Omaha daily bee., 1885-08-05
REGISTER

braska writes as follows;
"a number CT persons have recently re
ouested me to write you concerning the con
tinuance Of Mr.. Morris as register in the
Valentine U. S. Land office. In fact such
REQUESTS have been very frequent during the
last eighteen months but l have studiously
refralned from having anything to do with
this sffair. Finally, | have concluded to
write you briefly combining myself to what
the people generally think about it. The
persons who complain Of Mr.. Morris, enter
tain the opinion that without your support
he would have been removed some time ago
and that you are the only efficient support he
h a now. They wish you TO Investigate mat
ters, hoping you may thereby become con
WINGED of the truth Of the charges made
against Mr.. Morris.
81 write you as much for the reason that you
are baing held responsible for his remaining
in office, thinking it may not be true, as for
any other purpose. / have no interest direct
or indirect In MI. Morris removal. But l
an convinced that the charges made against
him as to his official conduct are believed by
a very large majority of the patrons of the
Office, and that he is under the circumstance
an iucumbrance to the republican party or
any Individual who upholds him. Democrats
and republicans alike would be gratifed with
a change regardless of whom his successor
might be-"
We cannot comprehend why the people
of the Valentine land district should hold
the editor of the BEE responsible for the
appointment OF Mr.. Morris or for his re-
~tentlon In ofics. Mr.. Morris was ap-
pointed by President Arthur, at the in
stance of Senator SaunderF. He had
bsep the senator's private secretary for
nearly four years and Mr.. Saunders
when his term was about to expire asked
for his appointment as q special favor,
AT tbs time Mr.. Morris WAS appointed,
this paper and Its editor had lost their in
huence with Senator Saunders.
After Mr.. Morris had baen confirmed
by the aenate, he came home &c
look up q bond, and failing tc
get bondsmea for some time
hs finally appealed to the editor of tho
BEE to become one of the two bondsmen
required by law. The risk In this case
was no greater than that incurred by the
| editor Of the BEE when he went on the
bond of E. X. Valentine for the posi-
tlon of register of the West Point lsnd
office. This is the only aid Mr.. Morris
has received from US.
When complaint Was made by Mr.. Hill,
of Valentine, that Mr.. Morris was I'M
faithful to his official duties, Mr.. Hill
was Invited to forward the charge to this
Office. These charges, when received,
were promptly msiled to Secretary Teller.
The only endorsement made upon them
was "reEpsctfully referred to the Sec,
rotary of the interior for action
In due time the land commission mel
ordered an inquiry, but the special agent
who investigated the conduct of the Val.
eutine land off, &c reported favorably aud
the charges were dismissed. When the
first dispatch about the late scandal
reached this office by a telegram signed
by a sworn enemy of Morris, we hsnitated
to publlsh 1t. but as soon az his report
Was confirmed by letters from prominent
bu.iuess men Of Valentine, they were
freely given to the public through our
columns. Ii any we'll sustained charges
of official misconduct had bsen made
against Mr.. Morris, they would
have been published without reserve.
With the general belief that
Mr.. Morris Is crooked, we have
no more to do than we have with bis re,
london In ofics. We profess to have nc
influence with Grover Cleveland or with
any member of his cabinet. On na.iopal
issues the BEE always has been repub'i,
can, and 1t certainly can have no part in
appointment or removals under q demo.
cratic administration. If 1t has been
shown or can be shown that Mr.. Morris
has betrayed his trust az an official, the
responsibility for keeping him In offiae
must be laid on the shoulders Ct the
powers that be. This much of an ex-
PLANTATION we have deemed due to the
friends who seem anxious that ne should
Withdraw our Influence from Nj. Morris,