The morning call., 1893-08-17
RALsToN. RESIGNS
Too Much Democracy for
the Appraiser.
COLLECTOR WISE cENsURED.
The Resignation Was rendered After
=. Being Exonerated of Charges
+: That Had Been Preferred.

: w; C. Ralst0n. local Appraiser Of the
: port of San Francisco. has resigned his:
position and requested President Clexe-.
land to appoint'llls successor.
The letter ct designations was written
and mailed to the President on August 10
and is now in the hands of the chief execu-
tive for his consideration; =
:: Mr.: RalstOn resigns because he objects
TO the manner in which he has been
treated by Collector Wise, alleging that tho
Collectors attempting to :ceatrol andregu-
late the Appraisers department SO as to.
further the interests of.the Democratic
party and not for the good Of the sefvice.
The following is a copy: Of the letter: i
- SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. TO-
Grouer .C!eUeldnd. President Of the United
Stdtss,. WGslsi1a9ton. n :C.-SIR: here was d;
charge made last week through the daily press
against me and. NV department. charging that:
information had been given out from my de-
partnlent. demanded aa official Investigation.
The special agent OF the. Treasury Depart
ment conducted the investigation, the evidence
of which VIII forward 70 the Secretary OF the
. Treasury. The Charges. ware: proven 10 be
utterly fa@se by the testimony ofboth lmpor tens;
and brokers. ..
Frem What has: tran spifed i see very plainly
that will not be per nia ed to conduct tie A D
pralSer'S. department in the manner II should
be for the:eood OF the pnblic:servite-: 3:
] am ot:ditierent political faHh from the Co l.
lectoI of Customs, and too much politics creeps@
INTO all official matters. The responsibilities OF
the office are greater than l. care 10 assume
Under such circumstances. and therefore,. in
Justice TO myself, here with tender my gina.
IiOn as United Staies Local Appraiser. at the
port OF San francisco, and would urge Ihe &C..
Geptance OF. tile same at an earIydate. Yours
respectfully, w. c. RAESToS.
i.Withntwo weeks after going into office
Collector. Wise removed several EN- pl6yes'
of the Appraisers department without
consulting Mr.. RalSten. The gentlemen
dismissed had neen recommended for re-;
tenf}OD by Mr.. .Ralston because thew had
shown themselves TO be efficient employees.
The Col4ector made changes of various
kinds witRout::con aulting Mr.: Ralston,
preferrlng to get his Information from As
sistant aiser Tucker Wh0 is a Demo.
crat. 80. =. - IS:
He dismissed. a large*pumber of The;
laborers IN the. Appraisers department..
substituting Democrats and In no casedid
he ask the; advice of the Appraiser. i.
j.; Tw0-menths' ago Appraiser RalstoD re-
Quested the Collector to remove from.
office the Examiner: of Drugs:and Chemi-:
Gals. the request for dismissal being ac.
cGmpanied by statement that the Exam
liner was.ne gleGriig his work by failing 10:
make prompt turns upon the importa-
tions of silver ore, and that he also failed
: to devote Sufficien t time to the office to d g.
the. work. The Collector has not com.
piled. with the request: and the Examiner
holds his nffice.
The Collectors action in the cases cited
annoyed the Appraiser to such an extent
thai on July 80 he wrote letter to the
PRESIDENT rendering his resignation. He,
submitted the: letter to n number of his
friends on August /, and 1t would have
been forwarded to Washington on the fol-.
lowing day had he not read in a morning
paper that charges had been preferred
against his department.
Ihe TACT that charges had been preferred
was given out to the press by the COllec-
tors Ufnce. and appeared in the papers ten
hours before Mr.. Ralston received official
notice tnat N investigation was desired.
Not wishing TO resign until the charges
made had been refuted, Mr. Ralston de-
stroyed the letter and at once began thor
ough investigation Of the charges. The
evidence taken in that investigation show
praiser has been published. Upon the
completion of the investigation he for
waTded his resignation to the President.
Mr.: Ralston was appointed local APP
praiser to succeed Charles NJ. Leavv, on
April 20. 1892, alta salary of $685. Upon
the Pacific Mining Agency and Trust Com
pany and the California Miners Associa-
tion. of which he is secretary.
Assistant Appraiser Tucker, who has
been Collector Wise's advisor in Ill matters
pertaining TO the Appraisers department.
is very. anxious to succeed MIR. Raiston
and will make hard fight for the appoint.
ment ..':
He is going to meet with considerable
opposition, for number of prominent
Democrats are of the opinion that the
eight years he has enjoyed in his present
position oughtto be enough and some other
good Democrat should have a chance.
Thenit is also; charged that during the.
Harrison administration il was not posi-
lively known just what Mr.. fuckers poll
ties were. -
Now that the resignation of Appraiser
Ra}ston is made public there will be a
scramble for his place. It is intimated
that dark horse is booked for the posi-
ton outstanding that Mir. Tucker has
the Endorsement of number Of the Con-
gressMen..