The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-24
SENATOR VEST PROTESTS
Against the Suspension Of Dlstrie
Attorney Benton.

Against the Suspension Of District
Attorney Benton.
/ WHOLESOME pi;IoCRATIc pocrRISR.
\. Y. World
| Senator Vest made very clear and
i iorcibie argument before the President
/ to day. lie showed no temper, and
made his presentation Of Benton's case
in as dignliied way as if he were max.
| ing an argument before the Supreme
/ Court. lie argued in The first place
/ that the President had exceeded Ais con
stilutional powers in attempting to limit
| the free speech of American citizens
a man who was incumbent of Fed
erAl Office could not have this right cur
/ tailed 10y the President if the Federal
official exercised the privilege at times
and hours when his official duties did
net demand his attention. Mr. Benton
had spoken in the evening. This point
was clearly and elaborately presented
| Mr.. Vest alsD wished 10 know whether
/ the Benton case Was to be a test one,
aud II the President claimed that he
had the right To curtail the privileges
! Ot - C cttSNNA 0l CGSIAk OH .laES. EnAA
he should apply the principle to every
ouiee holder VINO had violated his order
without regard to his rank or position.
/ Failing to do this the order became a
burlesque, and any isolated punishment
under II became injustice. Mr.. Vest
said that he did not know of his own
! knowledge, but he had read in the pub
| tic press reports of the other Federal
officials who had made speeches aud
had taken part in politics without re
! proof or check.
lie had understood that the Postmas
ter General had taken part in the WIS
cousin campaign and had made one or
Two speeches Ia that State. lie did not
know whether these speeches were made
during the office hours OF Mr.. Villas OF
oct. lie had further understood that
Mr. Delaney, the District Attorney in
Wisconsin, had been permitted To- put
IN resignation which freed him during
the Campaign to make speeches, anu
that alter the campaign he was per
mltted TO Withdraw This apparently
MOCK resignation and resume the duties
of his office. Mr.. Vest did not assume
that these reports were ali true, but he
had heard SO many u1contrddieted ac-
counts of the activity of the Federal
officials in political campaigns that he
felt certain that Mr.. Benton did not
stand alone, and that he either should
be restored 10 othce or others should be
punished also.
Mr.. Vest did not dwell upon This
point. lie simply used the fact of the
disohedlence of the order with impunity
By other Federal officials as an argument
| I h.. u u
| Be.aton case. He said that the President
need not have hunted up case to offset
that or Stone, who was removed in
pennsylvania. Mr.. Stone should have
been removed year ago, and for no
other reason except that he is a Repub
mean. Tue only complaints made
against Mr.. Benton's violation of the
order from Missouri came from dis
gruntled and broken down Republican
politicians. Not Il single Democrat had
written TO the President upon the sub
i-ct. OF that he was confident. MIR
Vest called the Presidents attention to
the tact that the Kansas CITY district
had elected Republican Representative
to Congress since Mr.. Bentou's removal.
Warner, the Republican had been
elected by 700 majority. This district
Was carried during the Greeley cam
palgn by 1000, during the Hancock
campaign by 4,UOO and during the Cieve
land Campaign by 5000. There are
three counties lu the district, Jackson,
Lafayette aud johnson. Kansas CITY Is
close politically. IL &teu goes Repu5li-
cdn. 1t Is Ill jackson county. The
other two counties are 80 heavily Demo
cratic naturally that they eau always be
I rr44ls ~
jackson county. Mr.. Vest called the
Presidents particular attention to the
fact that this year Kansas City elected
Its local Democratic ticket, while Mr.
Warner, the Republican candidate fol
Congress. carried Jackson county by
.4OO majority and the district by 700
lie SAID also that the candidate against
Mr., Warner, Mr.. Philips, was one oi
. the abiest men In Missouri. lie va,
Mr.. Vests former law partner. The
convention which nominated him passed
the strongest resolutions indorsing tn,
Administration which had been adopted
ia the State. Mr.. Philips iudorsed The
: Pfesldent and the Administration in hi.
speeches, end particularly his Civil
Service reform policy. lie then wen
over number Ot lhe districts in tn,
| Cet~tSt ShpNAAS Tue ESSiurub LDt
. hgures that Ia every instance wher,
candidates for Congress had indorsee
the Administration their maiorities has
been cut down tc merely nothing. IL
: took up the case of Clover In St. Louis
, Glover IS a very unpopular man il
+ the district. lie had soae of the bes
Democrats there opposed to him. Tn
. natural Democratic majority in the dis
> tr:ct IS 5000 Under any ordinary cir
! cumstances Mr.. Glover would have beel
beaten. Bat he made an out and gu
canvass as IA anti-Administration mau
and g1t through in spite of the opposi
tIon 10 him OF a personal character by
n majority of a hundred. Mr. Vest wen
over elaborately the entire situation il
Missouri.
Ii is the frankest and freest talk Nj
Cleveland has ever heard face to fac
from any public man. 1t was at th
close of this talk that Mr. Vest wa
asked il Mr.. Benton would not tax
some other Office, and it was at this tim
that Senator Vest replied, "Restoratio
or nothing" and retired.