Your TR Source
At the request of President Roosevelt, Presidential Secretary Benjamin F. Barnes encloses a letter from William Allen White and requests a confidential report on the matter discussed.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-07-14
William Loeb asks Postmaster General Payne to verify the figures on the enclosed memorandum and return it to President Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-10-24
At the direction of President Roosevelt, George B. Cortelyou encloses a communication and requests a report regarding the postmastership at Wilmerding, Pennsylvania.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-03-12
President Roosevelt wants every effort to be made to secure convictions in the Post Office cases. He considers these cases second only to the Northern Securities case in terms of legal work. Roosevelt would like Attorney General Knox’s personal oversight of these cases, or at least some supervisory care.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-10-07
Draft of a memorandum which reviews the investigation into the Post Office Department, including a list of employees who were dismissed.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-11-24
President Roosevelt hopes that the full report can be combined with his memorandum sometime in October. Roosevelt will be returning to Washington on September 28 and will meet with Henry C. Payne as soon as it is convenient.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-09
President Roosevelt’s letter to Charles Bonaparte includes an enclosure from Warfield and Mr. Roosevelt advises he would like to discuss the Post Office cases with him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-11
President Roosevelt has received the letter regarding the complaint of the Civil Service Reform Association. He has written to Civil Service Commissioner Alford Warriner Cooley to find out about the classification of the fourth class post offices. Roosevelt will take up all the cases with Henry C. Payne when he returns to Washington.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-11
President Roosevelt finds Charles J. Bonaparte’s and Holmes Conrad’s report on the charges against Seymour Wilcox Tulloch to be damaging. It shows that the practices under Perry S. Heath, the First Assistant Postmaster General, were “reprehensible.” Roosevelt calls Postmaster General Payne’s attention to the report’s conclusions which state that the conditions have existed for two or three years. Joseph L. Bristow’s inspectors should be able to state definitely what has been going on.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-15
President Roosevelt will be greatly surprised if Senator Cameron is guilty but leaves the matter in the hands of Charles J. Bonaparte, Holmes Conrad, and the Department of Justice. He simply wants “exact justice” to be done. Roosevelt does not believe that the Civil Service Commission meant for the fourth class postmasters to be classified. If they did, Roosevelt’s signature was acquired through subterfuge. They had agreed that such classification was impossible and undesirable at present.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-18
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Bristow, with the assistance of the District Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, is currently investigating charges connected to the Post Office Department. Due to their other important public duties, his office is finding it difficult to find the time necessary to prosecute these cases. President Roosevelt suggests detailing additional staff from the Department of Justice or hiring special assistants for the Post Office cases.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-06-22
Postmaster General Payne selected Assistant Postmaster General Bristow to investigate the matter regarding Mr. Rand. President Roosevelt would like Bristow’s report and the preliminary report of Charles J. Bonaparte and Holmes Conrad by August.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-06-25
President Roosevelt advises that an unnamed postmaster be reprimanded for his comments regarding Congressman Hildebrand (probably Charles Quinn Hildebrant) and requests an investigation into the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-06-25
President Roosevelt asks if it would be safe to give a denial of a New York Sun story about the “scandalous mock celebration of the Fourth in the Department.” An Assistant Postmaster General should investigate the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-07-13
President Roosevelt would like Oliver E. Pagan to be thanked for his admirable work and requests several different memoranda from Assistant Postmaster Bristow to go along with his report. “All possible diligence” should be used to collect the information on Perry S. Heath’s case so that it can be submitted to Charles J. Bonaparte and Holmes Conrad.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-08-03
President Roosevelt would like the report on Assistant Postmaster Bristow’s investigation submitted to Charles J. Bonaparte and Holmes Conrad so that their opinions can be taken on further avenues of investigation. Roosevelt has been pleased with the “evident thoroughness of the investigation thus far.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-08-06
Benjamin F. Barnes confirms receipt of George E. Green’s letter to President Roosevelt and states he will discuss the matter with the Post Office Department.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-08-15
President Roosevelt encloses a letter from ex-Postmaster General Smith, regarding graft in the supplies. He asks if Joseph L. Bristow has noticed this issue and requests statistics for 1902 to compare to Smith’s figures of 1898.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-08-18
President Roosevelt instructs Postmaster General Payne to remove John W. Pettit but advises that no action should be taken regarding S. Davies Warfield until further notice. Secretary of Commerce and Labor George B. Cortelyou should be consulted on the situation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-08-19
President Roosevelt’s opinion has changed after viewing the papers in the Warfield case. Roosevelt would like Postmaster General Payne and Charles Henry Robb to interview Warfield, explain the gravity of the offense, and see if Warfield has anything to say.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-08-22