Mosby, John S. (1833-1916) to: Sam Chapman
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03921.10 Author/Creator: Mosby, John S. (1833-1916) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1905/03/01 Pagination: 3 p. Order a Copy
defending his actions with regard to finding Chapman a position; suggests that storekeeper may be the best position Agnew can offer.
with
1 March 1905, Washington
Dear Sam:
Your letter recd. You speak of Fount's letter to you about your accepting a store keeper's place as showing his mind is in a state of eclipse. I don't think so. He only suggested it as the best thing Agnew could do for you as nearly all the other places are in the classified service. Some very good men have been gougers - E.Q. Robert Gearns, Col. Samuel Gerkeley (8th Va.) were storekeepers in Alexa. During Cleveland's first term. I recommend him to be retained under Harrison. I did not receive the letter wh. You say you wrote me in Alabama. You speak of the place I "vacated" as Special Agent. I never vacated a place as Special Agent. ? ? not fix the number of Special Agents in fact says nothing about Special Agents. I only appropriate a ? of money to be used by the Secretary in protecting public lands. He is invested with a large discretion in using it that the end. He may employ one of a thousand Agents or none. I did go with you to see the Secretary - he was away - I gave the papers to ? with his Secretary in your presence about you. Afterward Charlie Pollard sent me a letter from U.S. district Attorney Rowehoe of Birmingham addressed to the President recommending my friend Charlie Pollard of Alabama to be a Special Agent. John Daniel and Pollard had abeen schoolmates and friends. I wrote to John Daniels and asked him to the Secty. Of the Interior about Pollark. He did not do it. I suppose he ? the Presidential campaigne was going on. I did endorse and send Roewhoc's letter the the President. There was no more inconsistency in this than my recommending at the same time yourself & wm. Chapman to be postal clerks. You were both appointed. You & Pollard might have both been appointed The Commissioner told you that you were too old. Charlie Pollard wo. Not accept the place if required to go outside of Alabama. The Secretary told me last October that he wo. ? a Special Agent serve in the State from wh: he is appointed. So that put Charlie Pollard out. I can see no inconsistency in Daniel recommending both you & Pollard to be Special Agents. But Pollard does not want it - he wo. Not leave his family to go outside of Alabama. No one of the Special Agents has been detailed to go to Alabama to continue the work I was doing. I don't think you ought to have been surprised at Daniel: preferring his old schoolmate to anybody, especially as it did you no harm. Pollard was not appointed. Danile did give you his endorsement what more could he have done? I had really forgotten that Charlie Pollard had ever been recommended to be made a Special Agent. For he long ago abandoned the idea. So John is perfectly free to recommend you. What did he go with you to the Land Office for if not to recommend your appointment? He has never recommended Pollard. If I were in his place I wo. Recommend both. I did tell you that I thought it wo. Be useless to go to the White House as Special Agents are appointed by the Dept: It is true that I was appointed at McKinley's request, that was because he knew me personally. I hear that Slemp will try to oust Agnew. I had an interview with the President last week to report on Alabama matters. When leaving I said to him "I hope Agnew will not be dismisseded - he is one of the best men in Va" I have no idea of ? more in controversial oven ?. I wish I never had. In justice to Fount I ought to say that I first suggested to him to write to you & make the offer. I have in my life rec. several fees much larger. Thou my whole years salary is now pulling down fences is not as dignified as arguing cases in the Supreme Court. I have done both.
Very Truly
J.S. Mosby
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