Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-25
NOT SAUCE FOR A GANDER
REINSTATEMENT REFUSED Dis
TRICT ATTORNEY STONE.


TRICT ATTORNEY STONE.
The Republican OmciaI Greatly Mis-
taken when He Thought He stood on
Par With Democratic Mr. Benton-l
The President Wastes No Words i'd
Informing Him of the Fact.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.-The President
to-day makes public the following corre@
spondence:
PfTTsBURG, Nov IS, 1886.
non. A II. Garland, Att0rnev GeneraL:
SIR have read the correspondence beA
tween the President and Hon. NJ. K. Benton.
United states a Attorney, connected with bid
restoration to office, in which 1t appears tnas
ne was suspended from Office for his apparent
neglect OF official duties in making oampalgn
speeches: Presumably my suspension waa
SSnuereu Sro ior the same reason. desire, there's
lore' TO state the facts in my
case. made but two speeches prior to tho
receipt OF the ordor of suspension. one "A
Dutler' Sn' In an adjoining county, on the evening
OF Oct ], and one at kittanning, near Pitts1
burg, ON the evening of Oct. 2. | did not leave
Plttsburg :or Butler until near O'Clock Oct
Il anu returoed on the morning of Oct. 2.
| about 9o'clock. left Pittsburg for Kittan5
ninR saturday, Oct. ,, about O'Clock in thel
afternoon, and returned the same night. on
6oth OF the above dates the United States
Courts here were not in session, except shorH
time In the morning of each day for ordinary
motions, and l was in attendance upop thu
courts during their sittings and did not leava
the CITY upon either occasion until long after
the courts adjourned. On Oct. 10 the United
States District Court began its session in
Plttsburg for the trial OF jury causes. tha
petit ana grand jury being in attendance
from Oct. until Oct Is. / was engaged I'M
the preparation OF United States causes for
trial, and from Oct Is until Oct. 81, the date
OF the receipt OF the order of Suspension. d
was engaged in the trial of these causesl
Neither during this period, from Oct. 2 to OctI
~ nor at any, other time, did / in ANN
particular neglect the duties of NV
Office. These statements may be verified
0y inquiry OF any officer OF ouH
courts. feel it my duty, after reading the
correspondence between the President and
Mr.. Benton, TO state these facts in iustice IL
myself, ana respectfully request that the cor1
resi- ondence be referred TO the President, ii
may also add that did not think that making
an occasional campaign speech to my neigh]
bors, while not neglectng the duties OF nv
Office, would be violation of the President's
order of July 10. 1885. Very respectfully. ETC.,
WIN. A. STONE.
CLEvELAND's COMMENTS.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Nov. %. 1896.
Hoa. A. II. Gdrkdhd, Attorney GeneraI:
DEAR SIR have read the letter Of the 18Th
inst, written to you by William A. Stone latel
suspended from office as District Attorney fon
the Western District of Pennsylvania, and
the subject matter to which It refers ha1
received my careful consideration. shall
not impute 10 the writer any mischievous
motive tn his plainly erroneous assumption.
that his case ana that OF Mr.. Benton, recentlv
suspended and reinsiated rest upon the same
state OF facts. but prefer to regard his letter
as containing the best statement possible
upon the question Of his reinstatement, You
remember, OF course, that soon after the
present administration was installed, and q
think nearly year and half ago. consid-
ered with you certain charges which hat
been preferred against Mr.. Stone az q Federal
official. You remember, too, that the action
then contemplated was withheld by
reason OF excuses and explanations oe
his friends. These excuses and explanations
induced me 20 believe that Mr.. Stones reten-
ton would insure faithful performance of
official duty. and that whatever offensive par
tisanship he had justified in other circum-
stances, he would during his continuance in
office at his request, under an administration
opposed TO him In political creed and policyI
content himself with quiet work and unobS
truslon Of his political privileges. certainly
supposed his sense OF propriety would cause
him to refrain from pursuing such a partisan
course as would wantonly offend and irritatd
friends of the administration. who insisted
that he should not he retained in office
either because OF his personal adherence
to methods which for long time had
prevailed in the distribution OF Federal
offices. In the light OF his letter, and withpuf
considering his political affiliations, Mr..
Stone, when permitted 10 remain in office.
became part OF the business organization of
the present administration, bound by every
obligation of honor TO assist within his sphere
in its successful operation This obligation
involved not only the proper performance OF
Official duty, but certain good faith and
fidelity which. while not exactIng the least
sacrifice of political principle. forbade active
participation in purely partisan demonstra4
lions OF pronounced type, undertak en- for
the purpose OF advancing partisan interesta
and conducted upon the avOWed theory thap
the administration Of the government waa
not entitled 90 the confidence and respect o3
the people. There Is no dispute what
stone did join others who werd
campaigning the state OF Pennsylvania in
oppositon TO tho administration. 1t appears,
too, that be was active and prominent with
NOISY enthusiasm in attendance upon &c least
two large public meetings; that the speeches
at such meetings were largely devoted to
abuse and misre presentation OF the admiuis-,
tration; that he approved all this and actually
addressed the meetings himself in somewhat
the same strain; that he attended such meets
ings away from his home for the purpose OF
making such addresses and that he was adj
vertised as one of the speakers at each of said
meetings. shall accept as true the state
ment Of Mr.. stone that the time spent by him
in thus demonstrating his Willingness 10 hold
a profitable Office at the hands of an ad-
minstration which he endeavored to
dlscredit with the people and which had
kindly overlooked his previous 0ffenses did
not result in neglect of ordinary official duty.
But his conduct has brought TO light such an
unfriendiness toward the administration,
which he pretends 10 serve, and OF which he
Is nominally n part, and such consequent
lack Of loyal interest in its success that the
safest and surest guaranty OF his faithful SER
vice Is, in my opinion, entirely wanting. Hia
entered upon while m ain tanning official rela-
tiOns TO the administration, also renews and
revives the unmistakable Interpretation OF
their character and Intent, the charge OF offen-
sive partisanship heretofore made, and up to
this time held in allegiance. Mr..
Stone and others OF like dis
position are not to suppose that
party lines are 30 far obliterated that the ad-
OF the government is to be
trusted in places high or low TO those who
aggressiyely and constantly endeavor un-
fairly 10 destroy the confidence OF the people
in tue party responsible for such administra-
ton. While vicious partisan methods should
not be allowed for partisan purposes 10 de-
grade or iDjure the public service, It Is my
belief that nothing tends so much
TO dscredit our efforts in tho
interest OF such service to treat fairly
and generously the official Incumbeney
OF political opponents rs conduct such as Is
here disclosed. The people of this country
certainly do not require the best results of
admi minBtratiye endeaYOr 10 be reached with
such agencies as these. Upon full consdera-
tion OF all have before me / am constrained
10 decline the application OF Mr.. Stone for his
inclose his letter with this
and desire you TO acquant him with my de-
cision. Yours truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
GARLAND TO STONE.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. !