The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1908-02-15
DENIAL Of FAVOR CHARGE.
ROOSEVELT REPLIES TO ACCUSE.
TON or MAKING APPOINT
MENTS TO HELP TAFT.
FALSE AND MALICIOUS"
Declares That There Has Been No
Coercion to Secure Support for
Any Candidate-Demands
Specifications.

recent public statements that he had
made use of federal patronage to fur
ther the presidential interests of Sec
rotary Taft. The answer is in the
form of a letter addressed to William
Dudley Foulke of Richmond, Ind, and
includes a letter from Foulke to the
president suggesting the need of such
a statement.
The president begins by character
izing the charges as false and ma
~licious." He follows this with an
analysis of all appointments sent by
him to the senate for its action, to
show that in no case has the prox-
unity of a presidential contest intlu-
enced his actions. His letter, in part,
follows:
1852 Appointments Since March.
The statement that | have used the
Officers in the effort to nominate any
presidential candidate Is both false
and malicious. 1t is the usual magma
tive invention which flows from a
desire to say something injurious. Re
member that those now making THIS
accusation were busily engaged two
months ago in asserting that | was
using the officers to secure my own
denomination. It is the kind OF &c
c~usation which for the next few
months will be rife. This particular
SANDER will be used until exploded,
and when exploded those who have
used it will promptly invent another,
Such being the case, | almost wonde
whether it is worth while answering,
but as you ask, why, the answer
o shall have.
Since tho present congress assem-
bled two months ago | have sent TO
the senate the names of all the OH
GERS | 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, I have made during this
period about 1852 appointments. sub
ject to confirmation by the senate,
1,1G4 being p~ostmasters.
Non-Partisan Appointments.
OF 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 nave been
appointed, as We are trying to even
ND the quotas Of the southern states.
IN nominating judges l have treat
ed politics as a wholly secondary cor
sideration. and instead Of relying sole
" upon the recommendation of either
senators or congressman. have always
conducted independent inquiries my
self. personally through members of
the bench or bar whom | happen 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 for
merly attorney general.
In a number of other officers. chief
Iy assistants or heads of bureaus here
ut Washington. but also governors Of
territories or men holding peculiar pc
sitions-such, for instance, as that of
commissioner of education in Porto
Rico-and also in a few other cases,
notably those OF marshals in certain
of the western states, but including
various officers also here and through
out the Union, l 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 personally to
know of a man of such peculiar quail
fications that | desired to appoint him
on my own initiative.
His System in Other Cases.
There remain the great bulk of Of
ficers, including almost all of the post
offices, the collectors of customs, the
appraiserships, the land offices and
the like, numbering some 1850 or
whereabouts. 1t is, of course, out of
the question for me to examine or
have knowledge of such a multitude
of appointments, and. therefore, as re-
CARDS them l normally accept the sug-
gestions of senators and congressman
the elected representative of the peo-
pie in the localities concerned, always
reserving to myself the right to insist
upon the mans coming up to the re-
quired standard OF character and ca
pacity, and also reserying the right to
nominate whomsoever / choose if for
any reason l am satisfied that l am
not receiving from senator or con-
gresham good advice, OF if / happen
personally to know some peculiarly fit
man."
PLAYS Rim with Broken Ribs.