The San Francisco call., 1896-10-18
is REMOVED BY
THE PRESIDENT
District Attorney Clayton of
Alabama Ousted in
Short Order.
Refused to Heed Harmon's Warn
ing Not to Participate
in Politics.
A CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS.
AS Such he Supported the Chicago
Platform and Made Speeches
to Constituents.
A CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS,

WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. 17.-Henry
D. Clayton, United States Attorney for
the Middle District of Alabama, was to-
day summarily removed from Office by the
President. Mr.. Clayton was delegate to
the Chicago convention. is now candi-
date for Congress from the Second District
of Alabama and is son-in-iaw OF Senator
Pugh of that State. Assistant District
Attorney C. F. Moore has been placed in
charge of the Office.
Some interesting correspondence led up
to to-day's action by the President. Earlp
in October Attorney-General Harmon
wrote Mr.. Clayton letter stating that
newspaper clippings ana letters showed
that he was candidate for Congress and
his duties as District Attorney made the
positions conflict with each other. To this
letter no reply was received. On October
s Attorney General Harmon wrote Mr..
Clayton another letter in which he as
sumed that his first letter had not been
received by Mr.. Clayton. He repeated
much of his first letter in subs bstance, and
concluded: please advise me upon re-
ceipt of this what you propose to do in
view of the rule which makes your candi-
dacy for another Office inconsistent with
the holding of your present position"
Mr.. Clayton, on October IA, replied from
Montgomery, Ala, to this last letter of
Acknowledgement Harmon. He states
that he was the regular nominee of the
Democratic party from the Montgomery
district for Congress, and was engaged in
the discharge of his duties as District At
torney; that he had heard of no COM
plants as to his negIecting his work, but
that he was making speeches in behalf of
his candidacy. He concluded as follows {:
"I am not aware that any of the duties
of my Office have been neglected. 1 have
thought that man, though an office
holder, had the right of free speech and
the right to aspire to represent the people.
do not believe that my retention of the
Office of District Attorney should preclude
me from those rig hts of citizenship which
are enjoyed by my fellow-citizens. 1
therefore respectfully decline to admit
that my candidacy for Congress is incon-
sistent or incompatible with my present
position"
Attorney-General Harmon laid the COR
respondence before the President and at 2
O'Clock this telegram was sent:
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
WASHINGTON. D. c., Oct. IL, 1861
Henry d. Clayton. Office Of United States At
torney, Montgomery, AtG.: For reasons appear
ing in our correspondence the President has
to-day removed you from the office of United
States Attorney, which you now hold. You
will govern yourself accordingly. Answer 10
your letter mailed to-day.
JUDsoN HARMON, Attorney-Gener
The letter herein referred to reads as
follows:
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Oct. IL, 1861
Henry D. Clayton, OdEce of United States At
toTney. Montgomery, Ald.-SIR: Your letter of
the 14th inst was received to-day, and after
consultation with the President an order for
your emoval was made, of which you have
just been advised by wire and of which l now
1nciose copy. 1t hardly seems necessary to
your willful and persistent disregard of the
settled rule and practice of the department to
which expressly called your attention in my
letter of the 8th inst, but which IL is fair to
assume you knew before.
This rule has been acquiesced in with re-