Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-03-25
The Kerns Matter.
COPIES OF LETTERS SHOWING SENATOR WAL
LAcE's RELATION IN THE CASE.

COPIES OF LETTERS SHOWING SENATOR WAL
LAcE's RELATION IN THE CASE.
Prom Special Dispatch to the PhlIadeIphIa Record.
WASHINGTON, March ia promi.
nent Democrat here expresses the opln.
ion that the elaborate attack upon Sen.
ator Wallace in the Pittsburg Post Of
Monday will recoil upon the heads OF
the Tilden. Randall Barr faction, from
which il emanated. lie says the publ.
cation is made to influence the action
of the State Central Committee, which
meets at Pittsburg tomorrow, and the
primaries in Allegheny county, which
which will be held on Saturday; but
that it will fail. IL is predicted that
the Tilden forces will be utterly routed
in the committee, and that the faction
that is pushing Tilden in Allegheny
county will be beaten in the choice OF
delegates TO the State Convention.
There are said TO be many Democrats
in Allegheny county who, although not
unfriendly to Tilden's candidacy, depre'
cate these attacks upon Senator Wal.
lace, and do not propose TO stand the
dictation OF the small coterie of sell.
constituted leaders who assume TO con.
troll the affairs of the party and exer.
else censorship over individual action
and expression.
The annexed official copies of letters
in connection with the Kerns matter
speak for themselves:
LETTER or SENATOR WALLACE.
UNITED STATES SENATE CHAMBER,
WAsHISGToN, March lG, lSsO.-Hons. j.
4. Mcdonald and A. II. Garland, Sub
Committee of the Judiciary Committee of
the United States Senate. Gentlemen /
will thank you TO furnish me with copies
of my correspondence with your committee
on the subject of the confirmation of
Sames " Kerns rs United States Marshal
for the Eastern district of Pennsylvania
and, If you feel at Iib,rty to do so, with
with "A statement of the reasons governing
the committee in reporting iavorably upon
his nomination.
Very respectfully yours,
WILLIAM A. WALLACE.
REPLY OF SENATOR'S NJ DONALD AND GAR
LAND.
WAsHISGToS, March lG, 1ss0.-Hon.
William A. Wallace, United States Sem
ate. Dear Sir In reply 10 your inquiry
as TO the correspondence between yourself
and the Judiciary Committee of the SEN
ate touching the confirmation Of james y.
Kerns as United States Marshal for the
Eastern district Of Pennsylvania, We here.
with inclose you copies Of your letters,
sent to the committee, opposing Mr..
kerns.
The reasons which governed us as the
Democratic members Of the subcommittee
in recommending Kcrns' confirmation
were substantially as follows:
The confirmation was opposed upon po-
liticAl grounds alone. We made careful
inquiry ~ 10 the personal character of
Kerns, and found that it was good. We
both had been members Of the inveftigat-
ing committee before which Kerns ap-
peared and testified, and were also present
In Philadelphia when the examination Of
Of witnesses affecting his official action
was held. This testimony was the ground
of political opposition 10 him, and bad
been sent by you 20 the committee. In
careful examination of IL we found that
Kerns' conduct on election day was not
censurablc, in view Of the duties imposed
upon him by law, and our judgment was
that those duties were neither vindictiyely
nor illegally performed.
He swore before our committee Of inves-
,igation that deputy United States Mar
shals were not needed in Philadelphia, and
that he had appointed them because the
law compelled him to do 80 when applicR-
tion was made by two citizens. lie admit
ted he did not know many Of the deputies,
and fook the Endorsement Of his political
friends as TO their character. In this re-
spect he was censurable, for the character
of many Of these deputies was very bad.
This was the sole ground upon which we
could sustain our rejection OF kerns, and
in view of what be had testified, as well
as of his personal character and behavior
on election day, we did not feel justified
in reieesng him, as We would run the risk
Of obtaining n man who would execute the
law vindictively because he believed in IL.
These were the grounds upon which we
acted
Kerns came TO see us personally whilst
the nomination was in our hands, and we
discussed the subject with him fully, and
he reiterated the opinions he had previous
ly sworn TO. You did not at any time
request or suggest his confirmation, nor,
so far as We know, was there any interfer.
ence by you with the action Of the Judi
ciary committee, except as the letters
hereto attached show. 1t is not the prac-
tice Of that committee 20 hear persons be-
fore il orally, but always in writing.
We are, very respectfully yours,
J. +. McDosALD,
A. II. GARLAND.
CORY or LETTER TO CHAIRMAN OF COMMIT
TEE SENDING THE TESTIMONY.
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