The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-30
If Necessary He Will Get a Con.
gressional Investigation
of Daggett.
WAR ON THE PATRONAGE, TOO.
Mcguire Will Try to Get the MINIS Put
in the Classified Civil Service
Lists.

nounced in yesterdays CALL, promises to
be still more warm and notable as the
plans and conditions more fully appear.
Nearly the entire local Democracy ap-
pears to be either actively or quietly hos
tile to John NJ. Daggett, and the condi-
tions of the local fight, in which Daggett
has mixed himself with Rainey and
others who aspire to bossism, make 1t
certain that the roar which will go up
from California in support of Mcguire
shortly after he reaches Washington viii
be a 10 ng and loud one. The party is full
of Democrats who are opposed to Dag
gett's. running the party, local or State,
and now is their opportunity to get in and
give him blast.
Mcguire, it was learned yesterday, not
only proposes to forcibly call the attention
of President Cleveland and Secretary Car
Isle to his charges OF varied official mis-
conduct on the part of Daggett, but he is
ready to determinedly and vigorously push
the fight further. If his charges are still
ignored by the administration, .he will
take the matter into the House of Repre-
sentatives. If the administration does
not seriously heed the charges and the evil
dence which Mcguire will present within
few DAYS at the White House and at the
State Department and order an official in
vestigation of Daggett's conduct, he pro-
poses to take the matter into Congress and
see if the proper committee of the House
will not investigate the administration of
affairs in the Mint out here.
Mr.. Daggett was asked yesterday by
CALL reporter to express his opinion OF
Maguire's new campaign against him, but
Mr.. Daggett declined to say anything in
particular.
Il don't know anything about this story
in THE CALL and can't say anything" he
said. II don't know anything to say. l
am not reopening this matter; Mr..
Mcguire is, and let him open it. If he
doesn't accomplish any more than he did
before, he won't do much. The local fight?
It's lie; that's ali l can say. | am sim
PLY attending to my business here in the
Mint and l am not fighting anything out
in the newspapers. l have nothing fur
Their TO say
Joseph NJ. Leggett, the law partner OF
Congressman Mcguire, said yesterday:
The story in this mornings CALL was sub
stantially correct. AS ! understand Mr. Ma
CURES plans, he intends now to see the ad-
ministratiOn-to see President Cleveland and
Secretary Carlisle personally, lay the matter
before them and tell them that his response
biity in the matter has been discharged. He
viii tell them that II they are able to see their
way clear to approve the kind OF action that Mr..
Daggett has taken, the responsibility is on
them. Mr.. Maguire's position is that he could
not himself approve the action OF any public
official who had been guilty of such conduct as
Daggett has and that it is his duty to call the
attention of the administration to that sort of
conduct, and ask them if that is in keeping
with their demands in regard 10 public affairs.
1t is not so much personal fight against
Daggett that Mr.. Mcguire is making, but he
proposes to justify himself in the course he
has taken, and if necessary he will endeavOr to
justify himself before the committee OF the
House which may have discretion to investi-
gate that branch of the service. | do not think
that he will make any personal onslaught on
Mr.. Daggett, but Will simply discharge his duty
in a dignifed way. think that Mr.. Mcguire
could not, as q faithful public official, have
pursued any other course than that which he
has taken.
An attempt has been made by Mr.. Daggett
to attribute Maguires action to personal
piuue and disappointment in his distribution
OF patronage, but l know as positive fact,
that for months after Daggetts appointment
Mcguire refused to ask tavors OF him or TO give
any letters OF recommendation TO him, such as
he was giving TO other Federal officials. He
could not, consistently, ask anything from Mr..
Daggett, and die not expect anything When
Mr.. Daggett later suggested that Mcguire could
name somebody for appointment l think that
he showed little appreciation OF the character
OF such a man Mr.. Mcguire, or any other
selfrespecting man. 1t looks like a trick to
prevent Mcguire from joining in the criticism
TO which Daggett knew he was open.
What influences have worked at Wash
ington since Mcguire flied his first charges
during Clevelands absence a few weeks
ago to secure the suppression OF the mat
ter by the administration are not apparent.
Mcguire when he left was very confident
that the administration did not propose to
do anything more about the matter for
some reason or other, and that is why he
has more strongly fortified himself and
prepared himself for a red-hot assault.
Maguire's friends say that as Daggett's
appointment was due to Senator Stanford
and allied corporate influences, such as
Cleveland is friendly with, these influences
have probably been worked in his favor.
Then it is thought that Cleveland is 10th
to have discredit heaped upon any feature
of his administration so close to the end of
his term.
One OF the clubs that Mcguire has armed
himself with is notable letter, which
President Cleveland wrote in 1886, during
his first term, in which he expressed his
views of how administrative officers ought
to carry themselves politically.
This circular roundly condemns the
political "pernicious activity" of the kind
that Mr.. Daggett is charged with, and
Mcguire thinks that if it had been framed
especially for Mr.. Daggett's benefit it
couldn't have been mere applicable to the
Superintendent of the Mint Just now. In
this letter President Cleveland said
deem this proper time to especially warn
all subordinates in the several departments
and all office holders under the General Gov
eminent against the use OF their official posi-
lions in an attempt TO control political move
ments in their localities.
Office-holders are the agents of the people,
not their masters. Not only is their time and
labor due TO the Government. but they should
especially avoid in their political actions as
well as in the discharge of their Official duty,
offending, by display of obtrusive partisanship,
their neighbors who have relations with them
as public officials.
They should constantly remember that their
party friends from whom they have received
preferment have not invested them with the
power of arbitrarily managing their political
affairs. They have no. right as otfce-hoiders
TO dictate the political action of their party
sociates or to throttle freedom of action within
party lines by methods and practices which
pervert every useful and justifable purpose of
party organization
The influence of Federal office-holders should
not be felt in the manipulation OF political
primary meetings and nominating conven-
lions. The use by these officials of their posi-
tons to compass their selection as delegates to
political conventions is indecent and unfair,
and proper regard for prophecies and REQUIRE
ments OF official place Will also prevent their
assuming the active conduct of political
campaigns.
Individual Interests and activity in political
affairs are by no means condemned. Office
holders are neither disfranchised nol for
hidden the exercise of pol itical privileges. but
their privileges are not enlarged nor is their
duty 10 party increased to pernicious activity
by ofiee-holding.
This Mr.. Mcguire regards as pretty