The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-12-02

Y
tinn.
WASHINGTON, November 2I-Thc fol
lowing correspondence relative to the
case of William a. Stone, the suspended
District Attorney for the Western Dis
trict of Pennsylvania, WAS made public
this afternoon:
MIR. STONES APPEAL.
PITTSBURG, November is, 1886.
! Ii0H 4. H. GdIl0ud, IWurNcg GcH,lrH.
| SIR: | have read correspondence be-
tween the President and Hon. NJ. T..
! Benton, United States attorney con-
| ncctCd with his restoration to office, in
| which it appears that nc was suspended
! from office tor Ills apparent neglect of
Official duties i'll making campaign
speeches. Presumably, my suspension
was ordered for the same reason. | de-
SIRE therefore, to state the facts in my
case. | made but two speeches prior to
the receipt of the order Of suspension:
one at Butler, in an adjoining county,
on the evening Of October ! and ono at
httanning, II town ncar to pittsbmg,
on the evening Of October ..
did not leave Pittsburg for Butler
until nearly + o'clock October ], and re-
turned on the morning of October .
abont O'Clock. left Pittshnrg for
hlttannlng Saturday, October = about 5
O'Clock, p. H., ana returned the same
night Upon both Of the above dates
the United States Courts here were not
III session except Il short time in the
morning OF each day for ordinary mo-
tlons. | was in attendance upon the
courts during their SittinGs, aud did not
leave the city upon either occasion until
long after the courts had adjourned On
October Is the United States District
Court began its scS sion at Pittsburg for
the trial of jury cm lScs, Il petit and grand
jury being in attcn dance. From OctO-
Der until October lS | was engaged in
preparing United !tutcs causes for trial,
and from October IS until October ~,
the date OF the rec uipt of the order OF
suspension, was engaged in the trial of
these causes. Neither during this period
from October , to OctObcr27 nor at any
other time did ! i'll any particular neg
lect the duties of my Office. These state
ments may be verified by inquiry of any
officer OF our cOurts. / feel il my duty,
after reading tn, CORES pondcncc be-
tween the President anu Mr. Benton, 10
state these facts in Justice to myself, and
respectfully request that this cummuni
cGtlOn be referred to the President.
may also add that ! did not think
! that making ali occasional campui.rn
| speech 10 my nGi3hbors, while not neg
lcctlnS the duties OF my Office, would Nc
Il violation OF the Presidents order of
July 10, lSSG. Very respectfully, your
obedient servant,
WILLIAM \. STONE.
+ THE PEJiSl Dents ANSWER.
! EXECUTIVE MANSION, Nov. %, 1856.
ILon. H. II. Gartald. -lN,rncY Gcncrul::
DEAR SE-l have read the letter Of
! the 18th inst, written to yuu by William
\. Stone, lately suspended from office rs
District Attorney for the Western Dis
trlct OF Pennsylvania, and the subject
matter to which it refers has received my
careful consideration. | shall not I'M
putc to the writer any miSclIirVOuS mo-
tive III his plainly erroneous assumption
that his case and that Of NJ. Il. Benton,
recently suspended and rcinStatcd, rest
upon the same state of facts, but prefer
to regard his letter as containing the
best statement possible upon the Iucs-
ton Of his reinstatement.
You remember, Of course, that soon
after the present administration was in
stalled, and, think ncar}y year and
half ago, | considered with You certain
charges which had been prcGcrrcl
against MIR. Stone as Il Federal official.
You rCmbcr, too, that the action We then
contemplated was withheld by reason of
the excuses and explanations Of his
friends. These excuses and explanations
induced me to believe that Mr.. Stones
retention would insure faithful Der.
tormancc of official duty; and that what
ever offensive partisanShip nc had
deemed justifiable in other circrm-
stances, he would during his continu-
anceUln Office at his request, undCran adj !
mlnlstratiOn opposed to him in political !
creed and policy, content himself with Il |,
qWet and unObtrusivc enjoyment of his !
political privileges. ] certainly sup |
posed that his sense of propricty would |.
cause hlm to refrain from pursuing such /,
II partisan course aS would WantOnIy /!
offend and lrritatG the friends Of the adj /
mlniStration who insisted that he should !
not be retained in Office, either because |
Of his personal merit or in adherence to |
the methods which for long time had !
prevailed in the distribution of Federal |
Offices.
In the light Of Il better system, and .
without considering the political ullIia-
tons, Mr.. Stone, when permitted to re-
main i'll office, became part Of the busi- !
ness organization of the present admin !
iistration, bound by every obligation of
honor to assist, within his sphere, in its |
successful operation. This obligation
involved not only the proper perform !
ancc of official duty, but certain good |
faith and fidelity which, while not oXaci- |
ing the least sacrifice OF political princi-
pie, forbade active particip patton in pure !
~ partisan demonstrations Of pro
nounccd type, undertaken for the pur-
pose OF advancing partisan interests, and !.
conducted upon the avowcd theory that !
the administration Of the government
was not entitled TO the confidence and .
respect OF the people. There is no dig !
pntc whatever concerning the fact that
MI stone did join Others who were cam
palgning the State Of PENNSYLVANIA in
opposition to the administration. tam
pears, too, that he was active and prom
lnent with noisy enthusiasm in attend
nncc upon at least two large public mcci-
InpS; that the SDCCchCs ot e,trh ,no,4;,..