Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-02-14
VIGOROUS DENIAL
BY THE PRESIDENT
OF THE CHARGE THAT HE usEA
PATRONAGE TO AID TAFT.
ARE FALSE AND MALICIOUS"
He Pays Particular Attention to the
Matter of Appointments of Post
masters in Ohio From March
to December, 1907.

Washington, D. C.-President Roose-
welt on Sunday made answer to
the recent public statements that he
has made use of federal patronage to
further the presidential interests OF
Secretary Taft. The answer is in
form of 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 characteriz-
ing the charges as false and mali
cious." He follows this with an anal
ysis of all appointments sent by him
to the senate for it's action to show
that in no case has the proximity of
presidential contest Influenced his ac-
ton. The president says:
! Since the present congress assem-
bled two months ago, 1 have sent to
the senate the names of all the Off
| cials I have appointed for the entire
period since congress adjourned on
| March 4, 1907, that is, for II months.
| Excluding army and navy officers, sch
| entifc experts, health officers and
| those of the revenue cutter service,
have made during this period about
| 1852 appointments subject to confir-
nation by the senate, ,164 being post
masters. or these, appointments in
the diplomatic and consular services
and in the Indian service have been
made without regard to politics; in
the diplomatic and consular services
more democrats than republicans hav-
ing been appointed, as we are trying
| to even up the quota of the southern
| states.
You quote n newspaper as saying:
1--WE are now getting daily lessons
! in civil service reform from the White
| House, which ought to attract nation
| al attention. The appointment of Taft
workers to postoffices in Ohio, and of
| the totally unfit George W. Wanmaker
! as appraiser of the port of New York,
| is now followed by the presidents re-
| fusal to reappoint good Hughes man
as collector of customs at Plattsburg'
This article is a good example of
| the accusations made by those of our
! opponents whose partisanship renders
| them especially INSCRIPTIONS and un-
truthful. Mr.. Wanmaker's appoint
ment was recommended by the three
! congressman from New York county
and by the two senators, the appoint
ment being made precisely as hun
dreds of similar appointments are
| made, and in conformation with the
custom which has obtained through
| out my term of service, and through
| out the terms OF service of Mr.. Nc
Kinley, Mr.. Cleveland and my other
predecessors.
1.-The refusal to appoint a good
| Hughes man as collector of customs
| at Plattsburg' refers to the case OF
| Walter Witherbee, and the accusation
| in this case is peculiarly comic, be-
cause Mr.. Witherbee was an avowed
Taft man.
There remains the allegation as to
| the appointment of Taft workers to
postoffices in Ohio. In Ohio / have
made 5S postoffice appointments; 27
of these were reappointments, 81 were
| new appointments, the last including
cases where the incumbent had died,
had been removed for cause or had
resigned. Generally the appointment
was made upon recommendation of
the congressman from the district. In
various cases, however, as at Maumee,
Strasburg, Bluffton, Greenville and
Leipsic, the nominations were made
upon the recommendation of both
Senators Foraker and Dick, or one or
the other.
"In four cases the nominations were
rejected by the senate. In two of
these, Dennison and Uhrichsville, the
nominations of the new men were
made upon the recommendation of the
then congressman, Mr.. Smyser; in
each case the previous incumbent had
not been giving very satisfactory SER
vice, in one instance he having failed
to give sufficient personal attention
| to the office, and in the other case the
postmaster being also the publisher
and editor of paper and various ir-
| regularities having been noticed, some
resulting in violation of the law in the
interest of the postmaster's paper.
AT Spencerville investigation by
the inspector showed that 1t was mad
visable to reappoint the incumbent,
and that Mr.. Wetherill, who had been
originally recommended for the posi-
tion by Senator Dick, should be reap
pointed. Senator Dick afterwards
withdrew his recommendation, but the
inspector reported that Mr.. Wetherill
had by that time already been appoint
ed and that to withhold his commits
sion would be a great injury to him
and would defeat the ends of justice.
The nomination was accordingly sent
in. At Wapakoneta the incumbent did
his work well, but the postoffice in
spector reported that the feeling was
almost unanimous among his fellow
townsmen that there should be a
change and Mr.. Moser appointed, it
appearing that the postmaster was not
popular with the people, while the
man suggested for the nomination was
uDquestionably the choice of the pat
rons of the Office"
Plot to Proclaim Republic Failed.