New-York tribune., 1903-06-18
DIR. P4YNE'S SETTLEMENT.
SAYS TmIloch's Charge Is against
Mckinley and Smith.
[FRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU.I

Washington, June 1I.-Accompany1ng the re-
ply of Mr.. Bristow to the Tulloch charges
made public tonight Postmaster General Payne
in an official statement after briefly scheduling
the enormous mass of documents covering the
secret and hitherto unpublished investigation
of 1900. which aggregate more than thirty thou
sand words, continues:
It will be seen that the whole subject was
taken up by Postmaster General Smith and in
vestigated by him. AT the same time all matters
referred to in the charges affecting the payment
of bills accounts and financial dealings Sener-
ally were under investigation by the Controller
of the Treasury. and all the expenditures re-
ferred to allowed by the Auditor and Con
trolIer with the exception of S16O. In the letter
of ex-Postmaster General Smith. dated May q
1908 he refers to his investigation of the
charges of Mr.. Tulloch as follows:
without undertaking. to repeat here its specific
and minute evidences let me say in general terms
that, i'll most cases. 1t presents what was DelieEed
of The transactions mostly grew out of the cond-
tions incidental to the opening of the Spanish war
both of the conditions and of the methods adopted
TO 10 n9ei nr 'e n 1sgS Witin few weeks an army Of
600 raised and, organized in camps It
handling of the mail OF this large body Of soldiers
do would justly have excited universal con-
demnation. ..-... ...,
able aad the had e be pr9[ided from m ,G the
es5 made speea for the military
postal service to be EXPENDED entirely at the discre-
mands Of the service and in making good out OF
one one tuna W4ao nad oee4 I and ul ransfers
and special employments were made which might
GS6 eSmpete Ge D f Re ct a'
It was found expedient as matter Of practical
for tine the oftces of Porto Rlco as branches
ede cd as branehes Of the Office This in
volved the enrolment of the men EMPLOYED for
Porto Rico the Washington roll. For a time
some of the extra. help needed in the depart tgent
facts Il iSnorantiy grew some of the allegations OF
COMPARED with the magnitude of the military ser
vice. not many new appointments were made, IT
and experienced already in the service and
detail tlerr for the military and island work or Dur- W
mtary postal service he ex2endd de- ,is at the dS
was covered back into the Treasury
Mr. Payne concludes:
Mr. Smith sets forth that il was deemed wise
a matter of administration to treat the postal
service of the island Of Porto Rico as branch
of the Washington Postoffice and that in the
carving out of the details of administration in
connection with the Porto Rican service the
postmaster at Washington not consulted as
to the plans of the department. but that the
Porto Rican service was administered as =
whole and in detail under orders direct from the
department. He points out that this was in
conformity with he law making the approprla !
ton. which stated specifically that the appro-
priation for military postal service should he
expended entirely at the discretion of the Post
master General
/ These papers are published in order to com
plete the public understanding of matter a
large part of which has already been puhl1shed.
The papers are filed without action, for the rea-
son that they relate to the business OF prior
administration The subject matter OF the COM
plants is four years old. and all action there
under was closed two years ago. The
charge OF Mr.. Tulloch is in its essence against
President Mckinley and Postmaster General
smith President Mckinley is no longer living
Postmaster General Smith, who carried out
President McKinleys policy, has answered for
himself.
With regard to the present management Of
the Washington Post office and the conduct Oh
any and all men charged with wrongdoing VINO
have been in the postal service under the pres
ent administrator, a thorough and searching
( Investigation is being made. and when IL Is
ended all the facts in the case Will be hlaue
public as also whatever action may be taken III
view of such facl
lex Postmaster General Smiths letter 10 whlen nc 2
Mr. Payne refers, was published IN iuii III ihe
Tribune of June Il