Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-29

to let him Know WucTo = SsSS ~ -
determine whether he had any ooJectiohs
which might be able to meet
Consider the state constabularry Dill;
how long was it under consideration
cover a year. communicated with
many men in an effort to bring out what
the popular feeling was about the matter.
| That was the course followed on many
irarortant measures which l felt there
might be some doubt about. L always
felt it was not wise to pass legislation
-,ess the people favored it, or l could
convince them that they wanted 1t.
said substantially that in some of my let
ters.'
State constabulary
letter written by the colonel was
read. It was addressed to Senator Platt.
In it the colonel discussed the state con-
stabulary bill He wrote:
ut is inadvisable to pass bill that
the people do not want"
Colonel Roosevelt also wrote he be-
lieved the peoples didn't want the con-
stabulary bill and that he believed Its
passage would ALLEVIATE many Republic
cans from the party.
As To Louis Payn
Mr.. Bowers called Col. Roosevelts at
tention to letters which passed between
him and Senator Platt. in which the
name of Louis Payn was mentioned, and
asked:
did you talk to Senator Plat about
Mr. Payn?"
Il did," replied the witness.
"When?"
During the latter part of 1899 and the
early part of 1900. Mr.. Plat insisted thar
Payn not be removed from the office of
state superintendent of insurance and
was equally as determined that Payn
should not remain. The senator said to
me: If you remove Payn l have an
ironclad agreement with the Democrats
and you cannot get confirmed any man
you select to succeed him. That meant
that Payn would automatically go back
every time the Senate refused to confirm
the man l wanted to put in. l said to
Senator Plat in reply: Well, you can
! do it, but I'll keep removing Payn ana
/ so will manage to keep him out of office
about two-thirds of the time Payn was
| finally got out of the office and Mr.. Hem
bricks was appointed in his stead"
r. Concerning Mr.. MeMenken
Now" said Mr.. Bowers, ''about the
testimony concerning Mr. McMenken."
| MT. McMenken," replied the colonel,
had been recommended to me for the
head of the labor bureau. l indicated
/ would appoint him. Later, however, some
| labor men made charges against MN,
saying he had misbehaved in an election
So / decided not to appoint him. Then
John T. Mcdonald came to me and told
me that the charges were false. Mr.. Nc
Donald said he had seen Senator Platt
and not long after Senator Platt himself
sent word that Mr.. McMenken was all
right
The colonel said he appointed Mr.. Nc
Menken to some position and that he
| proved to be an efficient officer
The letter in which Col Roosevelt
asked Senator Plat to see that an ar
chitect named Trowbridge secured a
chance to bid on some government
work, was then taken up by Mr.. Bow
ers The Colonel said in reply to
questions:
Architect Trowbridge asked me to
get him a chance to have his bid con-
| SldSIeu vi IT'S he lOlu ilS lie
had no political influence. l sent word
to Senator Platt and asked that Trow-
bridge be given chance. | think
| Trowbridge was a Democrat. l am
not sure. However, l knew nothing
about his politics. l knew he was an
| architect"
| Barren island
Mr. Bowers asked the witness
whether he remembered the letters
that had been read in reard to the
bills in the Legislature affecting Bar
rem Island. The Colonel said:
Yes. l remember that bill the let
ters referring to it. 1t was a, bill
dealing with Barren island which is
located at the mouth of New York
harbor and upon which refuse was
dumped. Something had to be done
so as to make the island less often
sive. Senator Plat was interested
and bill was introduced in the Leg
lslature. l considered however that
the bill went to extremes | vetoed
1t. l told Senator Plat that if he
would get proper bill passed l
| should sign it. Then DR.. Doty start
ed to prepare another bill. Two bills
We're drawn and / wrote to Senator
Platt that these were proper bills and
that l would be glad to sign one of
them. believe one Of these bills
| was passed." \ &-.-
/ Col. Roosevelt then discussed the
commission which revised a charter
at the time of the formation of Great :
er New York. The crux Of part of
the Coloners testimony was that al
though he wanted the commission and
the Republican organization to be
friendly with each other he wanted
the commission that it had a free
hand.
DO you remember writing to the
Senator about Cuthbert Pounds who
was mentioned for the civil service
commission" asked Mr.. Boxers.
Il do" replied the witness. "I he.
lieve Mr.. Pounds was a professor i,
Cornell. He had brother who was :.
professor of law at Harvard
Held Up Appointment
Later the Colonel said he had held
Up the appointment Of Mr.. Pounds.
because I wanted to find out whether
he knew anything about civil service.
Later Mr.. Bowers asked this cues
ton:
! ssntd