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Show HEATH REPLIES TO TULLOCH CHARGES; HIS STATEMENTS DENOUNCED AS LIES sltlon or retained any one In any position posi-tion at any time with any sort of notion or idea that he or Fhe was not to render full and honest service to the Government for the pay received. The Intimation that there was an "honorary roll," upon which persons were placed for political or personal per-sonal or other purposes than good ser vice, is a pure Invention. It Is a He out of the whole cloth, as ar more of the imputations of Tulloch. If any persons were so appointed or retained it was through their own dishonest designs. There was a period extending over many (Continued on Pase 9.) WASHINGTON, June 2. Postmaster-General Payne today made public the letter of former First Assistant Postmaster-General Perry ' S.s Heath, In reply to charges made by W. S. Tulloch of this city, formerly cashier of the Washington city postoffice. The letter follows: Salt Lake City. Utah. May 25, 1303. To Hon. H. C. Payne, Washington, D. C: My Dear Mr. Payne: I thank you for your courteous letters of the 19th and 30th instants, sailing my attention to certain assertions of one W. 8. Tulloch, ex-cashier of the Washington postoffice, and alxo the statement of a Mrs. Winans. formerly of Ohio, who is quoted as saying that she was carried upon the rolls of the postof-ce postof-ce with the understanding that she was not to render service to the Government. Hade Herself a Nuisance. If Mrs. Winans did not render services equivalent to the compensation she received, re-ceived, her superior officers were deceived. de-ceived. I did not know the woman when she was appointed and had no personal interest in her. Her name was among a large number always on my desk and I recall that she was well recommended for a position. I did not and could not -attempt to personally ascertain whether persons per-sons appointed to positions in postoffices rendered service satisfactorily. I do remember re-member that this woman became a nuisance nui-sance about the Postoffice department and that I refused to see her. She was reported re-ported to me by my chief clerk as being persistent In her demands for promotion or more desirable work. She at least pretended pre-tended to my chief clerk, so he reported to me, to perform services warranting promotion or better compensation. FacesNAll Responsibility. By the same token, upon the same line of comment employed by Tulloch. nearly if not quite all of the transactions of the executive departments In Washington could be called into question and Improper Im-proper motives could be assigned. Necessarily, Neces-sarily, I could not follow the details of the work of postoffice clerks; I was compelled com-pelled to trust my subordinates and rery on postmasters, We had a change of administration, ad-ministration, a War, the Americanizing of immigrants or foreigners and. the taking over of vast expanses of new territory. But I mastered ns many details as possible possi-ble and I proudly hold myself responsible responsi-ble for all that I dtd. for the humble part I took in the work of the department.' , X never appointed any person to any.pc- Heath's Reply. (Continued from page 1.) ' i months when many more men were demand! de-mand! for service in Cuba, Porto Rico and at military camps in our country than we could supply.. We drew through larger postofflces for men from classified service, receiving many, but when responses re-sponses from postoffices ceased to be sufficient suf-ficient we- drew names from applications out of the classified service and conscientiously conscien-tiously selected those whose capability and character, we deemed best In this hurried work of appointments, hurried dispatch dis-patch of men and materials for the scene of action, some mistakes were of course made, but these things occur and will so long as men live. Vouchers for All Expens. ' I made a' visit to Porto Rico, whenthe Spanish form of postal service was taken over, and placed under our system. I did not seek the trip, and never made a more disagreeable one or one where I rendered better service or made more sacrifice. For every dollar expended vouchers were rendered ren-dered and accordingly made. I made a trip to the Pacific slope, I believe, In the spring of 1898, In connection with conditions condi-tions existing in postofflces at Portland, Trcoma and Seattle Incident to the handling han-dling of the Alaskan mails and local congestions, con-gestions, for which a strict accounting was made. Possibly Tulloch did not deem these trips necessary, but I doubt If he had the slightest conception for what they were made or what was done upon them. There are two personal references to me in the Tulloch assertions that I desire to mention briefly, and the others I will pass over as unworthy of mention or for reply from those who have had later access to the official records, for these Incidents occurred oc-curred four or five days ago. Complaint Against Gilmer. Complaints were made to me by clerks In the Postoftlco department or to the auditor for the treasury that an employee of, the latter, named Gilmer, frequently entered their rooms and in a surly, offensive of-fensive and peremptory manner demanded records and carried them 'away without leaving aj receipt, or simply helped hlm-stlf hlm-stlf and when receipt was rejuested r.nubbed the clerk making the request. I was ask'd by our clerk to request and did request of treasury official that Gilmer be Instructed to act like n. gentleman, and to protect clerks in the Poatofilca department depart-ment by leaving receipts for all records taken by him from the depaitmerr. A misplaced mis-placed document would necessarily place censure on trs responsible clerk," If. Indeed, In-deed, not a charge of dishonest v. What purpose Gilmer had in carrying these records rec-ords from the department I do not pretend to say. This Incident had no connection with Gilmer's work as auditor. Displacement of Tulloch. The other reference relates to Tu'.loeh's displacement from the position of cashier cash-ier in the Washington postofflee. The first distinct recollection I have of Tulloch Tul-loch was shortly after the Induction of Postmaster Merritt and the appointment of a new cashier. A number of Tulloch's friends called upon me singly, and asked me to Intercede for his reinstatement. After Af-ter I had steadily declined to make any concession one or two men called and advised ad-vised me as a matter of protection to have him reinstated. I whs advised that Tulloch had been collecting evidence of improprieties In the postofflee and if he were nut, reinstated he would expose them, that I would be made to suffer and McKinley's administration would be scandalized. scan-dalized. I remember to have stated to one of these importunate friends that I could not conceive how an honest and conscientious conscien-tious employee of the Government would want to remain In a position where wrong was being done, much less reinstated under un-der such conditions, and that as he had been a sworn officer of the Government and had not to rrly knowledge reported these alleged irregularities, I would not and could not In conscience recommend him for any position. Refused to Pay Price. This is the matter to which you now call my attention and was then at the Instance In-stance of Tulloch published in newspapers In Washington and elsewhere and then fully answered. ' The men against whom allegations were directed had refused to pay the price of the proposed secrecy. If there is any specliic Information that I can give you or any service that 1 can render you in any way in collecting facts bearing upon any transaction within the bureau over which I presided until about three years ago, I shall be glad to serve you. Thanking you for courtesy and with best wishes, yours, faithfullv, PERRY S. HEATH. |
