Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-02-10
BRANDED FALSE AND MALICIOUS
Question Called to His Attention by
an Indiana Man.
NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS AS TEXT
Method of Making Appointments is
Clearly Set Out.
FEW PERSONALLY KNOWN TO HIM
Senators and COnGressmen Consulted
and, with Few Exceptions, Are
the Ones Directly Responsible
for Naming Men.


WASHINGTON, Feb. S.-President Roose-
welt today made answer to the recent pub
lie statements that he had made use Of
federal patronage to further the presiden-
tial interests Of Secretary Taft. The an
swer is IN the form of a letter addressed
to William Dudley Foulke of Richmond,
Ind, and includes a letter from Mr..
Foulke to the president, suggesting the
need Of such statement. The president
begins by charaoterizing the charges as
false and malicious" He follows this
with an analysis Of all appointments sent
by him to the senate for it's action to show
that In no case has the proximity of a
presidential contest influenced his actions.
The correspondence in full follows:
Letter of FOuIke.
February 5, lSOS-Thc President, Sir:
On January 10 laid before you an article
IN the indianapolis News "a paper support
ing the candidacy Of Mr.. Fairbanks) accus-
ing you OF using the federal patronage to
secure the nomination Of Mr.. Taft, and
naming the postoffices in particular
spoke OF the fact that certain Taft men
had been nominated in Ohio and you an
swered that that was true, that you would
be very weak II you allowed the power Of
appointment IN that state to be used only
as means of attack upon the administra-
tion.
"On my return home, observed other
articles making similar charges in various
papers for instance, the following in the
New York Evening Post OF January 16:
we are now getting daily lessons in
civil service reform from the White House,
which ought to attract national attention.
The appointment of Taft workers to post
offices in Ohio. and of the totally unfit
George w. Wanamaker as appraiser OF
this port, is now followed by the presi-
DENTS refusal to reappoint good Hughes
man as collector of customs at Plattsburg
"On January II an article charging you
with similar abuse of the patronage ap-
peared In the Indianapolis Star a paper
also supporting Mr.. Fairbanks. and re-
puted to be owned principally by Mr. Dam
iel G. Reid, gentleman representing i'm
portant Wall street interests. This article
enclosed in letter to you in which I
said: ...,..,...t a
No man can be a more unqualified
supporter of Mr.. Taft than /, yet realize
that any use OF the patronage to aid him.
especially If coercion can be implied, is
likely TO injure you very seriously. .
The use of any public office for this pur-
pose is fraught with great danger and
subject to unahswerable criticism
Asks for Proof
ITO this you answered. January 10:
VIII you produce the name of a single
man whom l have coerced or influenced:
will you give ne the name OF any official
who has been controlled by the threat or
Implied threat of dismissal, or from whom
have demanded support for Taft; in fact.
will you give me one particle OF justifica-
ton for the fears you expressed? Name
the man whom / have removed because
was for Taft or threatened to remove
because he was not for Taft. You cannot
do so, and, as you cannot why do you not
repeat this challenge to the newspapers in
question; assert that their words arc abso-
lutely false and challenge them to make
good?'
II, accordingly. wrote TO the Star asking
II to name single case Of the coercion
referred 70 Ia its previous issues. 1t pub
lished an answer to my letter but failed
to name any instance of the kind. I then
wrote again. calling attention to this failure
and asking II I were not forced to conclude
from its own silence that its own charges
were absolutely without foundation. This
second letter, however, II would not pub
lish, though 1t still continues 10 repeat its
general charges of abuse Of patronage
These charges also continue to be circu-
lated by other newspapers in all parts OF
the country. Thus the Boston Herald Of
January 29 says:
Federal office-holders may be com
manded to Use their influence and their
authority in behalf of a candidate Such
a command has been issued and the pres-
Hhp ~
has instructed postmasters that they must
obtain from their subordinates either their
designations or their pledges OF support for
Taft delegates to the convention. =
Even in Massachusetts efforts of this kind
nave been made recently, but happily they
nave been stopped, partly because the post
masters on whom the attempts were made
have the courage to resist and partly from
other causes
I'm view Of these reiterated complaints,
would not detailed statement OF your re-
sent appointments, the men by whom they
are recommended, your reasons and prin-
eiples upon which you have acted in max
ng them. as well as a statement in regard
10 the alleged coercion. be the best method
9f exhibiting the facts? Yours respectfully,
WILLIAM DUDLEY FOULKE."
False and Malicious.
Feb. 8, is0S-My Dear Mr. Foulke: The
statement that I have used the offices in
the effort to nominate any presidential
candidate is both false and malicious. 1t
is the usual inasinative invention which
flows from a desire 10 say something
Injurious. Remember that those now maxi
ing this accusation were busily engaged
two months ago in asserting that l was
using the offices to secure my own re-
nomination. II Is the kind OF accusation
which for the next few months will he rife.
4Ghis particular slander win be used until
exploded ard when exploded those who
have used IT, will promptly invent another
Such being the case. I almost wonder
whether Il Is worth while answering, but
as It is you who ask why. the answer YOU
snail have.
Since the present congress assembled
two months ago have sent to the senate