The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-17
DISCHARGE OF KELLER
DISMISSED WITH OTHER CARRIERS
 OF MAIL.
POstmaster General Wynne, In Response to Resolution, Sends to the
 House a "statement of
 Facts.-

Washington, Jan. l6.-Postmaster- | General wynne transmitted to the | House today "A statement of facts | relative to the dismissal of James C..
 Keller. President of the Letter Car riers' Association, and Frank Cunning ham. Warren Humber and H. W. AL
 drich, officers of the Rural Carrierss'
 Association.
 The information Is in response to a | resolution introduced by Representa- tive Hearst and agreed to by the | House.
 The response says Keller was dfs- | missed for being absent from his post of duty without leave. Keller states that he received oral leave from the
 late Postmaster General Payne to be
 absent from duty for a year When
 the department ordered his return to duty, he filed a letter saying 1t was | impossible for shim to do so at that time His dismissal followed. | The campaign of the rural carriers | for an increase of pay Is set forth in the communication in number of cir
 cular letters credited to the three | named cerriers. and all based on an
 explanation made by Carrier Cunning
 ham of New York, where he interview
 ed Chairman Cortelyou Of the Republi- | can National Committee: Chairman l Taggart of the Democratic National Committee. and Representative Over street, Secretary of the Republican Campaign Bureau.
 | The plan was outlined at dinner in
 St. Louis, and Cunningham was m | structed to make the best bargain
 possible" with the politicians.
 It was proposed that Representative | Oyerstreet "shoould give out news paper interview to the enect that at the coming session he would allow to lbe reported out of the postohice com mittee the Fairbanks bill tthe situation
 In Indiana is that Fairbanks Will pc | defeated. the Republicans are of that
 opinion and should be glad of chance to make this trade). This interview
 will be flashed all over the country by the Associated Press: that Overstreet | will do this
 we will then get in our work of get ting Congressman and candidates to | commit themselves to vote for the nlii' We will then get out the Free Delivery News with an extra, whooping up Overstreet, that he Is not such bad fellow after all and urge the carriers
 to support the whole ticket.
 | But if Cortelyou does not agree to this plan. then we must do our turn in
 A game of bluff-say te him that we will support the head of the ticket, put as we have nothing to expect from a RepuDlican HOUSE, we "iii .NPPN .,.- Democrats for the remainder ol ''' ! ticket"
 | The comment Is then made: Tt is hold plan. but 1t is better to go along than to stand still. Both political par ties think and believe we have much
 more strength. many more members III our organization and more perfect or
 ganiza.ion than we really have. ms Is very much in our favor ana all
 comes from the quantities 0f telegrams
 and petitions sent to Washington last | winter
 Carrier Cunningham reported to Car
 rier Tunfber by letter from New fork on October IA, 1904, as follows: T seen Cortelyou today. and he said The had a long talk with Overstreet and that he could not give me any encour- | aEement as Overstreet would not com init himself. I seen Mir. Taggart this | afternoon and he talked as though the | Democrats would without doubt pass | the bill if elected. told him that we
 could only support Democratic House
 will meet him again tomorrow morn ing"
 | After a meeting between Cunning ham and Humber in Buffalo. long cir | cular letter to carriers was prepared
 by Humber. In 1t he says: l q have presented to you the advice | of the Executive Board. It is their
 best Judgment that all carriers and l their friends should support the head
 of the Republican ticket, but Dem
 ocratic House."
 The Postoffice Department states that
 all of the rural carriers named were ab-
 sent from duty without leave in addt-
 ton to their activity in politics.
 The carriers were dismissed Decem- her 15 1904.