United States. Post Office Department

Letter from Alford Warriner Cooley to William R. Willcox

Civil Service Commissioner Cooley applauds Postmaster Willcox on how he has applied an Executive Order regarding federal employees’ participation in political activities, in the administration of the New York Post Office. When the Civil Service Commission ruled regarding Collin H. Woodward, it simply expressed that Woodward had not violated Civil Service laws. The Commission has no jurisdiction to determine whether Woodward may have violated the Executive Order, to which Willcox has made reference. Cooley finds Woodward’s candidacy for district leadership to be inappropriate and its effect on the civil service demoralizing.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-04

Letter from William H. Moody to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General William H. Moody suggests that President Roosevelt might consider commuting the sentence of George E. Lorenz, a man who served as a witness for the government in the case against August W. Machen, Samuel A. Groff, and Diller B. Groff.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-21

Note from William Loeb

William Loeb has directed Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou to wait to confirm the appointment of William R. Thomas for postmaster in Niles, Ohio, until receiving direction from President Roosevelt. Congressman William A. Thomas (no relation), who has proposed the appointment, is “greatly agitated over the Post Office case.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-12

Letter from Booker T. Washington to Theodore Roosevelt

Booker T. Washington writes President Roosevelt about the Cox family, specifically Wayne Wellington Cox of Indianola, Mississippi. Washington notes that the white residents of Indianola are accepting of Cox as a banker while a disturbance was made over his family’s involvement in the post office. Washington is most likely referring to Minnie M. Cox, and the petition by some of the white residents of Indianola to have Cox resign her position as postmaster of the town.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-19

Note about F. S. Hinrichs

The writer states F. S. Hinrichs has done excellent work in the post office. The writer recommends promoting Hinrichs to a higher paying clerk position in the office of the assistant attorney general.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-09

Letter from Robert John Wynne to William Loeb

Postmaster General Wynne writes to William Loeb regarding a Washington Post article that addresses Wynne and President Roosevelt’s involvement in the proceedings against George W. Beavers, Chief of the Salaries and Allowances Division of the Post Office Department. Wynne explains his role in the matter and asks Loeb to show Roosevelt a memo Wynne has written in Roosevelt’s defense.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-03-01

Mr. Wynne and the president

The writer comments on statements attributed to Robert John Wynne regarding President Roosevelt’s involvement in the proceedings against George W. Beavers, a former employee of the post office who was convicted of conspiracy. The article suggests that, as Wynne has a very good reputation, his recent statements were likely misreported, or there are some facts of the case that are not yet clear to the general public.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-03-01

Letter from John F. O’Brien to Theodore Roosevelt

New York secretary of state John F. O’Brien fears that his interest in Daniel W. Moran has caused the hostility from Justin B. H. Mongin, and explains the circumstances surrounding Mongin’s resignation as First Deputy Secretary of State for New York.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-12-06

Letter from Charles Henry Robb to William H. Moody

Assistant Attorney General Robb submits his final report regarding Charles Hedges, superintendent of city free-delivery service for the Post Office Department, and explains why Hedges was removed from the position.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-12-06

Letter from George B. Cortelyou to Theodore Roosevelt

Postmaster General Cortelyou sends President Roosevelt a letter from the Grand Master of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers, John J. Hannahan, about a possible position for A. P. Kelly. Cortelyou draws Roosevelt’s attention to the last paragraph of Hannahan’s letter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-20

Letter from Eugene A. Philbin to William Loeb

Eugene A. Philbin would like to meet with President Roosevelt to discuss the New York City post office strike. Philbin has already met with Postmaster William R. Willcox who he says is “abundantly able to take care of the situation.” However, Willcox suggested that if Philbin were able to meet Roosevelt he should discuss the matter with him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-23

Letter from Fairfax Henry Wheelan to Theodore Roosevelt

Fairfax Henry Wheelan describes the abuses of political office and federal employment currently occurring in San Francisco, California. Wheelan discusses the obstacles to removing Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz from office.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-13

Letter from John A. Sleicher to Theodore Roosevelt

John A. Sleicher believes that if the state of New York is to be saved from corruption and government scandal, President Theodore Roosevelt will have to do it. American people object to the levying of war taxes in a time of peace. Sleicher hopes to talk with Roosevelt when Roosevelt has some time.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-15

Letter from Richard F. Pettigrew to Theodore Roosevelt

Richard F. Pettigrew writes to Theodore Roosevelt to recommend Marion Butler for the position of Secretary of the Interior.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-02

Letter from George B. Cortelyou to William Loeb

Postmaster General Cortelyou writes to William Loeb about a letter from Charles Hedges, a former Post Office employee who was removed during the investigation of a Post Office scandal in 1903. Cortelyou notes that the charges against Hedges were justified. In a review of the investigation findings, Cortelyou describes how Hedges falsified pay documents, and used the influence of his office to induce postmasters and other postal employees to buy stocks in mining schemes in which he had interests.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-05-12

Letter from Charles Hedges to Theodore Roosevelt.

Charles Hedges writes about his dismissal from his position as a supervisor in the Post Office by Joseph Bristow. Hedges was accused of fraud for taking a per-diem during work related travel. Hedges’ name appeared in a memo listing corrupt employees and that list has also been published in a newspaper. Hedges has previously sent considerable documentation to Theodore Roosevelt to prove his innocence. He is once again asking Roosevelt to look into the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-22

Letter from Booker T. Washington to Theodore Roosevelt

Booker T. Washington writes to President Roosevelt including a newspaper clipping from the Montgomery Daily Advertiser. Washington notes that the newspaper clipping shows the appointment of a recommended postmaster and believes that Alabama will meet and even surpass the “Mississippi Standard.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-14

Letter from John B. Brownlow to Theodore Roosevelt

John Bell Brownlow explains to President Roosevelt how he came to be the representative of the Post Office Department on the U.S. Government Board of Management of several expositions. After serving well, Brownlow suddenly learned that then-Postmaster General Henry C. Payne was displeased with his work due to false statements against him. Brownlow was subsequently investigated on his own request to prove the falseness of the statements against him, but while the investigations seem to have vindicated him he has been negatively impacted by being excluded from the Portland board. He asks Roosevelt to consider the matter and review the inspections, which show that his record is clean.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-28

Memorandum from William Shadrack Shallenberger to Robert John Wynne

Second Assistant Postmaster General Shallenberger sends Postmaster General Wynne a memorandum regarding the establishment of mail service on the electric car line between Watertown, New York, and the nearby village of Dexter, New York. A prior report, made in the spring, had said that improvements were being made on the line, and that the operating company did not wish to carry mail until after the improvements were completed, likely by fall. A petition reopening the matter has been received, Shallenberger states that while an updated report on the status of the line has not yet been received, the case will be given prompt attention.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-25

Deposition of Jacob G. Bunn

Jacob G. Bunn provides a deposition regarding charges that he solicited money for campaign purposes while employed by the United States Post Office in violation of Civil Service Rules. Bunn denies the allegations that he solicited money, and says that while he had previously served as Chairman of the Finance Committee for the Ward Executive Committee of the Twenty-eighth Ward of Philadelphia, he was unaware that this was a violation of the Civil Service Rules. Once this violation was brought to Bunn’s attention, he immediately resigned from the Ward Executive Committee.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-27