Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-08-18
A ISLANDER REFUTED.

There has been considerable comment
in the local press upon the Presidents s
letter OF the 1st inst. to some prominent
nolitician soundly rebuking him for rec
ommending for Office an unfit person
Various names have been suggested as to
who the politician was, but by means OF
some local gossip and scandal, the name
of Don NJ. Dickinson, OF Detroit, has
been mentioned as this same politician,
and that of the Hon. Orlando w. Powers
as the appointee. There was no founda-
ton whatever for such gossip and scan
dal. but it became current, and wide IN
its circulation. The story originally
started in the New York World, the
Saratoga correspondent of that journal
having furnished it, Mr.. Dickinson sent
this denial to the World, which was pub
lished in that journal in its issue OF the
18th inst:
The statement in Saratoga Gossip in to-
davis World naming me as the western man
TO whom an alleged letter Of the President
was addressed on the subject of q recon-
mendation for Judge has not shadow of
trnth to rest upon. The appointment of
Judge Powers mot Lowe) is the only Michi-
gan appointment to Utah. The Michigan
Justices of the Supreme Court, Democratic
members of the Legislature and Others rec
commended him. [ joined in the endorse
ment. | never withdrew 1t, never requested
its withdrawal and never had cause to re-
oret it. Inever withdrew an endorsement
of any candidate, and never indorSed one
that 1 did not think was fit, or as to whom
l have yet changed my mind. have never
heard that any who did recommend Judge
Powers have withdrawn the Endorsement,
and do not believe him the candidate re-
ferred to in the alleged correspondence. 1
never had q letter on the subject from the
President. directly or indirectly, and have
never heard that he or any other member of
the Administration had spoken or written of
this or any other Michigan appointment
save with satisfaction. Judge Powers has
served one term of Court in Utah with credit
to the Department and his State.
DoN. NJ. DICKINSON.
The Detroit Free Press on the 18th inst.
addressed a letter of inquiry to Judge
Powers concerning the matter, and His
Honor replied as follows:
KALAMAZOO, August 18th, 1885.
received your telegram asking for a re-
ply to the Worlds dispatch relative to late
letter of the President to q politician re-
ferring TO me. No petition was ever circu-
lated for my appointment. No one ever
refused to sign a petition in my behalf. l
never asked any man to sign q petition for
me. never circulated a petition for my
self. This community was not displeaSed at
nv appointment, but has given me reason
to believe that it was pleased. Mr.. Dickin-
son was certainly pleased at my appoint
ment. This covers the points made in the
politicians letter to the President, and indi-
Gates that it does not refer to me. AS to the
Worlds dispatch, have excellent reason
for believing that the Administration is sat
isfied with my course. know of no charges
made against me. l am ready at any mo-
ment to meet any that may be made. AS to
being confirmed by the Senate, that is mat
ter for the future. l shall not lift a finger
to secure it and l shall let my public and
private record in Utah speak as to whether
l am worthy or not. 0. W. Powers.
The Free Press made the following COM
ments upon the case:
If prominent Senator told the Sara
toQa gossip of the New York World what
that paper publishes as to the identity of the
parties in the recent much-talked-of cor
respondence between President Cleveland
and the signer Of petition, he was either
very stupid or malicious if not both.
There is not the smallest probability that
the appointee spoken of was q Judge at
all, that title being unquestionably used as
blind. 1t certainly could not have been
Judge Powers, for, outside of the small cir
Gle of those who opposed his appointment,
there is no man in Michigan whose name on
a petition is of any value who would speak
of him as the Presidents correspondent did
in the case referred to.
AS for the attempted Identification OF Mr..
Dickinson with the correspondent who was
sat down upon by President Cleveland, that
is the weakest point of all. The style of the
letter would be conclusive on that point with
all who know Mr.. Dickinson; but there is no
necessity for resorting to that argument. 1t
is a well known fact that Mr.. Dickinson was
an earnest personal advocate of Judge
Powers appointment, and went with him to
the President. Had he criticised the ap-
pointment after identifying himself with it
as completely as he did, the Presidents re-
sponse would have been very different from
that he actually made to the person so alb
surdly confounded in the Worlds gossip
with Mr.. Dickinson.
Without the name of the Senator who IA
thered the suggestion it is not easy to decide
what the motive was IN making it. 1t has,
however, very much the appearance of an
inspired suggestion from u source inimical
TO Judge Powers or MIR. Dickinson, or both.
Since the above was in type we are in re-
ceipt of the emphatic denial of Mr.. Dickin-
son and Mr.. Powers, which disposes of the
whole story except as 20 the motive which
prompted it.
Although we have never met Judge
Powers, his career in Utah has been
full vindication OF the trust that was re-
posed in him, and complete refutation
Of such slander. Still, with all this, it
is pleasure to be able to so completely
refute the slander as the letter of Mr..
Dickinson and the reply OF Judge Powers
do. The comments Of the Free Press
will be read with interest by all. From
this time forth the matter win doubtless
rest so far as Judge Powers is concerned,
and he will return to Utah not only vim
dicated, but his fame increased and his
position strengthened.