The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-01
: SMITH FINALLY
MAKES ANSWER
Former Postmaster General Had
Really Forgotten.
HIS MEMORY WAS LOGGED
PAYNE SAYS TULLoCH INCL
DENT Is CLOSED.

Washington. May 21.-POstmaster
General Payne today made public the
reply Of former Postmaster General
Charles Emory Smith to the charges of
former Cashier Tulloch OF the Wash
ington City pOstoffice regarding the
postal administration Smith says he
Investigated the allegations of irregu-
larities when they were made and that
the evidence adduced IN most cases
was believed to be a justification OF
the transactions complained Of adding
That the criticisms betrayed lack or
knowledge of conditions incident 10
the Spanish war and the measures nee
essary to meet the requirements MT
Payne said today that Mr. Smiths let
ter practically closes the TullOch incl
dent. although other documents on the
subject viii be made public later. These
include the replies of former First As
sistant Postmaster General Smith and
OF Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral BTistOw. the report on the former
investigation of the TullOch charges, to
which Mr. Smith refers. and the re
ports Of the pOstOfice inspectors and
civil service representatives who inves-
ugated the Washington pOstOfice.
Smith Was Forgetful.
Owing to the great volume of the doc
uments. Mr.. Payne said that all the
documents except Mr. Heath's reply
would be bTiefed. although the dOcu-
ments themselves would be open to
public inspection if wanted. The first
answer Of Mr. Smith to the TullOcn
charges will not be made public Mr.
Payne explained that Mr.. Smith had
forgotten about Mr. TuIlOCh's charges
and the investigation he ordered, and
that until the papers were accidentally
found by Francis w. Whitney. secre-
tary to Mr.. Payne, il was not known
that the charges had been inveSti-
gated at the time. These papers
showed that Mr.. Smith had divided the
charges into groups. noting directions
FOR investigation as to each group and
subsequently recording against each
group the results of the investigation.
These results constitute the exhibit"
t. which Mr. Smith refers in his letter.
Mr.. Payne said that Mr. Smith. in his
prior letter. had evidently forgotten the
Tulloch charges and did not recall the
rame or the fact that he had investi
gated the charges
His Second Letter.
Mr.. Smiths second letter in full fol-
lows:
Philadelphia. May p. 1893. Henry c.
Payne, Postmaster General. Washington,
sir-I am in receipt of your letter of
the 10Th inst. enclosing "A COPY of a
letter addressed to YOU by Mr.. S. ". Tul-
locn respecting the conduct of the post
office department and the Washington
City pOstOffices during the years 1898 and
1899 In reply I beg 10 say that the ale
cations of Irregularities made by Mr..
TullOch on his retirement from the posi-
ton of cashier of the city pOstOffice
were duly examined at the time. They
We're taken up item by item and the facts
In each case We're aSCertafned. The re-
suit of that examination was embodied
in full exhibit of the alleged irTegulari-
Ties and Of the explanations in each in
stance. which is on file in the depart
ment- To this exhibit / refer as embrace
ing particular and detailed answer
10 Mr. Tullcch's statements
Accused in War Time.
Without underta king to repeat here its
specific and minute evidences. let me say
IN general terms that in most cases 81
presents what was said to be a juStifiCa-
ton of the transactions complained of.
The transactions mostly grew out of the
conditions incidental to the opening of
the Spanish war. and the criticisms be-
Trayed a want of knowledge. both of the
conditions and of the methods adopted
10 meet their requirements The war was
declared April n 1885 Within few
weeks an army of go 900 men was raised
and ordered in camps It became neCes-
Sary TO provide at once for the prompt
handling of the mail Of this large body
of soldiers and their millions Of friends
at home. Any failure to do so would
have justly excited universal cOndemna-
At the outset no special appropriation
was available. and the means had to be
provided from the general postal apprO-
prldUOnS- Afterwards congress made a
special appropriation for the military pos
tai service to be expended entirely at the
discretion of the postmaster general In
meeting the demands Of the service and
making good out of one fund what had
been temporarily and unaVOidablv drawn
from the other changes and transfers
and special cmplOyments were made
he