The San Francisco call., 1898-01-22
H. ". PATTON
 BRINGS SUIT
 FOR LIBEL Assault Upon the In- tegrity of The Call
 Correspondent. The Attack Promptly Re- sented by the Gentle
 man Maligned. Will Make the Los Angeles Herald Prove It's Asser- lions in COI1rt
THE COMPANY DESPERATE.
Stops at Nothing Now to Punish tho Men Who Exposed It's Nefa-
 riOus Schemes.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LOS ANGELES, Cal, Jan. 21.-Like a fabled monster in it's death throes the syndicated press, undoubtedly in- stigated by the Los Angeles City Wa ter Company and it's corporation al- lies, has been wildly and blindly striking out in every direction, hoping by some chance to infict serious in- jury upon one or another of those who have been engaged in the battle against them and for the people.
 The continuation of the vicious, ma Iignant and cowardly assaults came this morning. It was in the shape of an editorial directed ostensibly at H. W. Patton. who was the Democratic candidate for Congress from the Sixth District during the last cam paign. MT. Patton has held positions under the Federal Government, is one of the trustees of the Highlands h. sane Asylum, and only recently re- signed his position as trustee of the Whittier Reform School He has been prominent politically for more than ten years, and neither his official rec ord nor his private character has ever before been assailed in public or private.
 During all these years he has also been engaged in newspaper work in Southern California, and has always been above reproach. whether acting in the capacity of employe or pub. fisher These facts make the attack printed in the Herald this morning the more dastardly. While, as already stated, the editorial was apparently aimed at MT Patton in his public character, it was in reality designed to injure. discredit and disparage him in. revenge for his supposed part Tn the exposures recently made in The Call in reference to the water com- pany's proposed steal.
 MT Patton, it may be stated is The Calls regular resident correspondent in this city, The editorial in question Is as follows:
 For some months it has been an open secret that H. w. Patton Is booked for the appointment of State Bank Examin- CT to fill the next vacancy that occurs
 MT Patton himself has made this an open secret by proclaiming on every con verfent ocasion that he has an iron-bound and brass-riveted pledge from Governor Budd to that effect. Without presuming to question the authenticity of Mir Pat toms proclamation. and without any de- sire to butt its head against the inevit- able the Herald wishes to observe that such an appointment, If made. would be en exceedingly bad one. It would be dis credftable for the administration disas- trous to the Democratic party In this end of the State, and an injustice to the pub lic in whose interests a bank examiner is supposed to be employed. A good and
 sufficient reason may be assigned for each one of these objections. Tn the first place. Patton knows no more about the banking business that Hottentot knows
 of heaven. He Is not an accountant: he Is not a man of business training; he Is
 rot one whose judgment could be relied upon to decide involved and intricate mat ters such as the bank examiners are fre-
 quently confronted with
 Secondly, if a man is to be selected from the ranks of the Democratic party in Southern California for an office of honor and emolument, Patton Is. not creditable nor an acceptable representa- tive It has been openly charged that during the last campaign in this district Patton, having received the Democratic
 nomination for Congressman, sold out | his claim for coin and retired from the | canvass. He negotiated with the Silver Republican Campaign Committee and | transferred all of his right, title and in- l terest to Barlow. There is a man who | says he can show a check with PattonS | indorsement as evidence of this transac- 1 tion. If this be true Patton was guilty | of an act of treachery to his party which
 ought to forever bar him from partici- ] patton in it's councils or a share in the l honors which it has to bestow. If the | story be not true Patton has had abun- | dant opportunity to deny 1t in the col umns if his own paper. for 1t was pub | Hshed more than a week ago.. Instead l of denying it in an open, manly and hon.
 est way, however, he met 1t like buff | foon and tried to convert the whole mat 1 ter into a joke. The rank and file of the
 Democratic party in this end of the State
 are too much in earnest to have their att | tention diverted by any such procedure.
 They want to know whether Patton jug | gled and bartered away the high honor
 which they once conferred upon him. If
 Patton has any defense to make which he cannot make in his own paper the