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President Roosevelt tells Attorney General Moody that he does not like the effect that commuting sentences of the post office criminals will have, but if Moody believes that the services George E. Lorenz provided by turning state’s evidence warrant such a commutation, he will grant it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-22
Senator Penrose’s request about the Abbeville, South Carolina post office case has left President Roosevelt in a quandary. Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou feels strongly about the case, and Roosevelt does not wish to interfere with him, but Roosevelt says that on the other hand the Senators and Representatives from South Carolina “have certainly established no claim whatever to recognition by this administration.” He requests that Penrose write to Cortelyou directly.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-16
President Roosevelt asks Postmaster General Cortelyou if he has taken up the matter of the rate the government pays to have its mail carried by the railways. He recently saw an article on the matter, and believes “we may have an attack made upon us about the railways and the mails and I should like to feel that we are armed in the matter.” Roosevelt comments that he regards Assistant Postmaster General William Shadrack Shallenberger highly, but many people who wish for him to remain in office have close ties with railroads, and Roosevelt wants to make sure that everything is proper.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-17
President Roosevelt heard from Postmaster General Cortelyou that C. Grant La Farge is one of the architects competing for the post office building, and asks La Farge to let him know “if there is any hitch.” He is glad that La Farge’s son, Christopher LaFarge, enjoyed reading his book Outdoor Pastimes. Roosevelt hopes to see La Farge and his wife, Florence Bayard La Farge, soon.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-03
President Roosevelt asks Attorney General Moody if it would be possible to send some people to Alaska to investigate North Dakota Senator Porter J. McCumber’s allegations against Alaska District Judge James Wickersham. Roosevelt mentions he may also ask Moody to send some men to Oklahoma to investigate the situation there, as Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock has taken a disliking to Oklahoma Governor Frank C. Frantz and has sent an agent to investigate him who in the past has made a “yellow-magazine report.” He does not wish these sorts of investigations to become over-zealous. Roosevelt does not wish to interrupt Moody’s vacation, but asks him to find out about these two matters.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-06
President Roosevelt tells Russell C. Allen that the a recent report by a post office inspector painted a picture of the actions of Postmaster John N. Newkirk that was not entirely satisfactory. The matter has not been concluded, and Roosevelt believes Newkirk may be reappointed but warns that it is not a clear case.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-25
President Roosevelt plans to send a message to Congress recommending the rebuilding of public buildings in San Francisco belonging to the Post Office, Treasury, and War Departments, and asks Postmaster General Cortelyou to prepare figures for him detailing the costs associated with repairing buildings belonging to the Post Office Department in San Francisco, as well as those damaged in Sacramento, San Jose, and Oakland.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-23
President Roosevelt plans to send a message to Congress recommending the rebuilding of public buildings in San Francisco belonging to the Post Office, Treasury, and War Departments, and asks Secretary of the Treasury Shaw to prepare figures for him detailing the costs associated with repairing buildings belonging to the Department of the Treasury in San Francisco, as well as those damaged in Sacramento, San Jose, and Oakland.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-23
President Roosevelt plans to send a message to Congress recommending the rebuilding of public buildings in San Francisco belonging to the Post Office, Treasury, and War Departments, and asks Secretary of War Taft to prepare figures for him detailing the costs associated with repairing buildings belonging to the Department of War in San Francisco, as well as those damaged in Sacramento, San Jose, and Oakland.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-23
President Roosevelt informs Fairfax Henry Wheelan that Collectors of Internal Revenue have an indefinite term, so if Roosevelt wished to get John C. Lynch out of office, he would have to remove him rather than simply not reappoint him. Roosevelt promises to take up the post office matter that Wheelan mentioned, and hopes that something can be done about it, although he does not like interfering in post office contests.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-03-27
William Loeb informs Postmaster General Cortelyou that the work that Frank S. Hinrichs was engaged in for the White House is nearly complete, and that he can therefore be transferred back to the Post Office Department the following week. Hinrichs performed efficient and valuable service, and Loeb thanks Cortelyou for allowing the temporary transfer. He hopes to similarly ask for Hinrichs’s loan next social season.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-03-30
President Roosevelt thanks Naval Chaplain Gleeson for his letter, and explains that the trouble with wanting to appoint William S. Cowles as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation is that there is no way for Roosevelt to do so without people accusing him of nepotism, as Cowles is his brother-in-law. This sort of situation is the same with his good friend General Leonard Wood, as well as his other brother-in-law Douglas Robinson.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-03-24
President Roosevelt will ask that John William Burgess be appointed if possible. He tells New York Senator Platt that he has already instructed the post office to reappoint Mrs. Simpson and takes her reappointment as a “matter of course.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-06
President Roosevelt tells Attorney General Moody that he would like Colonel Mosby to take an enclosed letter from Mr. Stratton and investigate the conditions in Alabama. Roosevelt does not think Mosby would need to meet Stratton, but he wishes for Mosby to meet with Judge Jones. He also says that Mosby should talk to Postmaster General Wynne before he goes, as the matter is related to the post office.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-10
President Roosevelt thanks Senator William P. Frye for forwarding the letter from Mr. Stratton, and tells him that he has taken immediate action to begin inquiries into the two postmasters mentioned in the letter. Roosevelt mentions that he has received protests regarding the conduct of William Frye Tebbetts in Montgomery. Roosevelt rates the opinion of Judge Jones about Mr. Thompson more highly than Mr. Stratton’s opinion. He is thinking of following Mr. Stratton’s suggestion to send Colonel Mosby to investigate the conditions in Alabama.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-10
President Roosevelt accepts Joseph L. Bristow’s resignation as fourth assistant postmaster general only because Bristow is remaining in government service in another capacity. He deeply appreciates Bristow’s work in “cleansing the Post Office Department of corruption.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-16
President Roosevelt informs William Allen White there has been no modification to the order or practice of the fourth class post offices during his presidency. However, he promises to get to the bottom of matter, likely when Chairman of the Republican National Committee George B. Cortelyou takes office as Postmaster General.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-02
President Roosevelt addresses William Allen White’s concerns about Representative Justin DeWitt Bowersock’s role in selecting postmasters in his district. The Post Office Department told Roosevelt there had only been one change in Bowersock’s district aside from regular routine, and the charges Bowersock set forth in requesting the change seemed sufficient to warrant one. Roosevelt asks White if he has knowledge of other specific examples supporting his claim of Bowersock’s abuse of power.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-24
President Roosevelt thanks Nicholas Murray Butler for the information about Lieutenant Governor Higgins. He asks Butler to find out, through Jacob H. Schiff, about Marcus M. Marks in whom F. Norton Goddard is interested for postmaster.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-28
President Roosevelt tells Postmaster General Wynne that the United States Civil Service Commission has recommended the dismissal of Jacob G. Bunn, finance clerk in the Philadelphia post office, for illegal political assessments. Roosevelt has considered the testimony and agrees with this recommendation, and directs Wynne to remove Bunn.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-29