The Springfield herald., 1908-02-14
PRESIDENTS
Statement.
HAS NOT USED FEDERAL PATRON
AGE TO FURTHER NoMINA-
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 to 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. i.
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 It's action. to show that
| in no case has the proximity OF
presidential contest influenced his ac-
tons.
Foulke's letter, dated February 5th,
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 noml-
nation of Mr.. Taft and naming the post
offices in particular.
81 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 II 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 we'll
as statement In regard to the alleged
coercion, be the best method OF exhib-
/ iting the facts? Yours truly.
| (Signed) "WM. DUDLEY FOULkE.'
| In his reply to Foulke President,
Roosevelt says.
1.-The statement that have used the
Offices in the efforts to nominate any
presidential candidate is both false and
malicious. 1t 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
cia1s 1 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
nf ho cuttar Spryirp I
have made during this period about
1852 appointments subject to confirma-
ton by the Senate. 1,164 being post
masters. The appointments i'll 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, the collectorships of customs.
the appraiserships. the land Offices and
the like, numbering some 1850 or
thereabout. 1t is, of course, out of the
question for me to examine or have
knowledge of such multitude of ap-
pointments. and therefore, as regards
them l generally accept the sugges-
tions of senators and congressman, the
elected representatives of the people
in the localities concerned, always re-
serving to myself the right to insist
upon the mans coming up to the re-
quired standard Of character and capa-
city, and also reserving the right
to nominate whomsoever choose.
If for any reason l am satisfied that
am not receiving from senator or con-
gressman good advice or if happen to
personally know some peculiarly fit
man."