Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-02

have me indicted, if his bill were law,
and 1 would be acquitted, because my
lawyers would show the court that the law
was void because no one, not even Its
creator, could construe it.
Temptations of the Capital.
am not informed who Mr.. Oates intends
to shelter with this act Considering the
opportunities and temptations, attempts at
blackmail are exceedingly rare in Washing
ton, and those reported are usually made oy
a set not extensively engaged in newspaper
correspondence, though Mr. Oates seems to
direct his legislative shaft directly at per-
sons engaged in journalism. Certainly, any
person attempting to. levy blackmah is
worthy of the severest sentence. SO is any
one who will attack another for purposes OF
revenge or from the promptings OF malice.
AS for ridicule, if it be well done, no court
or Jury would convict or punish the writer,
and if it be done as awkwardly as MI.
Oates has constructed his bill the author
should be given the full penalty of the pro-
posed law.
Not intending to be guilty on any OF these
counts, I am Indifferent whether the bill be-
comes a law or not, and it is to be hoped
that the newspaper writers who are so mucn
concerned viii take more cheerful view OF
the matter, knowing that only mistakes IN
morals or mistakes in rhetoric can render
them amenable. These they must avoid.
The Allegheny Postoffice Matter.
Postmaster Gilleland, of Allegheny, and
his assistant, Theodore Myler, were the OBJ
jects of considerable attention at the Post
Office Department to-day. Both of the
Representatives from Allegheny county
were at the department and read, with a
variety of emotions, the report made by
Special Agent McCalmont Neither would
give any indication of the character of the
report, as it was, of course, given to them
in confidence, in respect to their privileges
as members of Congress. 1t is known, how
ever, that the charges mentioned in my tele-
gram of Saturday evening, of inefficiency
and neglect of duty, are the chiet counts
against the two gentlemen, while in Mr..
MYERS case some other Irregularities are
suggested The Postmaster General also
read the report to-day, and intimated that
it will not be long before the matter is dis
posed of, at the same time denying a report
that Mr.. Gilleland had offered his resigna-
tion and that it had been accepted. 1t is
believed that both officials are marked for
removal
Quay Keeping His Hands OF.
Senator Quay is taking no interest in the
at the request of Colonel Thomas NJ. Bayne,
and the Senator had nothing to do with it.
Mr.. Stone, however, is laboring to mitigate
the effect of the report, and is convinced
that the charges of ineficiency and neglect
are not such as should form basis of his
removal or even a request for Mr. Gille-
lands resignation. 1t is suggested that if
Mr. Gilleland pass out, and if Mr.. Miller
be appointed Collector, Mr. Stone may ask
the appointment of ex-Recorder Graham as
postmaster for Allegheny.
Mr.. c. L. Magee called at the Treasury
Department to-day to make what will prob
ably be his last plea for Miller for Collec-
tor, as the appointment will doubtless be
made within few DAYS.
Messrs John Dalzell, Sol Schoyer and
Titan j. Coffey called Saturday evening on
the President and Attorney General to pre-
sent the name of George Shiras, Jr., the
choice of the Allegheny county bar and of
the bars Of many other counties of the State,
as their candidate for the appointment as a
Justice of the Supreme Court of the United
States to succeed the late Judge Bradley.
The only activity in the matter of the dis
trict iudgeshIp to-day was the appearance
of a delegation from Erie in behalf of the
of S. A. Davenport, ESQ.,, an
eminent attorney of that city.
LIGHTNER.