The Wilmingtonian., 1886-02-06
MIR. CLEyELAND's HEAVY LOAD
A Reform Administration Fettered b,
Specializing Chiefs of Departments.
From the New York Sun tDem.)

From the New York Sun tDem.)
WASHINGTON, Feb. LIT is most unfortu-
nate for the Administration that an exposure
of private interests in speculative scheme
should more or less compromise two mem-
bers of the Cabinet, the Solicitor-geDeral Of
the United ,s,sates, the Comm ssioner of Rail-
roads, the Com missioner OF Indian Affairs,
the chief clerk of the Indian Office and an
Indian inspS SNtor, to say nothing of several
senators and sever Il ex-mem bers Of C,,n gress,
all Demo rats.
The seinterests in the so-called Pan-eiectiis
Company were acquired without any actuat
investment of capital by the favored parties
Tho Telephone business had become a.
great popular and pecunary success. This
prosperity stlmu ated valry, excited envy
and encouraged jealous hostility, which We're
exhibited in adverse claims and contests of
| the on'y recognized pateut for talk ny tele-
phone. The courts uniformly, in different
states, and with the most accredited Judges
decided against tho contestants, who were
left finally, after costly litigation, almost
without even technical resources to carry ou
the war.
| In this dilemma the Pau-electrc Company
proposed to enlist political influence in antl
out of Cong ress to secure legislation for he W
proceedings in tho courts, and, failing in
that ond, to-obtan a standing before the
public, whereby its alleged rights might be
sold to unwary purchasers.
This is the explanation of the fact that Mr..
Garland, Mr.. Harris, and other senators, Mr.
Atkins, MIR. Casey Young, General Joseph
Johnston, and other prominent persons we're
invited into the original organization, and
were allotted shares running into millions
1t is astounding that senators and representa-
tives who respected their public trusts and
valued their good names could have been
of course expected to render some equiva-
lent in service for the shares they pocketed,
either by votes or by the credit of their
; names to attract pubic confidence to the
enterprise in either case they committed .
grave WRONG.
When Mr.. Garland entered the Cabinet he
was encumbered with this acquired interest,
, | Iodn ,1fa oil In.
! pectng the telephone patent, and having
; given an opinion that there was no infringe
: ment of it's rights BY the company with
which he was connected. lie failed to dis
pose of his stock. He preferred to take the
chances of possible fortune, and was will.
7 ing to assume all the responsibility of false
Q position.
g During the Summer, when Mr.. Garland
4 was absent in Arkansas, the United State
:. District Attorney of Memphis wrote to th,
d Attorney General proposing that the Govern
: ment should commence suit to test the
validity of the Bell Telephone patent o.
+ various charges. The uniform practice is t
d refer such applications to the Secretary c
s the Interior in order to obtain full informa
t tion from the Patent Office.
Mr.. Goode, solcitor-general, was the
# acting in Mr.. Garland's place, and it s
n happened that some of the latter's associate
in the Pan.electric Company visited Nj
Goode when the application of the Distric
h Attorney reached Washington. Whethe
y they exerted influence or not, the fact is Nc
disputed that Mr.. Goode decided to brin
's suit inside OF twenty-four hours, aud witt
out consulting the Interior Department.
4, That decision provoked much harsh crit
,e clsm, and Mr.. Garland returned to his po
in the midst of it. The subject was brougl
IN mp in Cabinet meeting, and Mr.. Garlar
+ wrote an explanatory letter to the Presidel
20 which was published without his priyit
MIR. GOOue utclslon WAS aliSsbeu' he
was second chance for Mr.. Garland
have washed his hands of this unclean thin
rs and to have perem ptorily forbidden any pa
he ticipation in suit by tue Department
'"' Justice. He was not equal to the occasion
Subsequently the case was virtually !
,as opened by referring all rthe papers to
not Secretary of the Interior. Mr.. Lamar,
he stead of dismssing it, aud allowing the COT
~ to determine the contests now pendii
created court of his own, with two assist;
-. secretaries and the Commissioner Of Pate
ct as his associates, and finally decided Il
ion suit shocld be brought in the name of
United States to try new case, made
'0' the occasion and for the benefit OF Mr.. G
lands company, and other speculative emf
ma
ose prises like It.
flee The Administration suffers seriously Fl
der this cause. The people demanded refo
'or- They know that the presence of Mr.. Carl
and Mr.. Lamar in the Cabinet, and of Gel
al Johnston, Mr.. IGoode, Mr., Atkins,