The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-01

Ex-senator Doolittle truly remarked that
Hen. Garfeld's acceptance OF $4,000 from the
promoters of patent pavement was Z" a sale
of official influence which no veil can cover.n
Judge Swayne was inacciirately inferred;
from the way in which he was cited in Mr..
Doolittles plea as the World has fully ex-
planned, to have made this entirely Just OBJ
scrvation. After our esteemed contempo
raries have exhausted their somewhat sus-
picious Indignation at u mistake doubtless
unparalleled in the annals OF journalism, per
haps they will kindly condescend to come
down TO the main question. Was or was not
the acceptance of DeGolyer's money by Gen.
Garfield while chairman of the Committee of
Appropriations a sale OF official influence
which no veil can covert" If it was, how
can they have the face to be running huck-
ster of official influence for President of the
United States II il was not, why do they
not constructa veil thick enough to cover IL :
They have tried several wells, but these have
been gauzily transparent-in point of fact
too thin.
Counsel Fees and Official Influence.
A great deal of ingenuity and patience has
been expended by mankind in efforts to trace
to its ultimate origin some proverb or aphor-
ism, which might have been much more pro.
| titably devoted to a practical application OF
the truth therein eXpressed--for truth can
neither gain nor lose from the person who
propounds it. Thus it is much less import.
ant to know whether it was Justice Swaynt
or Judge Farwell or only Mr.. Doolittle who
condemned Mr.. Gariield's connection with
| the Detiolyer paving contract than to know
whether Mr.. Garfield deserved the condem
| nation. And even this is less important thar
| the general recognition that "sale of Off
cial influence under the guise of counsel
fees, whether Mr.. Garfield was guilty of it OIL
not, is u thing to he condemned. Unfor.
| tunately. the act attributed to Mr.. Garfield
| is so far from unusual that only his nomna
tion for the Presidency has given it its pres
| ent prominence, and even the Just demand
that Presidential candidate should b,
above reproach is quite likely to be counter
balanced, in the minds of many persons, b.
the reflection that they all do it,"
1t is not necessary TO repeat here the nov
familiar story of this five thousand dolla
fee. When Chittenden, the lobhiest, wrot
to his employers, 1.-The influence of Gen
Garfield has been secured by yesterday, las
night, and to-day's labors. He carries th
| purse of the United States--the chairman G
the Committee OH Apprcpriations-an is tn
| strongest man in Congress and with ou
friends" he and they understood, if Gar
field did not what service they expected @
him. Whether he actually did render then
any service whatever beyond the essentia
one of favoring the appropriation OH whcl
their contract depended it is no less true, a
Mr.. Doolittle said in his brief:
| No counselor law, while holding high Office, hi
right to put himself In position OF temptation, and
under the pretence Of making legal argument, exei
| his official Influence upon public officers depcndci
| upon his future action.
This could not have been more true ha
the whole bench of the Supreme Court sal
it it is none the less true whether it apple
or ever was applied to the Presidential cal
didate or not.-IHH. Times.