The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-06-17
Tho Patent OMce.-Ths Canas."iss Of the n~tissal
Whsx nailed % tho Ceu"tsr.


The National Wing of Tuesday last contained
editorial article upon the subject OF the administration
OF the Patent Office while ii was under the Official con-
troll of the junior editor OF this paper IL charged us,
while we held the office of Commissioner of Patents.
with converting the Patent Office into political engine
with keeping corps OF writers in its employment
clerks; with appTopriang own time TO political VIII
ting and political matters; and with using the power of
the Office which held TO favor and advance the inter
ests of democrats and throw obstacles in the way Of
and injue the interests OF wings, who had business
pending in the Patent Office. And many charges
of the same character the writer in the Wing preferred
against us all of which, general and specific, we pro-
nounced TO be tissue of iasehood and msrepresena-
ton, which we would show be SO in good time. We
will now make good our pledge, and prove that every
material statement, made in the article in the Wing
falsehood, fabricated out of whole CLOTH and ndea
ting recklessness and want of principle on the part
of the writer which would make him an object whose
presence would be deemed contamination and re-
proach among honorable men
Without intending 10 enlarge upon the subject we at
once proceed to our proofs We will take up the specific
and tangible fasehoods in their ordera reiutation OF
them being sufficient to show that the whole fabric is
equally false.
"Wieldng a powerful pen he (Mr. BuRkE) constituted
himself sle leading political writer of the office In
ue while he drew around him cops o, many suSas
LITTLE, Mr. SHtesRr, Mr. WALLAch AZ these gentlemen
had been editors authors and ia addition to ihem no
had always had his command, and engaged on tran.
scribng duies some lour OF SIX o'hef o' 'ne~u
writer's"
Knowing that this Statement utterly untrue in every
letter and word we addressed the following letter to the
gentlemen designated corps of writers, with the
-, IN tha ITO and
have received from them the replies which follow
letters:
Letter addressed to Msu. WiAam H. Smith, Stoushto~
| Little, and Shugpt.
WAsHlseroN June 10. 1919
GENTLEMEN. The Nltioaal Wing Of the 18th instant
charges me with having required you, during my admins
othe Patent Office write political articles or the
Union You will do favor say whether not the
charge rue and whether required or requested
you or either you, to write political articles lor the
IN or out of Office hours And aso whether attempted
huence your political conduct in any respect Also please
you knew 10 make use OF my Official
position or power to The of democrats
etam or ninre in any way the interests OF Wig; naHs
| above will greatly oblige me- .
am, vsry respectfully. your obedient servant
10 Messrs. wn. H. Smith, sroroHros. LITTLE. and
SHUGERT, clerks in the Patent Ohce.
Reply.
WASHINGTON, June Is, fs49.
SIR: In reply your of today we take pleasure in
a,tesng The naccueacy OF The statements OF the Naftona
Whtp" in the article referred During official inter
course you the Patent Othce, we never were re-
either in or office hours. political articles for the
Uion any other paper, nor have you, on any
attempted to Interfere with or influence our political con-
duct in any respect"
use OF your "oicia position power to advance the ia
democrats, re'ad nlnre way the IN
terests wings having business before the ofice we an
emphalicaly the negative On the contrary, we
believe you Just all alike, avoiding strictly and
properly all political bias the dlscharge Of your Official
duties.
WILLIAM II SMITH,
/ A. b STOUGHTON,
A. b LITTLE,
J. SHuGERr
Hon f BURKE, Editor Union.
II Letter addressed 10 the Req E Goodrich Smith.
WASHINGTON, June 49, 1919
SIR The National IVhig of the 18th inst, charges mo
with employing You, among Others write p)ticai art
Giles for the Unon white held office of Com Missioner
of Patents Will you do me the favor to Inform me In w-
ting whether the charge is true! And whether ever re-
1ued requested you p)tlcal article for
paper And also whether did also enoin and insist
that political should be carefully excluded from
the agricultural report An answer NJ earliest conVe
nience is desired. am, very respectfully,
d. Your obedent servant,
EDMUND BURKE
Rev. E. Goodrich SMITH
Ryiy.
WASHINGTON, June H. 1919
SIR. reply your note, l. That you required or
requested write ranscrbe any political article tor
the Uaion, any democratic paper, aud never did So
most strictly excluded from the agricultural report; and 1t
was
You always said that all we had 70 do gather and
arrange facts statistics OF kinds useful for all both