National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-10-15
THE TELEPHONE SUIT SCANDAL
A Friend of Attorney General Garland
Comes TO His Defense.

Soiueh 70 Detenses
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: It was to be
supposed after the close of the late presidential
election that the bitter partisanship which had
disguised the people at large with its infamous
ISLANDERS OF personal character used for party
purposes, had met with such u general rebuke
That II would hardly be attempted again In the
present era Of reformation, either to subserve
me ends OF party or any combination Of indi-
Nidlul Interests.
The attempt made to reflect on the honor and
integrity of Mr.. Garland rs Attorney General is
wholly unjustiiablc. The sum and substance
OIL the charge against the gentleman is that be.
cause some years previous to the assumption of
his present official position he had become
honorably connected with n lawful company
as It's attorney, known as the Pan.
Electric Telephone Company, and subsc.
quently TINT company having desired to
test the validity OF the patents of the Bell telc
phone By obtaining permission to bring the
suit IN the name of the United states, which
MI. Garland, rs AttOrncy-Geuerul, refused to
grant on the ground OF his being interested. he
has, consequently, committed n grivc error,
and Is charged with the maladminstration OF
MS ONCE for refusing to do that, which would
have been malieasance II he had done IT,
But II has been maliciOusly whispered that
MI. Garland, at that time, had received In pay.
the company. What II he had, was there any.
thing dishonorable in THAR Wherein then.
lies the suspicion with which It Is attempted
to cloud his reputation as an honorable man3
. suspicion, whose own hard dealings teaches
them TO suspect the thoughts and acts of
Others"
:, Let us search for the motive which induced
this venomous SANDER Did It originate on
the part OF the peopleto preserve the Depart.
ment of Justice In its purity and integrity Or
would II not be most natural to suppose that
those In the interest of the Bell Telephone
Company would not be without their Influence
TO prevent, II possible, an examination of the
validity of its patents?
No unparalleled mind can read the candid
X, gtutpmpnt nj Mr.
Garland to the President without tho convc.
ton that there was 10 attempt TO conceal any
Si t M So GG ason of the faSG This stsiemcT.
can be contradictcd. and IL true, It
e&oneratcs Mr.. Garland from the slightest sus.
picion of any completely, either as senator or
Attorney General, with the company which
only sought to obtain judicial opinion rs to
the validity OF the patents OF the Bell tcle.
phone Surely there was no corruption or
crime in this. This view Is evidently sane.
toned by the President in his letter to Hon
John Goode, solicitor general suggesting that
the precedent of first referring the case to the
Interior Department should be followed be.
fore granting the permission to bring suit. The
action taken by Mr.. Goodc Is also not ques.
toned by the President. but is was considered
safer TO conform to the established precedent
and therefore the suit was Withdrawn. simply
mat the proceedings might be perfectly rcgti.
lar, and not, as stated by the REPuBLTCAS
that rs withdrawal was "a concession that its
Mr.. Garland has cited numerous cases where
previous Attorney Generals had been employed
or consulted as counsel in causes which after
wards came before them officially, and which
were invariably referred to the solicitor general,
under the provisions of the law, In case of the
disability OF the Attorney General to act. Mr..
Garland had refused to act in the present case
and during his absence, and without his knowl,
edge, application was made to the solicitor
general, who granted the petition on the cert.
fled records the Interior Department.
The oilense OF Mr. Garland then, seems to
be, that as senator OF the United States he
was employed as the attorney for tn Is company,
and received for his services certain portion
oil It's stock, years before he ever dreamed of
becoming Attorney General Ifthis be malfca-
sance, there is not a senator who has practiced |
before the Supreme Court, from tho days of |
Clay and Webster TO the present time, who |
would be free from tho charge which mas so |
land.
The cases are numerous where judges of the
Supreme Court of the United states and other |
courts have Reused themselves, and refused to |
sit In cases in which they had been employed |
as counsel and received fees, but no suspicion |
for this reason.
on careful review and unbiased cxamlna.
ton OF all the fncts of this case, 1t is impossible
TO find the slightest irregularity or cause for |
impeaching the action or relation of Mr. Gar.
land with the Pan.Electric Telephone Com
pany, and VIII venture to say that there is
not lawyer at the bar of the supreme Court
of the United States or a judge on its bench
who. on examination of the facts, would for
question or impugn the motives aud
action OF MT. Garland, either as n senator or
Attorney General. The motive for this cutlery |
VIII, on reflection, appear patent OH Its face.
"-'Tis SANDER;
Whose edge is sharper than sword; whose
tongue
outvenoms NIL the worms of the Nllc whose
breath
Rides on the posting winds, and doth belle
All corners OF the world kings, queens and
states,
Maids, matrons-nay the secrets OF the grave
This viperous SANDER enters"
Knowing your fearless and magnanimous
Mr.. Editor, personally, as well as
journalist, | am conscious YOU would not will
mlly wrong your worst enemy, let alone cast
m unjust imputaton on u public officer for Il
supposed oi1ense under misrepresentation and
tortured construction, which; II committed ut
all, was antecedent to any of his official acts as
Attorney General
You were pleased to say In your article OF the
l2th instant, already alluded to- rejecting on the
course OF the Attorney General, that "malad.
minlstration of the Attorney Generals office
exeites greater alarm among the people and
lniiiets greater hurt upon the government than
IKE s.a,e OF thihgs IN any other executive
. This is true, and was fully exemplihed by
me Attorney General, whose name was Benia.
His decision In the celebrated Ottmau case, In
favor of returning the funds stolen from the
treasury to the accused, by which his friend
and associate in the star route cases. Mr..
George Bliss, was greatly benefited, startled
The people by the enormlty OF the act, and
backened the Department of Justice with
degradation and disgrace.
SO far as Mr.. Garland is concerned, there
need be no alarm felt among the people, for
bis whole life is without roproach, and gives
he assurance that the Department. of Justice
will be preserved in NIL Its purity and integrity,
Proverbs say "a whisperer separateth chief
friends" but am mistaken in the character
'f the President If the whispers of caumuy
'ould for moment be entertained against n
nan OF spotless honor. SAM c. REID.
GamhI linz CIuh RaiJaI