Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-09
'MACvEACHD DENIES
- 1S E85e 4
. ANDREW CHARGES
ASSISTANT RESIGNED ONLY AFT
Err BEING REPEATEDLY ASK
Ed, SAYS SECRETARY.
CITES CHICAGO TRIP
Treasury Assistant Did Not go There
On Political but Personal Mission,
MacVeagh Asserts; Says he
Failed in Filling Office.

Lancaster, Mass, July 6.-Franklin
MacVeagh, secretary OF the treasury,
issued public statement replying to
the charges which were made against
him in the letter Of DR.. A. Platt An
drew, in which the latter resigned as
assistant secretary.
In his statement, Secretary Mac
veagh says the resignation Of DIR. An
drew was not submitted until after It
had been requested repeatedly both by
President Taft and himself. He says
Andrew pleaded that he be retained and
brought every influence possible TO
bear to have the request for his reslg-
nation withdrawn.
He says the reason for asking DR..
Andrews resignation was that the lat
ter was unable 60 carry out the duties
his office required and because he,
without permission, went to Chicago
"to gain political acquaintance, and
not, as Andrew says, to seek aid for
the Aldrich monetary plan
Secretary MacVeagh says the chief
reason that he made public his reply
was that DR.. Andrew, in his letter, had
misrepresented number of high Of
ficials in the department.
Text Of MacVeagh Statement.
i regret tildl ~ oOSAIiS l1SSSSSoAS ~
refer to the letters published by Mr.. A.
Fiatt Andrew and addressed to the
president and to me- the statement OF
the secretary says.
THE virulence Of the attack has
probably limited its effect, but apart
from the attack upon me he misrepre-
scented number Of the chief men OF the
treasury department, to whom at
tribute large measure of the success
Of the department work, and seems TO
deny that anything has been accom- :
p1ished either by them or anybody else.
/ am obliged therefore to restore Mr..
Andrews resignation to Its proper
light.
'Mr. Andrew says he resigned be-
cause Of the conditions In the treasury
department of which he disapproves. A
comparison Of this statement with the
facts is probably the simplest way TO
test the animus and veracity of his let
ters
HE did not resign voluntarily. but
was asked to resign-and asked repeat
edly-and he used every effort and in
fluence possible to get the request for
his resignation withdrawn, and pleaded
to be allowed to continue in his place.
Gives Details Of Resignation.
ut was when he had failed to have
the request for his resignation with :
drawn, and because of this, that he
made his attack--and chose to give the
matter Of his own choice and determin-
ed upon for public reasons. The details
as to his resignation are as follows:
son June "a, when Mr.. Andrew re-
turned from Chicago, formally asked
in a note for his resignation. He called
on me at once to urge me to change my
mind and allow him to stay. At his wish
explained at length my reasons and
listened to all his arguments and
wishes. I felt, however obliged to tell
him the request for his resignation
could not be withdrawn.
Il supposed Mr.. Andrew would send
his resignation promptly and as mat
ter Of course. as l had never known Of
case where such a request had not
been promptly complied with.
Demands Immediate Answer.
Il waited, however without reply,
until June %. 1 then wrote again, re-
peating the request On the 10Th Mr.
Andrew sent me q brief note, treating
the matter with vagueness. l replied
Immediately. saying could not accept
vagueness, but wished to have that day
either his resignation or his refusal to
resign. To this he did not reply at all.
Therefore, on July l, wrote
fourth time renewing the request and
communicating copy OF letter ad-
dressed to me by President Taft auth
orizing and directing me to ask for the
resignation. asked for prompt re-
ply, saying was going out Of town.
II left Washington on the midnight
train, without hearing from Mr.. An
drew, and saw in the next afternoons
papers long extracts, from two scurri-
lous letters, one to the president and
one to me- which at last conveyed his
resignation.
Says Andrew Pleaded Case.
"Meanwhile-as / only learned after
a week-Mr. Andrew had diligently
used the interval while was waiting
to secure all the influence he could to
aid him in keeping his place. Besides
aror'ng the case himself with me and
with certain senator's, and besides hav-
ing his case argued both at the white
house and before me, he argued his case
himself at the white house.
1Nlr. Andrew did not at any time
mention to me any objection to his
treatment In the treasury department.
except that he thought that l did not
give him as much Of my time as
ed other callers to be received when he
was in my room.
ION the other hand. some OF those
connected with my office--and who
were mpartial--thought Mr.. Andrew
had had at certain periods 200 much Of
my time. Certainly his curious calcu-
lation of the amount of time given him
will strike every one with wonderment.
Resents Use Of Others Names.
mo other complaint or criticism did
Mr.. Andrew ever offer. And it is hard
Iy necessary to point out that man
whose grip on his place could hardly
shake loose could scarcely have found
Ms place undesirable or his associations
"If Mr.. Andrew could represent him
self as resigning voluntarily when he
was with unusual difficulty forced to
resign, it causes no wonder that he
should, without warrant. call as wit
nesses a group of important men OF
the department. who nearly all i'm
nediately contradicted hin-and whose
immediate assurances to me by tele-
graph and telephone are among the
happenings of my official
life. No one in the department who has
lone successful work would, l believe,
ndorse any Of Mr.. Andrews state
nents.
There is nothing out of the usual in
Mr Andrews case. The work of the
.rea S1Jry deDa rtment has heer and sffIi