The advantage of being “higher up”

Perry S. Heath sits on a “higher up” stake as August W. Machen, James N. Tyner, the Bureau of Promotions, and “Rural Free Delivery” are swept along in the current of the river. The United States Capitol building can be seen from afar.

Comments and Context

President Theodore Roosevelt’s determination to confront the recently revealed but long-festering incidents of corruption in the Post Office department involved firings, reforms, investigations, and outside help. In the latter regard, the president invested James Garfield and Charles Bonaparte with investigatory powers, and encouraged the crusading zeal of Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Joseph Bristow.

Some of the major obstructions, however, were with naïve associates like Postmaster General Henry Clay Payne (whom Roosevelt regarded as honest but not always competent) and mid-level officials. One such was Perry S. Heath, onetime associate of Roosevelt and publisher of the Salt Lake City Tribune; he was also Secretary of the Republican National Committee and First Assistant Postmaster. A clerk names Seymour Tulloch had claimed as far back as 1900 that Heath was acting corruptly, both in financial matters, and handling improper activities of Senator Marcus Alonzo Hanna.

Payne at several points impetuously defended Heath, but it appeared that indeed the latter had assisted corruption. At one point during the investigation, Heath — who had tried to blame “higher ups” for his misdeeds, and even maligned the late President William McKinley — left on a trip to Japan “for his health.”        

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-22

Creator(s)

Rogers, W. A. (William Allen), 1854-1931

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)

Page Count

1

Production Method

Printed

Record Type

Image

Resource Type

Cartoon

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation