The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1908-02-13
MORE HOT SHOT
President Roosevelt Fires An
other Warm Charge
REPLIES TO CRITICS
Denies lie Has Used Federal Pat
rOnage to Further Taft's Presi-
Dental Aspirations

President Roosevelt has made an
other contribution to current lit
erature.
Following closely upon the heels
of his recent message to congress
comes letter denying the charges
made by a number of prominent anti
administration papers that he had
been using his appointive power to
further the presidential aspirations of
Secretary Taft.
This letter was addressed to William
Dudley Foulke of Richmond, Ind, in
reply to request from that gentle
man that the president should answer
the charges of these newspapers.
The president goes after the pub
fishers in question in his character
istic vigorous fashion, and when he
through with the charges has those
who made them all in the Annanias
Club. President Roosevelt takes up the
charges seriatim, treating of appoint
ments to consular Offices, judgeships,
postoffices and other places. He shows
that he has followed the usual custom
of consulting senators and representa-
tives in all these matters and acting
upon their recommendations in most
cases. In cases where senators and
congressman could not agree, he has
conducted personal investigations and
made appointments upon recommends
tons of local persons. In all these ap-
pointments, the president affirms
vigorously, that he has endeavored to
follow out the civil service rules
Democrats have been appointed in
man. cases, especially in the South.
while faithful officers have been con-
tinued in office, as the president places
faithful service to the government
above mere party expediency. This
has been especially true, the presi-
dent affirms, in the matter of post
Offices
The president takes up the appoint
ments in Ohio, where he was especial
ly accused of using his power to fur:
Their the Taft aspirations, and shows
that the charges are false and
malicious. On this point he says:
There remain the allegations as to
the appointment of Taft workers to
postoffices in Ohio. In Ohio l have
made ifty-eight postoffice appoint
ments: twenty-seven of these were re-
appointments, thirty-one were new ap-
pointments. the last including the
cases where the incumbent had died,
had been removed for cause, or had
resigned.
Generally the appointment was
made exactly as in other states, upon
the recommendation of the congress
man from the district. In various
cases, however, as at Maumee, Stras-
burg, Bluffton, Greenville and Leipsic,
the nominations were made upon
recommendation of both Senators For
aker and Dick, or of one or the other.
In closing the president says: I'm
my letter to the civil service COM
mission of June IL, 1902, which now
holds good and will be enforced, Of
ficers are warned not to use their
places to control political movements,
nor to coerce their subordinates, nor
to neglect their public duties for pOliti-
cal work nor to cause any public
scandal by their political activity; but
outside of the classified service they
are not otherwise limited in political
activity. No officer will be permitted
to violate the above injunction, with
my knowledge, no matter for what
candidate he may be working; and /
may add that the only officers as to
whom any question of violations of this