Huntsville gazette., 1886-04-24
THE PAN-ELECTRlC.

Attorney-General Garland Testrfies Before
the Investigating Committee Touching
His Connection With the Concern He
Regrets That, As a Business Venture, 1t
'A Has Not Panned Out Better.
WASHINGTON, April 19.-New impetus
was given to the Electric Telephone
investigation to-day by the appearance of
aAttorney-General Garland in the witness
chair. The committee-room was well
filled with spectators, and keen interest
was manifested throughout his examina-
ton. Mr.. Garland, after being sworn,
reaffirmed and asked to have put i'm evil
dence his statement made to the Presi-
dent and Cabinet last October concerning
his connection with the Pan-Electric
Company. He said that as far back as
February, 1888, before Cleveland had been
mentioned for the Presidency, or he
(witncss) had been thought of for the
Attorney-Generalship, Mr.. Atkins, pres
ent Commissioner Of Indian Affairs, came
to him and mentioned the Pan-Electric in
vention, and suggested that the witness,
being poor man like himself, ought to
enter into the enterprise Garland told
Mr.. Atkins that he had never made any
money except at law and poker, and at
poker he frequently lost, and so hesitated
about going into the company. He prom
ised Atkins that he would consider the
matter.
Subsequently he met Senator Harris,
Casey Young, Mr.. Atkins and DR.. Rogers
at the latter's house, where they talked
about the general idea of the origaniza-
tion OF the Pan-Electric Company, and he
concluded to get into it. When, later
on, parties came to him to urge him as
Attorney-General to bring suit against
the Bell Company, by the Government.
He at once refused to do so. He had
looked into the matter carefully, and con-
Guided that, owing to his interest in the
Pan-Electric Company, he couldn't touch
it, and wouldn't touch 1T. In reference
to the Memphis suit, he said the
application came in the latter
part of August, 1885, just before he left
for his September vacation in Arkansas.
He said nothing to Solicitor-General
Goode about it, because he had no more
control over that gentleman than he had
over a member of Congress. He had
never talked with the Solicitor General
about the pending Columbus suit; never
saw the papers filed in the Interior De-
pdTIIHeHt, WnlCn leu TO Lne nearing before
Secretary Lamar; had never talked with
Secretary Lamar, nor the gentleman who
sat with him in that hearing about the
matter, and had abstained from talking
with the President about these matters.
Mr.. Garland, going back to the organi-
cation of the Pan Electric Company, de-
clared 1t was simply an undertaking by
five or six impecunious men, who wanted
to better their condition in legitimate
business enterprise He never intended
to use his official position, being then
United States Senator, in the interest of
the company. Tho original stockholders
had paid in their assessments, and went
ahead in proper manner to expand the
theory and bring out the Rogers inven-
ton. They had never tried to "boom'
the business. He, for one, took hold of
it as a legitimate business venture, and
regretted that it had not panned out
better.
In reply to question from Chairman
Boyle, Mr.. Garland said he had never
looked into the question of the legality Of
the Issue of the Bell patent. He regarded
Rogers patent as an improvement over
the Bell, and as no infringement against
the Bell, and therefore patentable, but he
didn't want to be drawn into discussion
about the validity of the Bell patent. The
committee agreed that this would be I'M
DrOpe-