The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-07-14
The Majority Report.

In the House on the 3Uth Mr.. Boyle
PENN from the Fan-Electric Committee.
submitted report sign,d by four members
of the committee upon the subject of its i'll
yestigation. Mr.. Hale Mo-, who concurred
In this report, also submitted his individual
views Mr.. Ranney Mass, Submitted the
minority report signed by four members. The
iority report was accompanied by the
following resolution:
"Resolred, That full. fair and exhaust
i've invest cation has faile1 to adduce any
evidence which tends to show that Attorney
General Garland, S ,licitor General Gocde,
Secretary Lamar, lniian Commissioner At
kins, Railroad Commissioner Johnston or
Senator Harris-they being the officers
named in the Pan-Electric publications of the
newspaper press, which gave rise to this in-
vestigation-did any act, Official or other
wise, connected with the matter investigated
which was di>honorable or censurable."
The report and the resolution (which is
con curred in by NJ Hale was referred to the
House calendar
After a reference to the comparisons that
have been made between the conduct Of Mr..
Garland and his associates and MaSSrS. Car
Isle, Randall and Others, the majority report
says, ~ po~,,. oeror,d ~ M,,sr. Gar.
Isle aud others was stock in Incorporated
and organized companies. What he trans
interest in inventions, in there then condition
Of no value whatever, and only to be made
valuable BY the joint efforts Of the Rogers
and those who Joined them in the under
taking. That the capital OF the telephone
company was fixed at $5,O0o,OO is wholly
immaterial. Had it been fixed at $500,
the thing they owned and their proportionate
interests in it would have been the sa he. The
property itself might turn out to be worth
much or nothing As DR.. Rogers says, 1t ha
no onmsrcial value. Eviden e does not show
that these gentlemen were admitted by the
Messrs Rogers with any eSpe tation OF prof
iting by their ottic al positions or official
action.
cat that time Mr.. Garland was not thought
Of for Attorney. General; He was suggested
by Atkins, and it need hardly be said, In
view of his previous life and character, that
it was not thought he would use his official
power to forward a private enterprise in
which he was interested. Casey Young was
named by Rogers. He was not to
appear in Congress until nearly
year after. General Johnston was
not in office and dill not expect to be.
If official influence was the consideration for
the interests transferred to Harris and Gar
land, what was the consideration for those
transferred to Atkins and to Johnston! The
committee has failed to find that any legisla-
ton was contemplated at the tine this
company was formed, OF QurlnS lCS eAiS1-
u>encc up to the present time by which it or its
5embers could have profited The only mat
Ler spoken Of was in relation to the establish
pent of postal telegraph by the govern
ent. This had been agitatel for some
ars. When mentioned Senator Harris
ted to his associate, that if it came
in the Senate hs could make known
interest in the matter anl decline to
BITE, so that nothing was expected from him.
Ind according to the testimony of all the
arties nothing was expected from any one
b the members. There is no evidence that
kr. Garland ever heard of it. The question
ever did get before either body of Congress,
6d it is not pretended that any member OF
hs company di anything to aid it or that
by member favored the project.
fit is in evidence that the Bell patents were
5posed of and the Bell company was organ:
"a Just as the Pan-Electric was. Out OF
is Bell organization, thus commenced, has
kown in the course Of q few years one Of