The state herald., 1908-02-14
PRESIDENTS
STATEMENT
HAS NOT USED FEDERAL PATRON.
AGE TO FURTHER NoMlNA.
TIoN OF TAFT.
EXPLAINS HIS COURSE
TELLS HOW AND WHY APPOINT.
MENTS HAVE BEEN
MADE.

Washington. - President Roosevelt
has made answer to the recent public
statements that he has made use OF
federal patronage to further the presi.
Dental interests of Secretary Taft. The
answer is in the form of a letter ad.
dressed 10 William Dudley Foulke of
Richmond, Indiana, and includes let.
ter from Foulke to the President sug.
gesting the need of such statement.
The President begins by character.
izing the charges as false and mali.
cious, He follows this with an anal.
ysis of all appointments sent by him to
the Senate for its action, to show that
in no case has the proximity of a
presidential contest influenced his ac.
tons.
Foulke's letter, dated February 9TH,
says, in part:
"On January 18th laid. before you
an article in the Indianapolis News Ia
paper supporting the candidacy of Mr..
Fairbanks). accusing you of using the
federal patronage to secure the nomi'
nation of Mr.. Taft and naming the post
Offices in particular.
Il spoke of the fact that certain Taft
men had been nominated in Ohio, and
you answered that that was true; that
you would be very weak If you allowed
the power of appointment in that state
TO be used only as a means OF attack
upon the administration.
"On my return home observed other
articles making similar charges in va.
rious papers.
These charges also continue TO be
circulated by other newspapers in all
parts OF the country.
In view of these reiterated com.
plants, would not detailed statement
of your recent appointments, the men
by whom they were raised. your rea-
sons and the principles upon which
you have acted In making them, as well
as n statement in regard TO the alleged
coercion. be the best method OF exhib'
iting the facts? Yours truly.
tSigned) "WM. DUDLEY FOULKE."
In his reply to Foulke President
Roosevelt says:
"The statement that have used the
Offices In the efforts TO nominate any
presidential candidate is both false and
malicious. II is the usual imaginative
invention which flows from desire TO
say something injurious. Remember
that those now making this accusation
were busily engaged two months ago
In asserting that was using the Offices
to secure my own nomination.
"Since the present Congress assem-
bled. two months ago. ! have sent to
the Senate the names OF all the Off
cials | 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 cutter service.
have made during this period about
1852 appointments subject to confirma'
tiOu by the Senate, i.l6i being post
masters. The appointments m the dip
lomatic and consular services and in
the Indian service have been made
without regard TO politics.
In nominating judges have treated
politics as wholly secondary consider
alton. and, instead OF relying solely
upon the recommendation OF either sen
ators or congressman have always con
Quoted independent inquiries myself
There remain the great bulk OF OF.
fees, including almost all OF the post
Offices. tho collectorships OF customs,
the appraiserships. the land Offices and
the like, numbering some 1880 or
thereabont. 1t is, OF course. out OF the
question for me to examine or have
knowledge OF such a multitude Of ap'
pointments. and therefore. us regards
them ! generally accept the sugges'
tions OF senators and congressman. tho
elected representatives Of tho people
In the localities concerned. always re
serving TO myself the right TO insist
upon the mans coming up 10 the re-
auirod standard OF character and capa'
city, and also resorvlng the right
10 nominate whomsoever ! choose,
n for any reason am satisfied that !
am not receiving from senator or CON
grcssman good advice. or II happen TO
personally know some peculiarly NJ
man"