The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-04
AN OFFENSIVE PARTISAN.
District Attorney HOlstein Removed to Make
Place for John Il. Lamb.

The appointment of John E. Lamb, of Terre
Haute, congressman of the Eighth district, as
United States attorney for Indiana, to succeed
Hon. Charles L. Holsten was announced yester-
day in a telegram from Washington. 1t has
been expected that Lamb would get the position
as he has been making persistent effort to get
the appointment, but it was not supposed that
the change would be made so soon. Mr.. Lamb
applied for the appointment very soon after the
inauguration of the new President, but he could
get no assurances from the Attorney general
that change would be made before the end Of
Mr. Holsteins term, in February, 1888 The only
way in which he could get Mr. Holstein removed
was On the charge of offensive partisanship.n
He has been busly engaged for several weeks in
working up evidence of this character
he came to this city and searched
.nron ouch the files of indianapolis news
papers for the speeches delivered by Mr.
Holstein during the last campaign, and in this
connection it may be remarked that it would be
we'll for some of the Democratic politicians to
give thoughtful consideration to these speeches,
from which they may learn much. Besides his
campaign speeches, which were all dignifed and
logical in character it is said that in the evidence
filed against Mr. Holstein was statement
attributing to him the authorship of an editor al
on Attorney general Garands opinion regarding
the case of Alexander r. Lawton, who was
appointed minister to Russia, which appeared in
the Journal a few weeks ago The accusation
serves to show how unfair is the course pursued
in removing officers for Offensive partisanship'
The editorial Attorney general Garland's
opinion was written by the managing editor of the
Journal Mr.. Holstein has written nothing for the
editorial columns of the Journal since the election.
Mr.. Lamb is credited with having said, while
hunting for evidence upon which to base his
charge, that this business of trumping up
charges against such man as Charlie Hostein
was distasteful but it had to be done to get the
office" 1t will hardly strike people who know
the two men that it is very consistent to remove
Mr.. Holstein from Office on the charge of offenS-
i've craftsmanship and appoint such a politician as
Mr.. Lamb as his successor.
IL have received no official notification of Mr..
Lambs appointment" Mr.. Holstein stated to a
Journal reporter yesterday, land [ know moth
ing more about the matter than l have
learned through the newspapers and on
the streets. / would about as soon have
Mr.. Lamb succeed me as any one. In my &C
quaintance with him have found him very
pleasant and agreeable gentleman. It is we'll
enough for the administration to remove Repub-
lican office-holders and appoint Democrats, and
l have no complaint to make because have
been removed, but do not think that l have
been an offensive partisan in the sense of doing
dirty political work, or insulting members of
the opposite party. l have been an aggressive
Republican. suppose, however, that the offens-
i've partisan charge is we'll understood as mean
ing simply that it is desired that you should va
cate your office for a Democrat, and, under the
circumstances, 1 have no fault to find with
that"