The Rock Island Argus., 1883-07-02
BREWSTER BEARDED.
Cook, Enforcement Counsel,
Talks Very Plain English,
And Intimates That the Attorney
General is an Expert Pre-
varicator.
A Threat of Suit for Siander---The
Public Debt - Treasury Fig
ures---Pensi0n Decision---
Capital Gossip.

der. He cannot sue him for libel, as the sub
iect of the alleged slander was not published
by him, but by The Philadelphia Press. Mr..
Brewster made certain charges against Mr..
Cook in a recent interview with reporter of
The Press Mr. Cook has addressed a letter
to the attorney general, asking whether he
was correctly reported, Having received no
reply, Mr. Cook has addressed the following
letter to Mr.. Brewster, as preliminary to
bringing the suit:
WASHINGTON, June 29-BENJAMIN HAIR
RIs BREWSTER, ATTORNEY GENERAL UNIT
ED STATES SIR: On the 7th inst, | mailed
you letter, of which the following is a
copy:
WASHINGTON, June z BENJAMIN HARRIS.
BREWSTER ATTORNEY GENERAL UNITED
STATES: Shiny attention has been called
to an interview with you, published in The
Philadelphia Press of May "A. 1t appears
that among other things you stated to the
correspondent of The Press that the defend
ants in the star-route cases not only used the
proceeds of their robberies to pay counsel,
but the money was expended in spiriting
away witnesses and buying up ex-counsel Of
the government and in hiring newspapers to
defend their rascality. The government has
paid for all this, It also appears that the fol-
lowing question was asked you: 'What do
you mean by the assertion that the defendants
bought eX-eounsel for the government in these
cases." to which you responded: "Imean that
J. NJ. Bosler, of Carlisle Pa, showed Mr. Bliss
his books containing a record OF payments
made by him ON account OF expenses in
CURED in the defense of these suits, among
other things, and Mr., Bliss told me that Bos-
lers books contained entries of several thou
sands of dollars paid to the law partner of
Mr., VIM. A. Cook and Mr.. A NJ Gibson, by
the government in these cases, and | dis
missed them because felt that their services
could be dispensed with Allow me to in
quire whether you are correctly represented
in these extracts from the press. You will
observe that they contain, first, strong and
plain Implication that, as one of the ex-coun-
sci IN the StaF-route cases. was bought by
the defendants; and second, positive asser-
ton that you dismissed me as one of the orig
inal counsel. will be pleased to receive an
early roply. Respectfully.
WILLIAM 4. Cook.
Your accidental position as attorney gen
eral of the United States imparts to your ac-
cusations an importance which they would
not possess if they emanated from you as
private individual, and, therefore, both pub
lie and personal respect require that they
should receive a proper denial from me.
l. 1t is utterly false that the defendants in
the star route cases in any manner bought
me as one of the ex-counsel No one of them
had the audacity to attempt it. | believe
that Mr.. Cole was for a while employed by
Rertiell. but am credibly informed that he
gave a receipt for his fee, which was turned
over to the government. 1t is presumed you
knew this fact Moreover, you were not ig-
norant of the truth that Mr.. Cole and were
only limited partners in civil cases. This in
formation you had twice from my lip, so
that your assertion was not only untrue, but
made with full information of the actual
facts
2 The declaration that you dismissed me
as one of the original attorneys in the star
route cases could not be surpassed in the
realm of bold and audacious misstatements.
On March Il, 1882, sent you written and
unsolicited resignation of my appointment as
a special attorney, On the nth of that month
you transmitted me a reply, in which You
said that my letter of resignation was sur
prise to you, and that you could not see the
necessity for it; that my retirement was the
conclusion of my own Judgment, and that
had ! continued in the cases and labored in
them my usefulness would have been appre-
'iated. 1t cannot, therefore, be doubted
hat, when you made the assertion that you
rad dismissed me, you knew it was utterly
untrue.
The intellectual and moral depravity which
tempted and impelled you to malign and mis-
represent me as YOU have done am unable tC
comprehend You probably can. 1t only re
mains for me to state that l will publish thi:
reply to Your manifestly malignant faisehooC
in the public press, and pursue any other plaT
of yindication | may deem proper. An attor
torney general of the United States cannoi
assail my professional or personal character
with impunity, especially one who attained
| his distinguished position amid the smoke Of
an assassin's pistol and possibly by means
| which reflect little or no honor on exalted
manhood, Yours etc,
WILLIAM A. Cook.
KELLoGG's CASE
| In the criminal court, argument was heart
upon the pleas in abatement entered in tn
case of ex-senator Kellogg. Mr. Bliss, fo
the government, raised objections to the sub
stance Of the pleas that it was proper matte
for a motion to quash and not for plea il
abatement.
The court seemed disposed to adopt thi
view; still Mr.. Wilson, counsel for Kellogg
insisted upon ruling upon the pleas as sub
mitted, reserving the right to make the sam
matter ground for motion to quash.
Argument was then heard upon the plea
separately.
INGALLS, SUCCESSOR.
Col Samuel B. Holahird, of the quarter
master generals department, has been ree
commended by secretary Lincoln to the pres
dent for appointment as quartermaster ger
eral, to succeed Gen Ingalls,, who win b
placed on the retired list The appointmer
will be made as soon as the office become
vacant.
TREASURY STATEMENT.
The following is the condition of I'll
treasury; Gold coin and bullion, $197, sol
SIS; silver dollars and bullion, S116, ,214, ,03;
fractional silver coin, 2S, 4S5, ,712; Unite
States notes, 81, ,44s, ,661; total 1896, ,649, ,96
Certificates outstanding; Gold, SOC, ,9ss, "a
silver, So, ,3s4, ,971; currency, 1926, 90
JULY INTEREST.
Treasurer Wyman has mailed 50, 184 checl
to pay 81, 707, ,26S interest due July l on I'll
per cents and on Pacific railway bonds.
TEE PUBLIC DEBT.
The reduction of the national debt duriI
the fiscal year will be, in round number
$125, ,0e0,99o In only one year in the histol
of our putlic debt has the reduction been
great Last year it was $175,000,000, Il
year before that it was SS4, ,000.A 400, and in Il
preceding year S73, 100000. The receipts
the year viii foot up almost 100000 ,a6
| The expenditures viii be about $250,000, ,0G
including the interest on the public del
2 which is happily decreasing every year, al
! the receipts for the year will be an average
, about s. per capita throughout the countr
. The interest on the pnblic debt now, for t
q first time since more than twenty years, dro
below 5. year for each person.
, Tbe total interest-bearing debt nc
!, amounts to about 81 1876, ,OOO,0 600, and tae ae
upon which there is no interest 1886, ,000,0o
This makes total Of 81 $40, 600 600, but a
u duction tllerefrom of tie 1920, 900, 600 of ca!
in the treasury cuts the debt down to lit
e over 81, 500, ,900, 900 at the end of this fisc
r year, or less than So per head. Of the yeal
n receipts of, say, S4O0 900, ,000 about 1896, ,00I
J. 300 will be from customs, and 100000
from internal revenue.
IMPoHrs AND EXPORTS.
WASHINGTON June 30.-The excess of t
value of exports over imports for the twei
months ended May 81, 1888, was SOC, ,3S4 ,64
# The total value of imports Of merchandise t
# the twelve months ended May 81, 1888, W
it s7211 ,06s, ,4s2; for the same period Of the pl
l. seding year, S720, ,870 734; increase, $197, Y
e The values of exports of merchandise for t
: year ending May 81, 1888, was $3.50, ,4o3, l;
2 for the previous year, $762, ,9l4, $50; increa
II s57, ,4SS 5G1.