Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-11-26

to DO with Renton's-ihe ohctal Cor
respondence.
WASHINGTON CITY, Nov. 26-The fol
lowing correspondence relative 10 the case of
William A. Stone, the suspended district at
torney for the Western district of fennsyl- |
vania Was maie public Wednesday alter
noon:
PuTsBURG, Nov. IS, 1SS6.-HON, A. h.
GARLAND, ATTORNEY GENERAL.-SIR: l
have real the correspondence between the
president and Hon. Nj L. Ben,on, United
States attorney, connected with has restora-
ton 10 Uiiice, in which 1t appears that he
was suspended from office for his apparent
neglect of official duties IN making campaign
speeches Presumably my suspension was
ordered for the saule reason ,,eslre there
fore to state tue lacts IN my case l made
but two speeches prior to the receipt of the
order OF suspension--one at Butler in an adj
joining county on the evening of Oct i, and
one at kittanning, a town near to Pitts
burg, on the evening Of Oct 2. did not
leave Pittsburg for Butter until nearly
O'Clock Oct. /, and returned on the morning
of the 2nd of Oct abou y o'clock. left
Pittsburg for kIUtannlhs Saturday, Oct. z,
about O'Clock p. H., aIn. returned the same
night. Upon bo;h OF the above dates the
United States courts here were not III session
except short time in the morning of each
day Tor ordinary movions. was IN at
tendance upon the courts during their
sittings, and did not leave the city upon
either occasion until long after the courts
had adjourned.
On Oct. 18th, the United States district
court began its sessio., ~ iitts.uis Ior the
trial of Jury cas- :, = pitt All. Grand jury
being in attenda lce From Oct. until Oct.
Is i was engaged in the preparation of
United States causes for tria, and from Oct.
10 until Oct p, the daie vi the receipt of
the order of sus, .4n,ion, / was engaged in
the trial Of these causes. Neither during
this period from Oct. 2 to Oct. y, nor at any
other time, did l i'll any particular neglect
the duties OF my office. These statements
may be verified by inquiry of any officer of
our courts.
/ feel it my duty, after reading the cor
respondence between lhe Hr'sileEt and Mr..
Benton, to state thesr .acts ia justice tn my
self, and respectfully request tLat this com
| munication be referred TO the president
| may also add that I dG,. NOT think thai max
ing an occasional ampalgn speech to my
neighbors, while not neglectmg the duties OF
my office, would be violation of the presi-
dents order of July 10, 1855. Very respect
| fully, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM 4. STONE.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Nov %, 1856 -HoN
| A. h. GARLAND, ATTORNEY GENERAL DEAR
| SIR have rtd the leItrr OF the 18th inst
| written to you by William A. Stone, lately
| suspended from Office as district attorney for
| the western district OF fennsy lyana and the
| subject matter to which it refers has received
/ my careful consideration. shali not lmpute
| to the writer any misc hievous motive i'll his
| plainly erroneous assumption that his case
| and that Of NJ. Z Benton, recently suspended
| and reinstated, rest upon the same state If
| facts. nut prefer IL regard tbs letter as con-
| tanning th- bes, statement possible upon the
| question Of his reinstatement
| y ou rember, OF course tnat soon after the
| present administration was lnstai el-and
| think nearly a year and hat ago-I con-
| sIdered with you certain charges which had
| been preferred against Mr.. Stone as fed
| era! official. You remember, too, that the
| action We then contemplated was withheld
| by reason of the excuses and explanations Of
| lis friends. These excuses and explanations
| induced me to believe thai Mr.. Stones reten-
| ton would insure faithful performance of
official duty; and that whatever offensive
| partiSl nshIp he had deemed juStihable in
| other circumstances, he would during his
| continuance in office at his request, under an
| administration opposed to him in political
creed and policy, content himself with a
quiet and unobtrusive enjoyment of his po-
| ht1cal privileges / certainly supposed that
| his ~en-e OF propriety would cau-,. him to re-
traln from pursuing such part san course as
| would wautOnly offend and ilrl;auu he frieuts
| OF the administration who It's -.eu that lie
| should mol be retained IN ,!'i ,,. ,ither be
| cause ot his personal merit. or la adherence
| to the methods which for a .ung time had
prevailed in the distribut.us. ot federal
| offices.
In the light Of better system, and with
out considering his political Affiliations Mr.
Stone, when permitted to Remain III office,
became part of the business organization
| OF the present administration, pound by every
| obligation OF homer 10 assist within his sphere
| IN Its successful operation THIS obligation
| involved not only the proper Performance OF
| official duty, but certain good faith AMI
fidelity which, Vhlle not exit,ihg the least
sacrifice OF political prlncipl', Ior hade active
| participation IN pu ely pal t.san demOnstra-
| tons OF pronounced type. undertaken fol
| the purpose of advancing partisan Interests
and conducted upon the gvowei theory that
the administration of the government was
not entitled to the conf lence and respect OF
the people There is Ho dispute whatever
concerning he fact that MIR Stone did ioin
others who were campaigning the state of
| Pennsylvania in opposition to the ad1ninis-
tratlon. 1t appears, too, that he was active
and prominent with noisy enthusiasm in at
tendance III on at least two large public meet
ings; that the speeche' at such meetings were
largely deN nied to the abuse and mlsrepre-
sSHbaLitb va tLt aAilliIliSlIdblDI. liIdJ lit
approved all this and actually ad-
dressed the meetings himself ia some
what the same strt-in that he &. ten led
such meetings away from his llolne for the
purpose of making such addresses ana that
he was advertised as one of the speakers at
each of said meetings [ shall ACCEPT as true
the statement Of Mr. Stone that the time
spent by him III thus demonstlutia5 : his will
lngness to hold profitable C;lice at the
hands of an ministration winch be en-
deavored TO discredit with the p-o lie, ana
which had kindly overlooked h,S previous
offenseS, dld NOT result in the Neglect of or
dInary official duty. But his condnct has
brought 10 ght such an unfriendiineS,
toward the administration which b
pretends to serve, and o. which he is nom.
lnally l'art, and such consequent lack OF
loyal interest in its success, ,ha tie safest
and surest guaranty of his faith vi service /.
In my opinion entirely wanting HIS course.
In itself such as should not hav teen en-.
tered upon while maintaining ofiictai ra!a-
tlons to the administration, also rsll. ~ and
revives with upmistakabie Interpretation OF
their character and interest, the charges OF
offensive partsanship heretofore made, and
up to this time held in allegiance.
Mr. Stone and others of like disposition
are not to suppose that party lines are so far
obllterated that the administration Of the
government is to be trusted, in places high
and low to those who aggressiv ively and con.
stantly endeavor, unfairly, to destroy the con.
hdence OF the peonla IN the party responsible
for such administration While vicious mar
tisan methods should hot be allowed for par
tisan purposes to degrade or injure the pub.
lie service, it is my belief that nothing tends
to discredit our efforts, in the interest OF
such service, to treat fairly and generously
the official incumbency Of political oppo.
nents, as conduct such as is here disclosed
The people of this country certainly do not
require the best results of administrative en-
deavor to be reched with such agencies as these
Upon full consideration of all have he
fore me, am constrained to decline the ap
plication OF Mr.. Stone for his reinstatement
/ enclose his letter with this, aud desire yo,
to acquaint him with my decision
| Yours truly, GROVER CLEvLrANp
Where The Bonds Are Owned.
WASHINGTON CITY, Nov. 26 In his an
nual report Gen R'secranz, Register Of th,
treasury, says that Of the entire amount 0
| !