The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1903-07-03
REPLIES TO TULLOCH.
Former Postmaster General Smith
Offers a Supplementary
Defense.

master general by Mr.. Payne, made
public on Friday his reply to the
charges made by Mr.. Tulloch, in con-
nection 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, complete
copy of the itemized statement of the
| Tulloch charges, as submitted to Mr..
Smith at the time they were made; sec
ond, a complete copy of the confiden-
tial report of Inspector in Charge
Smith, which is the main document
accompanying Gen. Bristow's letter;
third, complete copy of the report
which came as a result of the exam
nation 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:
| ''It 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
| ment 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 explanat ton; it was
left to the postmaster general to find
the explanation and the truth. This
was done by probing the Tulloch state
,4nI of
the transactions described S irregular
we're examined and report was made
to me which took them up item by
item and groups of items and gave
the facts and explanations in each
case. To this report 1 direct particu-
lar attention. If it's statements are
correct, then on most points its ex-
plantations are satisfactory. It's &C
curacy in all it's 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 were
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
i 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
nent officials travelling on official bust
| ness were made as required by the
auditor. Fifth, the lease of the Wash
ington post Office was. shown to be
entirely justified. Sixth, the appar-
entity 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-
al cases of Larner and o. III. Smith,
and thus the matters open to question
are reduced to the appointments
which all told involve 10 clerks and
seven cleaners. Even this is not an ir-
reducible minimum, for several of
these appointments were perfectly
right and beyond any question.
81 wish to accept the largest meas
ure of responsibility 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 21, 1898.
That was the very day on which l 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 a
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
ludG lutIt were dUSOluUCiy III
records of the military postal service
in the civil war. There were no known
precedents. We had nothing to guide
us. We had to make our own plans.
The determination of the 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 APP
preparation and so had to meet the
requirements out of the regular APP
preparation. Afterwards when the
special appropriation became availa-
BILE we had to recoup the general APP
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 vast
deal of unnecessary misunderstand-
ing"
In this connection it can be stated
authoritatively that the reports that
Postmaster General Payne contem-
plates retiring from the cabinet are
untrue.