Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-01
HAS HAD NO REQUEST
For Removal of Mr.. Machen,
Says Mr.. Payne.
NOT CONSIDERING IT
TELLS HOW AND WHEN HE MAY
POSSIBLY ACT.
Postmaster Merritt Discusses State
ment of Mr.. Tulloch, Formerly
Cashier in City Office.
NOT CONSIDERING II

There have been repeated rumors Of late
that Postmaster General Payne has under
consideration the removal or suspension of
Mr.. Augustus w. Machen, superintendent
of the division Of free delivery in the Post
Office Department. and that, unless Mr.:
Machen resigns before President Roosevelt
returns from the west, the President will
| cause his removal.
| These rumors have credited Postmas-
| ter General Payne with being convinced
| by the results of the investigation of alleged
! wrongdoing in the Post Office Department
! that the good Of the service demands Mr..
| Machen's dismissal. When pressed for au-
| thoritative information this afternoon, Mr..
| Payne dictated to Evening Star reporter
| the following statement:
Mr.. Payne's Statement.
| There has come no request to me for the
| removal or suspension of Mr.. Machen from
either the first assistant postmaster gen.
eral or the fourth assistant postmaster
| general.
Unless a request for Mr.. Machen's re-
| moval or suspension be made by the fourth
| assistant postmaster general, who is con-
| Quoting the investigation, or there is
brought to me evidence that can be sub
]
| some unlawful or improper act, 1 shall not
| remove or suspend him.
| The fourth assistant postmaster general
has not asked for Mr.. Machens removal or
| suspension. If the fourth assistant post
master general should make such a request,
| and it should appear to be in the best in
terest of the service or, if it should be
| shown that Mr.. Maci:en was in any way
| retarding the investigation, then 1 should
| act forthwith.
mo facts having been presented, there is
nothing before me in the form of any
| proof. There has been nothing except as
! sertiOns, and these are being carefully in
| vestigated. At the present time I have not
under consideration the removal or sus-
pension of Mr.. Machen."
Didn't Include Machen's Division.
| Referring to his order of March 1, direct
| ing that all contracts for furnishing sup
plies of a certain character cease until fur
| ther notice pending the investigation, Post
! master General Payne said this applied
particularly to the division that had been
presided over by Mr.. Beavers, and did not
include the division of which Mr.. Machen
| is still superintendent. although the af-
| fairs of the latter division are under inves-
| tigation.
Mr.. Payne had with him in conference
| for more than an hour today Fourth As
| sistant Postmaster General Bristow and
| Capt. Castle. the auditor for the Post Of
| flee Department.
| The statement Of Mr.. Seymour W. Tul-
| loch, who was for many years cashier of
| the Washington city post Office, reaffirming
| vigorous charges against the management
! of certain bureaus in the Post Office De-
| partment, and also against the city office,
| some three years ago, soon after he had
| been forced out of office. as he claims, by
| combination of officials, was called to the
attention of Postmaster Merritt this after
| noon.
| Postmaster Merritt Talks.
Il know nothing about the charges made
by Mr. Tulloch other than the one regard
| ing his removal" Mr.. Merritt said. Il took
| the position of postmaster at the urgent re-
! quest of President Mckinley. At the time
| of my appointment 1 was serving as third
| assistant postmaster general.
| When l took charge of the post office
| one of the first things l did was to make
| changes in the positions of assistant post
| master and cashier. l told Mr.. Tulloch that
! l would not need his services. He wrote me
| letter asking If his removal was due to
| any political or religious reason, and an
| swered him that it was not"
| Mr.. Tulloch in his statement says:
Mr.. Tulloch's Statement.
'In connection with all honest citizens l.,
| of course, take great interest In the present
1 effort of the Post Office Department to in
| vestigate itself. doubt, however, if any
one, not even those making the investiga-
i
ramifications of a certain coterie of officials,
| past and present. together with their politi-
| cal hackers and participating friends. Very
| few good things have lasted longer, been
| enjoyed with greater effrontery, or been so
| protected by those high in authority and in
| fuence.
| Probably that is pretty direct language,
! but know personally what 1 talking
about. l have always refused to talk about
| these matters for publication, though fire.
| UucntlV requested to do / have rp31izad
| however, that anything I might say would
| only be treated as the utteranceS of a dis
| charged official, and come to naught. De-
| tailed charges at length were made in 19O0
| the names of competent witnesses were
| given, and Postmaster General C. Emory
Smith was challenged to make an investi-
| CATION. Ihose charges were treated as friv-
| olous and civilly dismissed by the officials
| involved They remain, however, unanswer-
| ed to this day. and may yet furnish inter-
| esting matter for a truly Jealous investiga-
| ton.
More Than Twenty Years.
II was cashier of the Washington city
post Office for over twenty-one years, and
was considered one of the experts in the
service. I served during the celebrated star
| route investigation and trial. Consequently
when the irregularities with which 1 am
| personally familiar occurred 1 protested
and very vigorously. and demanded every
| thing in writing for my own protection
! and that of my bondsmen
| Il became what First Assistant Post
| master General Perry s. Heath called an
obstacle Mr. Merritt, then temporarily
residing in this city an official of the
| Post Office Department, was appointed as
| our local postmaster, and he very sum-
| marily removed the obstacle in less than
five minutes after taking possession of the
J office.
1.-The whole tendency of the Post Office
Department is to convert the local office
into a mere bureau Of the department, dis
| burse its funds and appoint and promote
its employees So strict is legislation cover
ing the department itself that irregularities
| are more difficult: but with a complaisant
postmaster and cashier, and more especial
| ly at Washington. where personal direc-
| tions without record can take the place of
| written, everything Is simplifed, and one
| official of the department need not know
| what another Is doing
| Says It Is Easy.
with regard to appointments or promo
tons of personal and political friends or
the transfer OF tho same to Washington
u