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Postmaster General Cortelyou refers to William Allen White’s letter to President Roosevelt concerning the amount of money required for postage. He encloses a statement from the Post Master General’s Office and a letter from Indiana Representative Jesse Overstreet on the issue.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-25
Postmaster General Cortelyou explains to President Roosevelt that he discouraged his brother, James T. Cortelyou, from joining the Postal Service and denied requests for James’ promotion soon after George’s appointment in order to avoid accusations of favoritism.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-06-19
Attorney General Moody responds to a request from the Postmaster General to review the question of who is responsible for the compensation of a clerk transferred from the Postmaster General’s department to the White House at the request of President Roosevelt. The Comptroller General, having concluded there was no authority in law which would allow such a transfer, had urged the Postmaster General to seek such an opinion from the Attorney General. Moody reviews the relevant statutes and concludes that neither existing law regarding executive powers of appointment nor appropriations for executive appointments allow the employment of the clerk in question “on detached service” at the White House. If the Postmaster wishes credit in his budget for the clerk’s compensation, he must submit such a request to Congress.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-22
Cartoon depicts President Roosevelt as Santa Claus delivering gifts to various stockings labeled after Cabinet departments. Caption: Santa Claus Roosevelt – Perhaps the little Crane boy would rather have this
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1901-12
President Roosevelt instructs Assistant Postmaster General Hitchcock to not worry about the article and reassures Hitchcock that Postmaster General George von Lengerke Meyer values his work in the department.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-09
President Roosevelt writes to Senator Penrose about the appointment of Robert John Wynne as Postmaster General.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-10
President Roosevelt thanks Charles J. Bonaparte for his recent letter discussing the aftermath of the criminal investigation into the conduct of Post Office officials. Roosevelt called it an “exasperating fact” that in cases like these “moral certainty” is difficult to achieve.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-06-17
President Roosevelt has found Postmaster General Payne’s friends to be overly sensitive. Roosevelt’s published letter approved of the investigation conducted by Payne and it was unnecessary to also praise Payne for his honesty in the same letter. Roosevelt does not understand the interview with George W. Beavers mentioned by Lucius William Nieman. He was concerned about Payne’s health last summer but believes he has improved.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-02-09
President Roosevelt would like the messenger and star route carriers to have their accounts audited and paid monthly instead of quarterly.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-01-18
President Roosevelt does not recall the post office referred to by John Clay Davies. However, he will have Postmaster General Payne make a report.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-01-16
President Roosevelt is opposed to Senator Foraker’s suggestion for Postmaster General. Regarding Judge Wright, Roosevelt needs to go over the situation with Senator Foraker and Senator Hanna.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-07-30
Secretary of War Taft relays some remarks to William Loeb made by Arthur I. Vorys about Assistant Postmaster General Frank H. Hitchcock. In a letter, Vorys tells Taft that he had thought Hitchcock was being insincere about certain postmaster appointments in Ohio, but recent information has led him to believe otherwise.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-20
Secretary of War Taft asks Postmaster General Meyer if he has spoken to Assistant Postmaster General Frank H. Hitchcock about coordinating the appointments of postmasters in Ohio with Taft’s campaign manager, Arthur I. Vorys. Taft says Hitchcock has not been communicating with Vorys at all. Taft accuses Hitchcock of working against him and fears Hitchcock may hurt him at a national meeting of postmasters.
Congressman Parsons tells William Loeb that New York City Postmaster William R. Willcox is doing his best to do justice to the men in his department. However, discrimination against “colored men” is a concern. Parsons notes that the reason he is writing is because he understands that President Roosevelt “is being otherwise written to on behalf of Guerrant,” an African American postal worker who claimed he was fired because of racial discrimination.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-07
Architect La Farge writes President Roosevelt that the post office has been provided for in recent appropriations and asks whether Roosevelt has spoken to Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou about La Farge “coming in on it” yet, likely inquiring about putting in a bid for his firm to design it. La Farge writes that his son Christopher has become an avid reader and recently read Roosevelt’s “Outdoor Sports” book, likely referring to Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-02
Richard F. Pettigrew writes to Theodore Roosevelt to recommend Marion Butler for the position of Secretary of the Interior.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-06-02
Postmaster General Payne informs William Loeb that the Post Office Department did not make any changes to the rural free delivery districts that are included in Indiana. He further states that the district includes Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Because the district is so large, there has been no talk of change.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-05-18
President Roosevelt holds a “Civil Service Reform” paper as he stands on a platform. Behind him a man holds a “U.S. Postmaster General” axe and is about to decapitate a woman labeled “post distribution.” She leans on “Delaware,” and her hands are tied by “objectionable and obnoxious” rope. Meanwhile, John Edward Charles O’Sullivan Addicks—”the gas man”—holds a “spoils” basket, preparing to collect the postmistress’s head.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-09-11
Uncle Sam mails a letter that reads, “To the President, Washington, D. C. Say, Mr. President, isn’t it about time to bounce the man who just laughed? Respt. Uncle Sam.” Caption: “Say that you asked the Postmaster-General about it, and that he just laughed.” Postmaster-Genl to the Press. May 1st, 1903.
The statement by Postmaster General Henry Clay Payne about his management of the burgeoning Post Office scandal, and the words on Uncle Sam’s postcard, are reasonable representations of details anent the scandal. Charles Green Bush’s cartoon in the partisan (Democrat) New York World actually shows restraint despite the frustration.
Payne’s quotation, in the cartoon’s title, illustrates one of the many factors President Theodore Roosevelt juggled during this crisis. Payne was thoroughly honest in Roosevelt’s estimation — indeed, neither he nor Roosevelt were ever hinted to be involved in the long-running trails of corruption in the department — but Payne frequently was naïve in his dealings, especially with the press.
Postmaster General Meyer addresses the New England Postmasters’ Association outlining policy proposals which he intends to give to Congress. His chief proposals are an expansion of the rural delivery system, an adjustment of parcel rates for domestic and international shipping, and the implementation of a postal banking system.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-10-12