New-York tribune., 1886-01-30
THO DEP1RTUENTS IMPLICATED.

II
| The Sun faces the facts of the telephone
scandal without hipching. 1t makes no attempt
| to palliate the crave offences with which mem
bers of the Cabinet are charged ItpronOunces
| it to be "incOmparably the greatest scandal" \"
which has ever overwhelmed an American
Cabinet with disgrace. Ii fearlcssly admon-
ishes the President that the dismissal of the
| Attorney General and the Secretary of the In
terror must not be deferred. We were conf
dent that this powerful organ of Democratic
opinion would meet this issue with sterling
honesty and independence and without equiv
Ocation. We take pleasure in commencing It's
course and in quoting its inclsivc and vigorous
remarks
dicult for any careful thinker. accustomed To
consider the influences which rule tho minds OF inte
gent men, to understand how the present great tee-
phone scandal can pass away without compelling re-
construction OF the Cabinet Mr.. Garland, the Attor-
ney General and Mr.. Lamar. the Secretary VI the In
terror very deeply Implicated In this scandal and 1t
incomparably the grcatcSt scandal by which any
members any Presidents Cabinet have been AZ
fccted. President Cleveland Is deliberate man. and in
this especially. II Is not to be expected
that he Will net from any ha'ty impu'". But IN the
eud he will act and hon suppose that some other
man than Nj. Garland will bo Attorney General, and
some other man than Mr. Will be Secretary Of the
dent as Will he painful - every hopeful member o'
the Democratic party but necessity IA something that
has to be obryed.
1t Will be noticed that The Sun does not dis
crminate between Mr.. Garland and Mr..
Lamar, but considers both members of the
Cabinet as deeply implicated in this scandal.
Tho Secretary of the Interior has not been
charged with receiving gilt stock or with hay
ing a financial share IN these telephone schemes
but his Department is largely administered by
speculative statesmen who have dnect, per-
sOnal interest in the decision recently rendered
by him. The Commissioner OF Railroads is
General Joseph t. Johnston, president of the
Pan Electric Company The Commissioner of
Indian Affairs is John d. c. Atkins, owning
like General Johnston $5OO,O00 of the original
stock Mr.. Upshaw. Chief Clerk of the Indian
Bureau is large stakeholder. The Assistant
Commissioner of Patents is Ex-Congressman
Vance, a brother of Senator Vance. who either
in his own name or by family proxies controls
a large line of the same stock. All the influ-
ences and conditions in the Interior Depart
ment were favorable for the success of the
schemes of the telephone Spectators The de |
cision, which was rendered by the head of the
department, tended to enrich the Secrctary's |
intimate associates and subordinates. as we'll |
as lis Cabinet colleague. the Attorney General !
The department was thoroughly saturated with |
the spirit of telephone spec Ilation. In the last
resort it could be depended upon to do the |
work which the spectators originally expected |
the Attorney General to do.
There is another important point. When the |
telephone question was referred to the Depart !
ment Of the Interior it was the Secretary's duty |
to consult the head Of the Patent Office. The
Commissioner is Mr.. Mon g1mery, a criminal
lawyer, who when appointed knew little, if |
anything, about patent law The Assistant
Commissioner, however, is EX-COngresSman
Vance, who in the first session of tie XLVlllth |
Congress introduced bill empowering the At
torney General to bring suits under certain cir
cumstances for the vacation Of patents. This
bill passed the House of Representatives and
was referred to the Senate Committee on
Patents shortly after the COngressman's
brother Senator Vance, and Senator Garland
and other speculative statesmen became con-
nected with the PAN Electric Company. This
legislation was designed to effect tho secret
of the telephone ring. when, there
fore, Secretary Lamar went to the Patent
Office for advice respecting the Governments7
power to test the validity of patents, he had
.he privilege of comforting with the author of
he proposed Act, the principles of which Mr.
Garland is now at liberty to carry into practice.
The Svn is quite right. The reproach of this
scandal extends alike to the Departments of
Justice and the Interior. A reorganization of
he Cabaet Is a political necessity to which the
President must ultimately yield. The atnos-
,here of these departments is fairly electric
With suspicion. Reorganization cannot be long
deferred Investigation, meanwhile, is public
luty which neither house Of Congress can shirk
without incurring public odum