The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1886-02-18

eral Garland.
Editorial Correspondence Of tho wash
ington (Ark.) Press.
/ WASHINGTON, Feb 18th. 1885 -
when tile light OF honest truth Is
turned upon the so-called Telephone
Scandal" involving Attorney Gen
eral Garland, Senator Harris, Indian
Commissioners Atkins and other
prominent Southern Democrats and
federal officials, the misrepresenta.
tons Of the subsidized New York
press, inspired By the money Of the
Bell company. grown enormously
rich from its fraudulent patent, are
swept aside, the integrity Of these
gentlemen vindicated and the blush
Of shame mounts the cheek Of every
i honest citizen 1t the corruption OF
some Of our leading newspapers
One Rogers, crank as to almost
everything else, is the inventor Of
the pan electric telephone and Of nu
merous other electric discoveries.
The gentlemen / have named includ-
ing Gen. Johnston, now u. S. Rail-
road Commissioner, and others, or
ganized the company to handle this
telephone. While 10 the Senate, and
before the possibility Of his ever be-
coming Attorney General was ap.
parent, he was chosen the legal ad
wiser of the company. There is not
a lawyer of reputation in either
i branch Of Congress from Mr.. Ed
mnnds, Mr.. Evarts and Mr.. John
Randolph Tucker down to tue foot
Of the list, who is not actively en-
gagged in the practice Of his profess
| ion in the higher courts. Mr.. Ed
inuntis is himself the attorney for Il
telephone company on precisely the
same footing as the Pan Electric, and
have noticed since ] have been here
that he spends about as much time
in the Supreme Court room as in the
Senate Chamber.
4 When, as one Of the results Of the
last Presidential election, Mr.. Gar
land became Attorney General, he
was, Of course, by operation Of law
disqualified for official action touch
ing not only this telephone case, blu;
every other case In which he bad
been attorney, just as circuit judge,
who goes from active practice upon
the bench, is disqualified and cannot
sit upon cases in which he has been
interested as attorney, or as one Of
the parties litigant.
/ Section 1854 of the revised stat
utes, providing for this very contin
gencv, requires that the solicitor
| general shall represent the Govern
ment in such cases. This suit
against the Bell company is proceed
ing under this very statute. Not
only did Mr.. Garland not authorize
the suit, but he was absent from the
city, enjoying his vacation at Homi-
nv Hill, in beloved Arkansas, last
September, when Mr.. .Goode, the SO
licitor- general, instituted the suit,
and received his first intelligence OF
it through the newspapers.
On returning here, the papers em-
ployed by the Bell syndicate were
nowling like hungry wolves for his
scalp; and, appreciatiog his sit
uation, Mr.. Garland, with that no
biity Of heart and character that
has always been his, made TO the
President and the full cabinet per-
feet and complete statement Of his
connection with the Pan Electric
company. closing with the announce
ment that il his connection with the
Administrator was the cause OF the
least EN- barrassment, his resignation
was at their disposal. Not only did
the President and the members Of
the cabinet completely exhonorate
him, but begged him to dismiss the
subject from his mind and give HIM
self no further concern about it.
Solicitor General Goode, however,
had not adopted the usual form al
manner of instituting his suit for
validity of patent against the Bell
company. He had neglected, first,
to enquire Of the Secretary of the
Interior it such suit were adv!sa
JIG Il vi toio iSaoou, ohes iOt WHO
alone, and in order that there might
be no cause whatever for the charge
of partiality or informality against
the administration Or any member
thereof, the President suggested that
the suit then instituted be dropped
the formal inquiry made OF the Sec
rotary OF the Interior and another
suit instituted This has been done;
and the subsidized organs Of the Bell
company have heraldcd il all over
the country that the action Of the
President, which 10 truth was mere
suggestion as to foinality, was a
condemnation OF the suit and the
movement in toto.
Subsequent proceedings prove this
to be utterly false. Formal inquiry
has been made Of Mr.. Lamar, and,
after hearing testimony, he has de
clared it TO be advisable that suit be
brought. The question TO he tried
is the validity o. the Bell patent. /
am permitted to state here, with the
assurance that the fact will be made
public by the time this letter sees
the light, that ex-senator Thurman,
OF Ohio. will be the senior counsel