The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-02-18

phone Company are waging a most re.
5lentless and savage war upon Attorney
General Garland and Secretary of the
Interior Lamar in. particular, and Presi-
dent Cleyeland-and his entire Cabinet in
general, because they have determined
to have the validity of the Bell patent
tested in the Courts. It will be remem.
,bered that during the absence of the
Attorney General last Summer the As.
sistant Attorney General gave the Pan
Electric Telephone Co. the right to bring
action in the name of the government
against the Bell Telephone Company, to
test the validity ofits patent under the
laws of the United States, on the ground
Of fraud and deception in the obtaining
Of letters patent by the Bell Company.
SAs soon as Mr.. Garland returned to
Washington he revoked the permission
to use the name of the government in
the suit, because he vas interested in the
Pan Electric Company as stockholder
and general counsel, and did not think
his department Of the government should
therefore grant the permission. There.
upon the matter was referred to the Sec
retary Of the Interior, whose department
has charge Of patents, and upon full
investigation, Secretary Lamar has
recommended that permission be granted
to bring the suit, and it has been SO or
Sdered. The Bell Telephone has had q
profitable monopoly for many years, and
they are reluctant to give itup. Hence
they are now making the fight through
certain newspapers on the Cabinet per.
sonally for allowing the suit. Itischarg-
ed that Attorney General Garland was
given one million dollars Of stock in
the Pan Electric Co., without r-v consid-
GRAFTON except to control his -.usnce.
! Mr.. Garland admits getting s.ck, but
does not state the amount as compensa-
ton for his services as general counsel
for the company. It is also asserted by
the Bell Co. men that Secretary Lamar
owns stock in the Pan Co., which was
given him to control his influence. Mr..
Lamar denies that he owns any stock in
the Company, and in the absence Of
proof we take it the charge against MIR.
Lamar falls to the ground: The charge
against Mr.. Garland is not, we think, 80
fully disposed Of. TWAS scarcely the prop
er thing for q United States Senator to
accept agratuity Of so large an amount
of stock for such inadequate services, but
We must say that whatever of wrong Mr..
Garland may have done in this regard
was done several years before he became
Attorney General, and that his action as
Attorney General has been. digniied,
circumspect and honorable. Weheartily
approve the action Of the Cabinet in
ordering test of the right Of the Bell
Company to its patent. 1t is the most
unreasonable and arrog ant monopoly
in this government, and in the interest
of the people it ought to be throttled, if
it can be legally done. The administers.
ton. may be abused by the mouopolists
for allowing their rights to be put to the
test Of a full and fair trial in the Courts of
justice, but the people will undoubtedly
approve Of the test. The Cabinet has,
we think, acted with entire propriety and
consideration of the public Interests
throughout the consideration of this
case. We rather like an administration
which is abused by monopolies. 1t looks
well. The presumptions are in its favor.
It is something entirely new in the his
tory Of the past twenty years. We have
never heard of any monopoly abusing
Republican administration. 1t is, there.
fore, entirely appropriate for them to
abuse the first Democratic administra-
ton. We hope President Cleveland
will, before his term expires, puncture
many other of the outrageous and high
handed monopolies which the fostering
care of republicanism has developed in
this country, to the injury of the masses
of our people.