Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-10

because the pOStmaSterS on WhoH Tue
| attempts were made had the courage to
resist and partly from other causes.
IN view OF these reiterated complaints,
would not detailed statement OF your
| recent appointments. the men by whom
| they were recommended, your reasons
and the principles upon which you have
| acted In making them, as well as state
| ment in regard to the alleged coercion be
| the best method of exhibiting the facts?
Yours respectfully,
(Signed)
WILLIAM DUDLEY FOULKE"
The Letter Of the President.
| February Z, 1908.
| My Dear Mr. Foulke:
THE statement that l have used the Of
fees in the effort to nominate any presi-
Dental candidate is both false and ma
| licIous. 1t is the usual imaginative in
| vention which flows from desire to say
| something injurious. Remember that
| those now making this accusation were
busily engaged two months ago in assert
| ing that I was using the offices to secure
my own denomination: 1t is the KIND or
! accusation which for the next few months
will be rife. This particular SANDER VIII
be used until exploded. and when eNplod-
| ed those who have used 1t will promptly
| invent another. Such being the case !
| almost question whether it is worth while
| answering: but as it is you who ask why,
the answer you shall have.
| Since the present Congress assembled
| two months go | have sent to tine senate
| the names Of all the officials l have ap-
pointed for the entire period since Con-
gress adjourned on the 4th of March
last-that is. for eleven months. Exclud-
ing army and navy officers. scientific ex-
perts. health officers and those of the
| revenue cutter service, I have made dur
| Ing this period about 1882 appointments
| subject to the confirmation by the Senate.
1164 being postmasters. OF these. ap-
pointments in the diplomatic and con-
sular services and in the Indian service
have been made without regard to poll
| tics; in the diplomatic and consular serv-
ices more democrats than republicans
have been appointed. as We are trying to
even up the quotas of the southern states.
In nominating judges I have treated pol
itics as a wholly secondary consideration
and, instead of relying solely upon the
recommendations Of either senators or
congressman. have always conducted in
through members of the bench or the bar
whom l happen to know, or through At
| torney General Bonaparte. Secretary
Taft (who was himself a judge). Secre-
at the BARI or Senator Knox. who was
| formerly my Attorney General. In a
number OF the other offices. chiefly assist
ant secretaries or heads of bureaus here at
Washington. but also governors of terri
| tories men holding peculiar positions
such. for instance. as that of commissioner
of education in Porto Rico-and also in
a few other cases. notably those of mar
shals in certain Of the western states,
| but including various offices also here
and there throughout the Union. 1 have
either felt that the position was of such
| a character that the initiative in the
choice could only with propriety come
| from me or from one of the cabinet Off
| GERS, or else I have happened personally
to know Of man of such peculiar quail
fcations that I desired to appoint him
on my own Initiative.
Coming to the Post Offices.
There remain the great bulk of the Of
fees. including almost all of the post
! Offices. the collectorships of customs. the
appraiserships. the land officers and the
like. numbering some 1.oJO Or Whereabouts.
1t is. of course. out Of the question for
me personally to examine or have knowl-
edge of such a multitude of appointments.
and therefore as regards them l normally
accept the suggestions of senator's and
congressman. the elected representa- ives
of the people in the localities concerned
always reserving to myself the right to
insist upon the mans coming up to the
required standard of character and ca
pacity. and also reserving the right to
nominate whomeveT I choose if for any
reason l am satisfied that am not re-
ceivfng from senator or congressman
good advice. or il happen personally TO
know some peculiarly fit man. Where
the man has done we'll in Office I prefer
to reappoint him. and do so when I can
| get the consent Of the senators from his
locality: but If they refuse. the reappoint-
| ment cannot be made. Ordinarily. as
| alter of convenience the. appointment
forchand, the advice Of the senator or
congressman, who is elected and has pc
culiar means OF knowing the wishes of
his constituents being taken. But where
4 "a mr. n Mt 0sc
consultation or mutual agreement. not al
a matter~of convenience and expediency,
out as matter OF right on his part to
nominate whomever he chooses, the Gus
tom is necessarily discontinued
I'm the south atlantic and gulf states
which have contained neither senators
nor representatives of my own party
have been obliged to seek my advice from
various sources. In these states 1 have
appointed large numbers of democrats
| In certain states the democrats appointed
outnumbering the republicans. For ad-
vice in appointing the republicans l have
| relied wherever possible not upon office
holders at all. but upon men of standing
and position who would not take office
and on whose integrity could depend
AS instances merely l will refer to Col
Cecil A. Lyon OF Texas. commanding one
| of the Texas National Guard regiments
| and n man OF independent means, engaged
| in active business and to Mr.. Pearl
Wight OF Louisiana and to Mr.. Coonbs
of Florida. also men of independent
means and of large business affairs all
| OF them being among the most respected
| men in their several states.
Advisers Not Ohiceseekers.
These men, and most of the others
| upon whom rely. could not be persuaded
20 take any Office in my gift and could
| 10 more coerce or control their political
action than i could. for instance. that of
presidents Of chambers of commerce or
colonies of National Guard regiments in
| similar states In the north In all Of these
| states have done my best. when ] came
to appointing republicans. to PVT the