The Washington critic., 1886-04-20
MIR. GARLAND ON THE STAND.

Attorney. General Garland has told
the House committee investigating the
matter, that he has never used his of.
fetal position to in any way advance the
interest of the Pan Electric Telephone
Company. He states that he has never
made penny out of Pan Electricity,
but Is, on the contrary, 800 ont on
that account Even Mr.. Ranncy, in
his cross examination, made it appar-
ent that he did not think that Mr.. Gar
land had done anything out of the way.
Mr. Garland says he cannot see that
there was any more impropriety in his
taking some stock in the Rogers combi-
nation while in the United States Senate
than there was for other members Of
Congress TO hold shares in railroads
and national banks. Above all Mr.. Gar
land makes it clearer than ever that in
no official way would he have touched
any proposition looking to the advance.
ment of Electric interests, even
with forty-foot pole. 1t strikes us
that II would have been much better for
the Pan. Electric folks to have never hal
Mr.. Garland with them. The Attorney,
General has made q clear, straight,for-
ward statement of all he has done in
this matter of his connection with the
company.
But Mr.. Garland should not have
gone quite so far. In his apparent de-
sire to tell everything, he branched off
into that wide field of possibilities
which surround the great game of
draw-poker. There was no necessity
for the Attorney Generals letting the
world know that the giddy jack. pot
eyer had any attractions for him; and
the statement that he lost when he
dallied with the poker chips was super
tluous. Everybody has the same eX-
perience. This is true despite the ap-
parent "staggerer" of Simon Suggs
who, when his father told him not to
play cards, because all who did lost
their money, asked his parent: "Well,
who wins the money that is lost?"
Mr.. BELMONT, the chairman of the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
believes that there should be some
thorough and systematic revision made
of the tariff before we undertake any
commercial or diplomatic negotiations
involving our trade relations with
Mexico and the South American Gov
crnments. Hence he has opposed the
bill providing for the proposed Con
gress Of Republics" at Washington
next fall. We do not see, however,
that the international conference pro-
posed by the bill should materially
interfere with the customs legislation
of the future; in fact, the exchange of
views ELECTED by such gathering of
representative men would tend to facili-
tate the solution Of the problem, and
possibly lay the foundation of a perma-
nent commercial union. It., is safe to
say at any rate, the benefits of the
Congress would largely reimburse us
for its estimated cost of 100000.
THE man who fixes up the Louis
Vile dispatches Informed us that on
satur( ay night not less than five thou.
sand Democrats of that city were up in
arms about the reappointmont OF Mrs.
Thompson to the postofllce. Last
night, according to the same authority,
Masonic Temple was crowded TO its
utmost capacity" with "solid and sub
stantial citizens" who met for the pur-
pose Of indorsing the President 5
action. He does not state how many
people Masonic Temple will hold, but
II is fair to assume that 1900 to 1900
politicians can get In on great public
occasion like the present The meet.
ing passed resolutions approving the