-He
am, pefute Them-The "Gross Sor.
,.;on" Sentence Stings Former
counsel for Postoffice Department.


c,,rsel for Postoffice Department.
washington, Dec. S.-James N.
r,rer who was assistant attorney
..neral for the postoffice department
until dismissed on account of matters
.annected with the postoffice affairs,
~. sent the following to President
Roosevelt
"Washington, Dec. S.-To the
p,osident-Sir: In your official state
mant as president of the United
o,otes addressed to the American re-
nnh,ic in connection with the report
:, Fourth Assistant Postmaster Cen
or., Bristow on the alleged postal
.-.uds YOU make certain statements
concerning my supposed connection
.horewith, which l take the liberty of
.n.werlng in order that it may prop
srly 20 upon your official records.
" do not desire in accepting your
sood faith or sincerity in accepting
the conclusions Of your subordinate.
Mr. Bristow, and in dignifying them
With the weight Of your high official
noaition, but has 1t occurred to you
that pending the trial Of the three
indictments against me based upon
the allegations Of the report, and
without having heard one word from
me In my defense, your premature
and unwarranted announcements Of
nv assumed guilt and your call to the
court and jury to indorse the same,
ia to say the least, extraordinary and
dangerous?
n am not even asking that should
be presumed innocent, or that before
| am condemned by you or the de-
partment l should be confronted by
proof or witnesses or given an oppor-
unity to be heard in my defense; or
that in the trial which confronts me,
| should have a fair trial-all I am
asking Is that in view Of the uni
tormity of my life and the fact that
my lips may at any moment be for
ever sealed, this letter be filed among
your official records Of my case, to-
gether with my letter Of July 81,
1903, to Mr.. Bristow, a copy Of which
attach.
Makes Denial.
II desire again to deny any one of
the yelled charges made by Mr.. Bris-
tow In his report, and to call your at
tention to the fact that not one direct
or specific charge is made against me
In the conduct of my high office, nor
has, nor can one cent Of gain be
traced to me. II my life is spared
shall fully refute all the surmises
and insinuations of Mr.. Bristow. and
shall be able to show the reasons
which which led him to withhold from
you further data and to misquote and
falsify that which he did submit to
you.
II also desire to state that II any OF
the friends Of Tyner have, as you al.
lege, advanced the theory that In this
case the chief offender was my
nephew, and that my alleged offenses
were due to my failing mental and
bodily powers, they did 80 without my
knowledge or assent. 1t Is true that
owing to two strokes of paralysis my
bodily powers have failed me. and ]
may have to face third and truer
and sterner judge ere many days. but
my mental powers, I thank God, have
never suffered, and I trust will not fall
me until have convinced the Ameri-
can public and you that my acts have
been honest, honorable and straight
forward In the sight Of God and man.
l am confident that the relations OF
Mr. Barrett with me and my depart
ment were as innocent and honorable
as am sure were all my motives and
acts.
Gross Corruption Sentence.
I also wish to deny your utterly
dnwarranted statement that the gross
corruption in the case Of Tyner has
gone on for number Of years. You
should know, and your subordinates
10 know, that no single act of cor
'uption. gross or mild, has been dis
covered against me; and that the
united States government, with Its
~ inspectors and chief inquisitor, Mr..
oristow, will be unable to discover.
nave tried during 40 years Of faith
lul service to my country to prove my
zeal for faithfulness and honesty In
Tue public service. and I now say to
YOU, the president of the United
s'ates, my executive, as IL 1t were the
'ast word l shall ever utter, that in
your well recognized and honorable
zeal for the public good. you have al
lUWp1 ynnrcolf IN hn Iaorivad and i'm.