The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-05-13

When Mr.. George Jones, of the New York
Times, testified before the Pan Electric COM
mittee that Mr.. John NJ. Forbes of Boston
wrote him asking him to use his influence
with the President to get the latter to inter
fere in the Pan-Electric suit in behalf OF the
Bell patents, he got very wide of the mark.
The text of Mr. Forbes letter, which is now
published, shows that he made no such re-
quest. On the contrary, he distinctly says
that he believes the Bell patents can take
care Of themselves. Why he wanted the
President to interfere Mr.. Forbes clearly
states in his letter as follows
Looking at 1t from a wholly different point of
view, that OF the independent voter, and, in fact
of all who support and desire to support Mr..
Cleveland, 1t seems to me that the admins
tration would make serious mistake If Gar
lands departments permitted to lend any coun-
in which he is 50 largely Interested. There is no
doubt that all the matters contained in the claim
when u Is proposed that the United states should
set up, have been held and decided in the circuit
courts OF the United States, and these cases are
well advanced for hearing on appeal to the Su-
preme Court. There is no doubt that the new
move was made simply in the hope of obtaining
indefinite delay in the suits for an injunction
against the Pan-Electric Company, already ripe
for nearing DefOre the court at Baltimore, on tne
ground that no such suits should be heard while
the government suit was awaiting hearing.
lHeIc ~ equally no uouDt tlaG the auenpI is Dc-
ing made bi a syndicate Of Southern brigadiers to
use the influence Of the Democratic administra-
ton in the interest OF an enterprise Of to say
the least a highly. speculative character, and to
throw the weight Of the governments
power in the scale to test In the
courts suit in which this Southern
syndicate is interested. There can be no
no doubt that Garland received an enormous bo-
nus Of stock OF the Pan-Electric Company for the
influence he was expected to exert The entire
Republican press Of the country will only be too
glad to open on such trial this, but it seems to
me of much more importance that no such oppor-
tunity should be afforded them. Even were the
procedure not most usual one. and had the
claim not already been acted upon,and were there
strong presumptve evidence in favor of the claims
proposed to be set up, the fact that the Govern
terprise OF prominent S0utherners, and that a
member Of Mr.. CleVeland's Cabinet is counsel for
and one of the largest stockholders In the eompa-
ny interested ought to show the extreme danger
Of permitting this thing to 60 single step farth-
er. could give you, c0nhdentially, the whole
history of this claim, which would make the
pasls Of dime novel and be pretty good reading,
put you already know the substantial facts Of tho
Ease II the Southern syndicate succeeds it Will
De great step toward new set Of swtndles such
as you exposed in the Tweed case, and viii, OF
course be the end of Cleyeland's usefulness, who
ttant escape the blame of ndorslng what his At
oofhey General does.
mr.. Forbes's advice did not get to the
PRESIDENT, but plenty of advice of the same
sort did. The President refused to heed it
ana allowed the Attorney Generals depart
hent 70 Involve his administration in a very
pad scandal Probably by this time the