Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-16
FITNESS
President Explains Max
ing Of Appointments.
Senators in Any State Do Not
Select" P0stmasters.
Roosevelt Depends Largely Upon MS
Own Judgment.

Washington. NOV. ID ~
ton OF Representative Gardner let'eF
regarding the Haverhill Post oiii'e' III
which his disagreement WITH -A'''''
General Moody was Expressed HITS W.
casioned the Administration Soii'e Gun
arrassment. From other parts Vi -.
country requests have been sen. W NV
President. on the assumption that MS
nosition was like that Of referee De-
,,,.a.n Cabinet officers and congress-
nav and in other cases Of disputed au-
tboritv regarding appointments. Inc
President desires to check TINS iaed 1T
once and to that end consents 10 nav
ing made public his reply to MI fard-
ner. which expressed his position. IL
reads as follows:
White House.
Washington, oct. 2S, 1901
NV Dear ConcrcsslnaH-l nave re-
ceivcd Your letter concerning the APP
poiutmcnt Of postmaster at HaFer-
hill, where Attorney General MOODY.
YOUR predecessor, who has served III
nv Cabinet successfully as Secretary
OF the Navy and now as Attorney Gen-
oral has recommended that the pres
ent incumbent be- reappointed; TINS
present Incumbent being man admit
ted by everyone 10 have the character
and capacity which III him for the
place. and being from all can fIh
out. entirely satisfactory I" the people
Of IIavcrhill. He was appointed by
President Mckinley. ~ the suggestion
Of Mr.. Moody, then congressman from
that district.
You speak nf Your privilege vi mann
ing the Hdverhill postmaster. In
your letter to Mr.. Moody you say. 1t
IL not a parallel case la Massachusetts,
To- those other states where senators
select the p1stmastcrs. In Mass.uhu-
scttS il has been understood that a
congressman shall select IA" pOStmIS-
tiers in the cities and towns in his own
district" To clear up any poSsibIc
misapprehcIIsi"n. | would like. at the
outset. to say that the senators do not
select" postmasters III any state whilt,
| am President. ! consult them al
ways. and i'm the vast ma iority of cases
act on the recommendations they
make; hut tn. selection is mine ana
not theirs. and time and again during
] have positively refused to select IN
dividuals suggested to me for nomina-
ton as postmaster by various senator's
II am not satisfied with the character
and standing of the man whose name
is suggested to me / never nominate
him. | understand perfectly that I'M
der the first article Of the Constitution.
tn" senators are part of the appointing
power and that they have the same
right To reject that 7 have to nominate
and that. therefore. tho appointment
must represent an agreement between
them and me: and rs the acquaintance
1T the senator with his state is ALWAYS
much greater than the knowledge of
the President can possibly be. it is the
normal and natural thing that |
should listen To his advice as to these
appointments. and | generally do so.
But ! stop listening to it as soon as I
realize that he Is advising me wrongly.
While 1t is impossible to avoid making
mistakes in nominating thousands of
candidates to local offices on the al =
vice Of hundreds of different advisers
yet never knowingly nominate n can
didate whom | think unfit, or to whose
candidacy ! think there is good obiec-
ton: and the question of unfituess
regard as one to be determined by my
Judgment and not that Of the senator
My practice during the last three
years has been exactly that set forth
IN inns statement. and | may add tina,
repeatedly ] have refused to nominal,
NJ the request of some senator. I, man
to succeed some public servant who
fclt had particular claims to be re.
nominated, or whom | regarded -,
markedly superior to his proposed src.
CCsSor.
90 mnCh as to my relations with 49,.
constitutional advisers Rut ~,
W." VI congressman TO these appoint
''c"'s res'S not upon law bu. purel,
upon custom. 1t has been found in III.
actual working of our Government
that. as a rule the congressman is IN
best man to consult about the appoint
merits which come under his sreci,
ken. Someone must be consulted am
as rule the congressman is the ma,
whose ADVICE is most apt to be tina
which can be followed with advantap
10 the community. and therefore to IN
party. But this is a mere custom an
l have never hesitatad for a moment +
deViate from il whenever cjrcu,,,
stances arose that satisfied me II VA
wise and proper and in the interest i
the community 10 do so. In scores q
cases have been obliged to disrcsar
the Recommendations of congress,ne
Tor all kinds Of reasons. Usually
nave disregarded them because I hay
believed that The man recommended +
me was UNFIT. Occasionally have die
regarded them because | felt that TN
man who was in Office was 50 consnicu
ously fit that he ought to be retained.
Holding in mind that the recommen
dalton of the congressman is merely
matter of custom. | wish to point ~,
to you that it is also the custom to IA
heed to the wishes not only of cabine
officers. but even of senators of III
opposite party. and occasionally to tn
wishes of congressman of the oprosit
party. i'll the case Of nominations (
office in their own towns. In sue
cases 1 have sometimes nominated tn
man requested by Democratic sen
ator. for instance always provided
regarded him as fit for the position)
and even where I have not done thi.,
have generally consulted him about TIL