, 1886-11-25
Stone Stays Out

Jnitei States attorney, connected will
, his restoration to office, in which il an
pears that he was suspended from ofhc
for apparent neglect of official duties il
making campaign speeches. PRESUMABLY
my suspension was ordered for the sam
reason. ! desire, therefore, to state tn,
facts in my case. | made but two speeche
prior to the receipt OF the order of sus
pension. one ut Butler. in an adioinin.
county on the evening of Oct. |. and ON,
at %klttannlng. a town near Pittsburg, OF
the evening of Oct. =. did not leave
Pittsburg for Butler until nearly / o o'clock
Oct. J, anil returned on the morning Of
the 2nd about 9 o'clock. | left Pitts.
burg for kittanning Saturday, Oct. >,
about > p. m, and returned the same
night. Upon both of the above dates the
lmted States courts here were not in SEES
SION except for u short time
III the morning Of each day for
ordinary motions. | was in attendance
upon the courts during their sittings and
dld not leave the city upon either occa-
sion until long the courts had adjourned
On Oct. is, the United States District
Court began its session at Pittsburg for
the trial Of jury causes, the petit and
grand jury being in attendance. From
Oct >. until Oct. Is, | was engaged in
the preparation of causes for trial. and
from Oct. Is, until Oct -. the date of
the receipt of the order of suspension. |
was engaged in the trial of these causes.
Neither during this period from Oct. >.
to Oct. -, nor at any other time, did |
in any particular neglect the duties of
my Office. These statements may
be verified by inquiring Of any
officer of our courts, | feel it ny duty.
after reading the correspondence between
the president and Mr.. Benton. to state
these facts in justice to myself, and re-
specially request that this communication
be referred to the president may also
add that did not think that making an
occasional campaign speech to my neigh
bors, while not neglecting the duties of
my Office, would be Il violation of the pres
dents order of July 10. lSSG. Very re-
specially, your obedicnt servant,
WV. \. STONE.
WAsnlNGToN. Nov. u. - President
Cleveland makes,public the following cor
r%espondencc;
EXECUTIVE MANSION. Nov. "A. 1856.
10 lion. 4. H. Gaf{pnd, .ittoyney
GoaeuL DEAR Sm-I have read the
letter Of the 18th inst. written to you by
VIM \. Stone, lately suspended from
Office as district attorney for the western
district of Pennsylvania, and the subject
matter 10 which it refers has received
my careful consideration. | shall not i'm
pute to the writer any mlschievous mo-
tive in his plainly. erroneous assumption
that his case and that of Mr.. Benton,
recently suspended and reinstated, rest
upon the same state of facts, but prefer to
regard his letter as containing the best
statement possible upon the question of
his reinstatement. You remember. of
course, that soon after the present ad-
minlstration was installed, and | think
nearly a year and Il half ago, | considered
with you certain charges which had been
preferred against MIR. Stone as a federal
official. Iou remember, too, that the
action we then contemplated was with
held by reason of the excuses and expla-
nations of his friends. These excuses and
explanations induced me to believe that
MIR. Stone retention would insure a
faithful performance of official duty, and
that whatever offensive partisanship he
had deemed iustiiable in other circum-
stances, he would during his continuance
in office at his request under an admins
tration opposed to him in political creed
and policy, content himself with quiet
ana nnopstruslve ENJOYMENT OF LIS poliu-
cal privileges certainly supposed
tlat ms sense oi proprletY would
cause MN 10 refrain from pursuing
sucl a partisan course rs would wantonly
o1end ana lrrltate friends OF the admins
t%ration. VINO insisted that he should not
be retained in office, either because of his
personal merit or III adherence To meth
OBS winch lur a long time had prevailed IN
the distribution oil federal Offices In the
llght oil a better system and without con-
slderlng his political affiliations, MIR.
stone, when permitted Ia rcmain IN Of
nee, became part Ut the business organiza-
ton OF the present administration bound
by every obligation OF honor to assist with
n his sphere IN ITS successful operation.
This obligation involved not only the
proper performance oil oihelal duty, but
certain good faith and fidelity which,
while not cXaetlng the least sacrihce ot
political principle forbade active partlcl-
patton IN purely partisan demonstrations
oil a pronounced type, undertaken Tor the
purpose OF advancing partisan interests and
conducted upon the ay0wed theory that
the administration oi the government was
not entitled to the confidence and respect
OF the people. There Is no dispute what
ever concerning the Tact that MIR. Stone
did ION others who were campaigning the
state OF Pcnnsylvania IN opposition 10 the
administration. 1t appears, too, that he
was active and prominent with NOISY en-
thuslasm IN attendance upon at least two
large public meetings. Ills speech was
largely devoted to abuse and misreprc
spntatIOu OF the administration that he