Letter from H. C. Lodge and George P. Lawrence to President Theodore Roosevelt

M.C.LODGE, CHAIRMAN. Personal. UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE PHILIPPINES Dec.18, 1903. To The President: We have the honor to return herewith the letter from the Honorable Secretary of the Interior of December 12th in relation to Mr.Arthur M. Tinker, an Inspector in the Indian Service. We have read the letter and charges which it contains with care. We are satisfied that we can meet successfully and disprove all the specific charges made against Mr. Tinker, but it will take some little time for us to put this reply into proper form and obtain all the affidavits necessary to substantiate our position. Many of these necessary affidavits are now in our possession, but there are certain others that we desire to obtain in order to cover every point that has been made. We shall be as prompt as possible in submitting to you this answer and the accompanying affidavits, and shall hope to do so imme- diately after the recess. We would, therefore, respectfully ask that no action be taken in this case until we have had op- portunity to present our answer. We trust you will excuse us if we take the liberty of adding that there is no desire on our part, or upon that of Mr. Hoar or ex-Governor Crane, to keep in the public service through political influence any man who by his conduct has shown himself to be unfit for public duties. We feel, however, that in this case an injustice is done, unintentionally no doubt, to Mr. Tinker in the charges which have been furnished to the Honorable Sec-