Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-06
Public Printer Silent Regard
ing Presidents Action.
REQUESTED TO RESIGN
REASONS GENERALLY ASSIGNED
BY HIS FRIENDS.
Plans Of the Keep Commission Changed
General Interest In the oues-
ton Of Succession.

Public Printer Palmer has been asked by
the President to resign his position at the
| head OF the government printing office by
| September 15 This information reached
Mr.. Palmer yesterday afternoon and was a
great surprise to him. Only couple Of
| hours before he received the information
| over the telephone from the White House
| he had dictated to his private secretary a
| letter to Mr. Ricketts,. telling the foreman
| of printing that he might have until next
Saturday to reply to his demand that he
show cause why he should not be removed
| from his Office for insubordination.
| While that letter was on It's way to Mr..
| Ricketts, the wires were conveying to this
| city a message from the President demand
| ing the resignation OF Mr.. Palmer.
Mr.. Palmer declined today to make any
| statement In relation to his resignation.
| His friends everywhere express the most
profound sympathy for him in his present
| predicament and say they his
| action In relation to Mr.. Ricketts, was un-
doubtedly the result of unwise advice The
| imp-opriety of demanding the resignation
| OF the foreman of printing while the report
| OF the Keep commission was In the hands
| of the President and not yet acted upon is
cen mented upon universally as so appar-
4 e1t that surprise is expressed that any one
| should have advised sucn course.
| Was Mr. Palmer Advisedp
There a good many people who be-
| lfeve they know just who advised the pub
| lie printer to take the course that has
| ce used him so embarrassing a situation.
1t is stated that on the day when the let
! ter written TO Mr.. Ricketts, demanding
| his resignation a prominent attorney who
is said to have the unbounded confidence
| of the public printer called on him at his
| office in the big printery and was with
| him for some time. Those who know OF
| that visit declare that they believe ii ex-
| plains the action taken by the public
| printer.
But whether that surmise is right or not
! it is generally believed that Mr.. Palmer
| acted upon the advice of men he trusted.
| Even Mr. Ricketts,. when he learned of the
| Presidents action in regard to Mr.. Palmer.
merely shook his head regretfully and re-
marked that he regretted more than he
could express that Mr.. Palmer had been i'm
| posed on by those whom he had evidently
| looked upon as his friends.
II am sure" said Mr.. Ricketts,, that Mr..
| Palmer, uninfluenced by Others, would not
| have taken the action he did toward me,
and am also sure that he has only the best
| feeling toward me now, as he has in the
past, except far others have influ-
enced him to feel otherwise No one could
regret the course that events have taken
more than myself.
Mr.. Keeps Plans Changed.
| asked Mr.. Palmer for his resignation has
| caused a change in the program of the Keep
| commission, that was to have gone to work
| at once to investigate the circumstances
surrounding the action of the public printer
| in demanding the resignation of Mr. Rick
etts.
Mr. Keep stated today that he would
communicate with the President before
| calling the commission together to take
| up that work. 1t is likely that he will
| receive reply as to the wishes OF the
President in very short time.
The fact that the President has called
for the resignation of Mr.. Palmer has
| resulted in many of Mr.. Ricketts, friends
coming out strongly in favor OF his ap-
| pointment as public printer Mr.. Ricketts,
was not candidate for that office so long
as there was any nkenhood that MT.
| Palmer might continue to fill it. When It
was learned last wint~E by senators ana
representatives that"th4 President pro-
| posed to make a change in that place and
Mr.. Ricketts, was advised to come OUT as
a candidate he declared 10 allow any oho
to use his name until it was insisted that
Mr. Palmer's removal was decided upon
Without question. Even then the foreman
of printing was merely recipient OF the
fayorab BILE recommendation given him by
his friends in and out of Congress- and
was at no time in the position of a candl-
date for the place.
Next Public Printer.
In Congress the sentiment in favor OF
Mr. Ricketts, appointment is known 10 oe
practically unanimous. On both the Sen
ate and the House side of the Capitol nearly
every republican has indorsed him for the
place.
Both the public printer and the foreman
of prfnting were at the government printing
office today. AS the day wore on no new
developments in the situation occurred
great deal of interest is manifested over
the successor of Mr.. Palmer. Quite gener-
ally the opinion is expressed that he VIII
be succeeded by Mr.. Ricketts,, but this is
based rather on the known sentiment of
senators and representatives than from any
information that has come out concerning
the attitude of the President.
The Coming Inquiry.
When the President has been heard from
the members of the Keep commission who
are in the city will get right to work car
rying out their instructions and will make
a report to the President at the earliest
possible moment.
1t is known that when Foreman Ricketts,
appeared before the Keep commission to
give his testimony in the matter of the
contracts for the Lanston typesetting ma
chimes he made good impression. and that
he will start Off so far as this commission
is concerned, without prejudice against him.
The hearings of the commission IN the
Ianston contract case revealed the cliques
of the big establsh hment and the lack or
harmony between MIR. Palmer and Mr.. Rick
etts but the President has not appointed
the commission TO report upon these mat
ters and it is stated that the report deals
almost wholly with the question OF the pro-
priety of making contracts for additional
machines Chairman Keep did not touch
upon this phase of the matter to any con-
siderable extent when he talked with the
President at the time of his visit TO Oyster
Bay
The President asked him about the ma
chimes the need for them, the question OF
the contract etc. With a pretty fun IDEA
nf
though the commission will be able to get
at what the President wants in quick order.
Mr.. Ricketts, Attitude.
IL is well known to the members of the
commission that Mr.. Ricketts, has emphati-
cally denied that he has been either in
subordinate to his chief or ungrateful. and
that he desires the fullest kind of a hear