Your TR Source
President Roosevelt encloses a letter from James Sullivan Clarkson that Roosevelt believes “shows a rather good spirit.” In the letter Clarkson declares his intention to follow civil service principles in the administration of his office.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-05-10
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt thanks Lee Roosevelt and will happily receive the records. However, all positions are under the civil service law.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1897-05-03
Senator Dixon reports that the delegates from the North Carolina Republican state convention have been instructed to vote for Theodore Roosevelt. The convention also passed a resolution chastising President Taft for violating civil service regulations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-05-17
Glenway Maxon encloses a pamphlet on referendums and hopes to know Theodore Roosevelt’s views on state-wide obligatory referendums.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-05-02
John P. Gardiner recently testified in front of the Public Service Committee of the Massachusetts Legislature regarding a proposed change in Civil Service Laws, and writes to Theodore Roosevelt in order to alert him that he believes his words may have been misreported. Gardiner offered a quote from Roosevelt that “the men [of the Rough Riders] who stayed behind had a harder time,” but now fears that he was taken out of context in an enclosed clipping. He apologizes for the bother, and will endeavor to have a new statement issued if Roosevelt thinks it is worth issuing a correction.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-03-08
Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on a variety of cases the Administration has in courts. First, Civil Service Commissioner Alford Warriner Cooley is reluctant to travel to Colorado or Oregon because two cases relating to civil service law will be tried in the Supreme Court soon. Second, Bonaparte has sent a report about a scandal involving New Mexico judge Daniel Hugh McMillan to New Mexico, as the report damages only McMillan. Bonaparte has also arranged for Thomas Carl Spelling and L. Allison Wilmer to prepare and conduct cases against coal-carrying roads under the Hepburn Act. Finally, Bonaparte encloses a communication relating to matters regarding the Alaska Syndicate and the Morgan-Guggenheim interests in Alaska. A dispute between Senator Simon Guggenheim and Governor Wilford B. Hoggatt over land rights of railroads has led to bloodshed.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-02-08
Acting Superintendent Charles L. Davis acknowledges the new executive order requiring the eight-hour law to be observed by contractors or other public workers. He points out that no money has been appropriated for maintenance or improvement in Sullys Hill National Park, and so no public work is being done there.
1906-10-08
Postmaster General Payne was shocked at the clipping in the Washington Evening Star that stated that fourth-class postmasters are in the classified service, and believes that President Roosevelt is as surprised as he is. Payne had asked Charles J. Bonaparte to examine the Civil Service Act and rules and regulations to ascertain whether fourth-class postmasters were transferred to the classified service, and encloses the reply that he received. Payne balks at transferring the fourth-class postmasters to the civil service, as it would be a radical shift.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-15
Civil Service Commissioner Henry F. Greene rebuts Postmaster General Henry C. Payne’s assertion that civil service laws do not apply to fourth-class postmasters, because they are not in the “classified” service. Greene cites the civil service rules to show that although they are not hired by “competitive examination,” fourth-class postmasters are classified employees and thus subject to civil service laws.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-14
President Roosevelt encloses letters regarding Mrs. Cooper’s case and asks if she has done good work. If so, he plans on requesting that Cooper be continued. A note on the verso reveals that an examination found Cooper’s work to be “highly satisfactory” and that her position was exempted from the civil service law and made permanent.
1904-09-16
President Roosevelt advises Republican delegate James Sullivan Clarkson to take caution in his dealings with the United States Civil Service Committee, but to feel free to call on Roosevelt or his allies if need be.
1902-05-05
The writer states as United States senators were discussing excluding work on the canal from civil service regulations, the Panama Canal Commission voted to place work on the canal under civil service regulations. The writer supports excluding politics from the work.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-03
An investigation at the Philadelphia post office found that three carriers had been transferred for political reasons and the postmaster failed to answer relevant questions. President Roosevelt has written to Postmaster Clayton McMichael directing him to restore the carriers to their original routes and drawing his attention to the civil service rules that require employees to answer all relevant and proper questions.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-31
Postmaster General Payne was contacted by a correspondent of the Philadelphia Ledger regarding the McMichael case. He wanted to know if the postmaster was going to be removed in accordance with the civil service recommendation. Payne responded that he believes the case to be closed and that no further action would be taken.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-12
Memorandum supporting the simplification of regulations pertaining to the removal of postal employees.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-10-13
Alford Warriner Cooley encloses the memorandum requested by President Roosevelt, regarding regulations for the removal of postal employees.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-10-13
Commissioner of Corporations Garfield clarifies the position of fourth class postmasters within the classified service. They are part of the classified service but exempted under section 8 of Rule III. However, President William McKinley amended section 8 and made fourth class postmasters subject to a part of Rule II preventing them from using their position “for political purposes, and discriminating against any persons because of religious or political opinions or affiliations.” Garfield regrets that this issue became a newspaper controversy between Postmaster General Henry C. Payne and the Bureau of Corporations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-23
Charles J. Bonaparte believes that J. D. Cameron will need to be indicted when his connection to the postmaster case becomes public knowledge. It appears that Cameron’s political influence has given him immunity thus far. Bonaparte does not believe that Commissioner William Dudley Foulke was attempting to deceive President Roosevelt. However, Foulke’s interpretation that fourth class postmasters are exempt from the schedule as “employees in post offices having no free delivery service” should be used or these postmasters will be in a classified, competitive class. Bonaparte also warns against Postmaster General Henry C. Payne showing sympathy towards the Addicks faction in Delaware.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-21
Commissioner of Corporations Garfield writes President Roosevelt to clarify his position regarding the classification of fourth class postmasters. Under the old rules, fourth class postmasters were under the executive civil service, which was different from classified service. The new rules classified the entire executive service under the classified service but left exceptions, including fourth class postmasters, from examination. They remain subject to rules relating to political and religious discrimination.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-25
Civil Service Commissioner Greene has received President Roosevelt’s communication regarding the status of fourth class postmasters under the civil service rules. The Civil Service Commission will discuss the matter at their next full meeting during the second week of October.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-24