The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-21
ROOSEVELT HAS
SERVED NOTICE
Pointed Letter TO Son-in-Law
of Senator Lodge.
MATTER OF APPOINTMENTS
PRESIDENT WILL SELECT MEN
TO SUIT HIMSELF.
Especial to The Herald.)


Washington Nov. 20.-President
Roosevelt has written a letter to Rep
resentative Gardner of Massachusetts,
which has found it's way into print.
and is causing cold chiils to ran up and
down the backs Of patronage-lOving
seffatOrs and representative Repre-
sentative Gardner, who is Senator
Lodges son-irl-i law, attempted 10 pre-
vent the appointment of a certain post
master i'm his district in Massachusetts,
and 10 name a man of his own choice
for the office. In reply to Representa-
tive Gardeners letter OF recommends
ton, President Roosevelt said:
You speak Of your privilege of nam
ing the Haverhlt postma ster. You say
IN Massachusetts it has been under
stood that a congressman shall select
the postmaster in the cities and towns
in his own district
Senators Do Not Select"
ITO clear up any possible misappre-
hension, L would like at the outset to
say that the senators do not'select' post
masters in any state while ! am Prest-
dent
Il consult them always, and in the
vast majority of cases act on the rec
concentrations they make, but the Sc
lection is mine and not theirs and time
and again during the three years L
have been president l have positively
refused to select individuals suggested
TO me for nomination as postmasters
by various senators. If l am not salts
fed with the character and standing
OF the man whose name is suggested to
me, never nominate him.
i understand perfectly that under
the first article of the constitution the
senators are a part Of the appointing
power, and that therefore the appoint
ment must represent al agreement be-
tween them and he, and, as the &C
quaintance Of a senator with his state
is always much greater than the konwl-
edge of the president can possibly be,
il is the normal and natural thing that
/ should listen to his advice as TO those
appointments, and l generally do 80.
But L stop listening TO II as soon as
] realize that he is advising me wrong
~.
The relation of congressman to the
appointments rests not upon law, but
purely upon custom.
Il wish TO point out to you that it is
the custom to pay heed 10 the wishes
not only of cabinet officers, but even
senators of the opposite party, and,
occasionally, to the wishes of con-
gressmen of the opposite party in the
case of nominations to office in their
own towns.
Will Not Be Easy.
In his characteristic terse style, the
president through Representative
Gardner. has served notice upon SEN
ators that he will carry out their rec
concentrations for appointments only
when he is satisfied they are making
good recommendations; and that when
ever he finds them recommending I'M
worthy men for his consideration, he
will Immediately set them aside as men
whose counsel is worth nothing. As TO
the recommendations of mere congress
men. he says i'm effect, that they ought
TO be glad TO be able 20 name the post
masters in their own towns. and to
leave all other appointments to sem
ators i'm whom he has confidence. 1t is
a rather severe jolt TO be administered
before the new administration begins,
but il shows i'm advance what consider
alton pure patronage brokers may ex-
pect at the White House for the next
four years.