New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-11
body. Will not Senator Griswold earn the
thanks of the people of this city and OF bis OVID
by introducing bill to accomplish this1
cooD eROUNDS FOR RETIREMENT

GOOD GROUNDS FOR BETlREMENE
A Washington exchange states that Attorney
General Garland has become very unsociaDie.
He once had the reputation of being an excep-
tionaly genial man, but Is now seldom seen
outside his department. He has disappeared
from the social life of Washington. 1t Is even
whispered that he has informed the President
that he cannot attend public receptions at the
Executive Mansion. His friends assert that his
retirement is in consequence OF the Druta' anu
malignant attacks that have been made upon
him in connection with telephone stocks since
he is exceedingly sensitive to criticisms I'M
pugnng his good name. We suspect that me
Indianapolis journal offers more natural ex-
PLANTATION of his change of habits when 1t re-
marks that possibly he does not like to meet
honest people with that million and-a-half OF git
telep hone stock in his pocket. But since The
TRIBUNE has teen repeatedly charged with
wantonly assailipg him and clouding his repu-
tation with scandal, it is proper to present
brief statement of the case
The Pan Electric Telephone Comp any was
organized with the patents of j. Harris Rogers
as a base of operations. Mr.. Garland, then
United States Senator, received (as is variously
stated from 100000 to $1,t00,O00 OF the
stock of this company and its dependent COM
panies, without giving any other consideration
therefor than his influence, present anu pros
pective Not long after he obtained this stock,
and while he was acting "a attorney oil the
company. important legislation respecting
patents and authorizing the Attorney General
to do precisely what was subsequently done IN
the interest of the Pan Electric Company
passed the House and was referred To the
Senate Committee on Patents The desired
influence, however, was exerted apparently in
the most effective manner possible for a mem
Der Of the Senate and leading Democratic
politician and jurst The letters written by
him giving his legal opinion as to the validity
of me patents owned by the company against
the Bell patents were extensively used IL
advertising the new telephone venture. When
he became Attorney General his opportunities
for earning the eift-stock were multiplied.
The Bell Company had proceeded against the
Pan Electric in Maryland and Washington,
and had enjoincd one of its dependencies, the
Rogers Company III Pennsylvania. a motion
to make the temporary injunction permanent
was pending when Mr.. Garland became
Attorney General. If the Bell Company could
be prevented from interfering with 1T. the Pan
Electric could go on collecting the large roya'-
ties on the instruments which II had put up In
various Southern States, but which the United
States Court in Pennsylvania had condemned
as infringcments upon the Bell patents. AZ j.
W. Rogers, the inventors father, has told the
story, application was made to the Attorney
General to bring suit in Tennessee to set
aside the Bell patents. Mr.. Garland ~ first re-
fused, on the ground that he held 81 100000
of Pan Electric stock. Then it was proposed
that another company, also founded on the
Rogers patents, and having the same interests
at stake, but in which he held no stock. should
make the application n dummy and, IA MI.
Rogers says, "Mr. Garland having no stock In
this company consented" lt was arranged
that the application should be made to the
Solicitor G eneral in the absence OF Mr. Garland
from Washington. This was done, the appl
cation was granted the Tennessee suit was be-
gun by a subscrvient United States District
Attorney at Memphis. and "A United States
District Attorney appeared in the Bell proceed
ings in Baltimore to argue that the permanent;
injunction should not be granted because the
Attorney General had instituted this action in
Memphis and it was necessary to wait until
that SUIT could be determined.
This il an outline of facts which the
Attorney General has not authoritatively
denied. The Presidents intervention, the sus-
pension of the Memphis proceedings aud the
confused explanations of Mr.. Garland have not
affected the two main issues ~ that a United
States Senator accepted long line of teleI hone
stock as n gift and then proceeded to earn it
and (2) that as ACKNOWLEDGEMENT he allowed
the machinery of the Department Cf Justice to
be used IN enhancing the value and promoting
the interests of a speculative stock, in which,
by gift in exchange for influence, he was one of
the largest holders. So long rs he fails to meet
these issues, so destructive to his reputation,
Mr.. Garland does well to screen himself from
public view. Unless he has some better defence
than he has yet offered, he ought To have com
passion upon the President and withdraw alto
gether from public life.