The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-02
Did He Think It Fair?

CUES. Do you think II fair to send La
nier out in the wilderness with the bur
den OF that whole transaction. without
stating to the other commissioners your
part in 1t, whatever 1t was?
Ans. What transaction?
Ques. Mixing up the affairs OF tho Cor
poration Commission. with the affairs of
the private company in which you were
interested?
Ans. | think the commissioners knew
of any participation / had In II, as far
as I had any participation In IT,.
CUES. Judge, when you came to write
that memorandum which was, effect. the
dismissal of LanIcr. did that state the
truth? Was 1t, In fact. because of his
personal relations with Upshur that you
dismissed him, or was 1t because of hts
participation. as an officer of the COM
mission, in the affairs of this corpora
ton company?
Ans. 1t stated tho truth, yes. we did
not dismiss him. but called for his resig-
nation. And the moro / think over that
thing. the more I am disposed TO think
1t was the wise thing. l think there
would have been a row in the Office In
the end unless mis- had been DONE. +
do not see any reason-I listened very
intently to Mr.. Stuart's statement here
last night, in great detail, and 1t did
not strike me, and II does not now, that
there was any reason why that was not
the proper and reasonable course to pur-
sue. | think we had TO do that, or we
mad TO try these charges; and / think
we would have been out of our senses.
almost, to have attempted. as officers
of the government. to try these charges.
The place for the trial OF those charges
was before a court OF competent juris-
diction.
Ques. Mr.. Stuart said this. He said
that when Lanier was called In there,
Lanier admitted the substance of these
charges. and that those admissions con-
victed him In his tStuart's) W mind,
and rendered 1t necessary that he should
be relieved OF his duties az officer OF the
commission. II that was the case. why
oughtnt YOU to have put In that memo
randum order, You are dismissed be-
cause you have attempted to make your
private corporation an annex to the
State Corporation Commission; you have
done those things In that regard which
you ought not to nave done? Why.
didn't you say that. Instead OF putting
1t upon the personal matters between
Upshur and Lanier? Wouldn't that have
been nearer the truth? Wouldn't 1t have
been franker and juster and Drawer to
have done that?
44llCc I1Slty oIdVe NlcIl.
Ans. 1 rather think not. 1 think
there are three pretty Just and brave
men there conducting that thing, GER
tainly two of them. leaving myself out.
| do not mean to say that 1t would not
be right. or that 1t would not be better;
but 1t must be said that we we've deal
Ing with a complicated situation. and
what we wanted to do anyhow was to
do what we thought was right.
Cues. Well. to got at your idea OF
what is right. Judge. If an accuser
comes and accuses a man of an offense,
an either proves the offense or the man
admits 1T, and the offense renders pun.
ishmcnt or dismissal necessary, do you
think 1t right to place that punishment
and dismissal upon the ground that there
Is a personal difficulty between the ac-
cuser and the accused. or do you think
1t is right to put 1t upon the fact that
the offense has been committed and
proven?
Ans. Well, that depends entirely upon
who Is to assign the reasons. l don't
think that we had any rlsht to try Las
nler upon this charge in the position IN
which we We're. l rather think not. and
I don't think we could unless there was
an absolute trial. We We're exercising
simply o,r constitutional right to let an
officer or employee go at any time; that
we should exercise our judgment In the
matter. -.
Ques. AS q. matter of fact, didn't you
bring him in there and ask him these
questions, and condemn him on his W
ndmissions2sss
Ans. : or course. among ourselves
We did that; yes
Cues. Don't you think it was n seriousS
mistake. under any circumstances, to sug-
gest that those personal references to
yourself should be eliminated from that
report?
unfair differences"
Ans. I5think It is u serious mistake i'll
this respect, that 1t opened up an avenue
for unfair differences, Yes. and put q