Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-02-10
Vigorously Denies
Misuse of Fed
eral Patronage
CHALLENGES HIS ACCUsERS
Analyses Recent Appoint.
ments...Defies Anyone
to Submit Proof.

NaSnlnGlon, FEB. lO--PreSident
Roosevelt yesterday made answer to
the recent public statements that he
has made use of federal patronage to
further the presidential interests OF
Secretary of War William II. Taft.
The answer is in the form of letter
addressed to William Dudley Foulke.
!of Richmond. Indiana, and includes a
letter from Mr. Foulke to The presi.
dent suggesting the need of such a
statement
The president begins by characteriz.
ing the charges as false and mali
cious" He follows this with an analy.
sis OF all appointments sent By him
10 the Senate for its action to show
that in no case has the proximity OF
la presidential contest influenced his
actions
The President denounces the
charges that he has used federal pat.
ronage to further Secretary Tafts
candidacy as maliciously false and de.
fies anyone to point out specific in.
stance where appointments were not
made in legitimate manner.
The Presidents Reply.
In his reply to Mr.. Foulke's letter,
President Roosevelt says in part:
THE statement that have used
the offices in the effort to nominate
any presidential candidate is both
false and malicious. It is the usual
imaginative invention which flows
from a desire to say something injuri.
ous Remember that those now
making this accusation were busily
engaged two months ago in asserting
that | was using the office to secure
my own denomination.
Since the present Congress assem-
bled two months ago, have sent to
the Senate the names of all the Off
cials l have appointed for the entire
period since Congress adjourned on
the 4th Of March last, that is for
eleven months. Excluding army and
navy officers, scientific experts, health
officers and those of the revenue cut
ter service. have made during this
period about 1852 appointments, sub
IJect to confirmation by the Senate,
l.164 being postmasters. The appoint
ments in the domestic and consular
services and In the Indian service have
been made without regard to politics.
In nominating judges I have treated
politics as wholly secondary consid
Grafton, and, instead of relying solely
upon the recommendation of either
senators or congressman, have always
conducted independent inquiries my
self, personally through members of
the bench or bar whom happened to
know, or through Attorney General
Bonaparte, Secretary Taft, who was
himself a Judge; Secretary Root, be-
cause of his great experience at the
bar, or Senator Knox. who was former.
ly attorney general. In number of
other offices, chiefly assistant secre-
taries or heads of bureaus here at
Washington, but also governors of
territories or men holding peculiar po-
sitions-and also in few other eases
notably those OF marshals In certain
of the western states. but including
various offices also here and there
throughout the union-I 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
officers, or else have happened per-
sonally to know, or to know of, a man
of such peculiar qualifications that
desired to appoint him on my own in
itiative'