Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-08-12
CASTLE OUT OF
LAND OFFICE
HIS RESIGNATION AS CHEF
CLERK MEETS PROMPT &C
cEPTANcE.
CHANGE GROWS OUT OF CUES.
TIoN OF POLITICAL AcTIvI-
TY IN VACATION.
Madison. Aug.

B. j. Castle ceased at noon yester
day to be chief clerk of the state
land office. He read to the state
land commission Thursday a lettel
recalling that he had for number O
years past been in the habit of de
voting his summer vacations to max
ing political speeches and otherwise
Icounseling with his fellow citizens or
matters political, and that if he was
not to be allowed to do as he pleased
with his vacation the commission
might accept his resignation. This
the commission did yesterday morn
ing and Mr.. Castle packed his trunk
in the afternoon. The vote of the
commission was two to one in favor
of accepting the resignation Attorney
General Gilbert voting in the negative
and Secretary of State Frear aud
State Treasurer Dahl voting for &C
ceptance. There is considerable COT
respondence in connection with the
resignation.
The salary Of chief clerk of the land
succeeded c. E. Morley in that posi-
ton a few years ago, and before that
time was Tor a number of years as
sistant chief clerk. The position is
not subject TO the civil service sys-
tenn -.
Il appears that the disposition of
Mr.. Castle to oppose on the stump
the candidates. of Congressman John
M. Nelson in the third district and l..
L. Lenroot in the eleventh district
was connected with the developments
which led to his discontinuance in
office. Mr. Castle now feels free to
devote as much time as he likes to
Secretary of State
Frear said yesterday that the matter
of a successor to Mr.. Castle had not
been considered as yet
Commission Divided
Mr.. Frear and Mr.. Dahl, two of the
commissioners, said they did hot
care to comment upon the resignation
of Mr.. Castle but that his letter writ
ten to the commission stated he de-
sired to enter the primary contest to
publicly show that certain candi-
date for congress was utterly unfit
to mold any office of honor or trust" "
With this announced intention be-
fore them and not desiring to be held
for such statements they
accepted the resignation voluntarily
offered by Mr.. Castle, leaving him
free to act as he chose.
The relations of the commission
ers and the chief clerk have always
been pleasant personally and it was
a matter of official propriety in which
they differed from Mr. Castle.
The position of a majority of the
is evidenced by the
letter of acceptance of the resigna-
ton. 1t is given out only after the
statement of facts appearing in the
evening papers which did not fairly
state the commissions position but
did give the reasons advanced by At
torney General Gilbert in his non
The letter follows:
Letter Accepting Resignation.
August 7th. 1905
Mr.. b. j. Castle.
Chief Clerk Land Department,
Madison, Wisconsin.
Dear Sir:
Your communication of the 4th
inst. read to the commissioners in
session and handed to the chairman,
has been received and carefully con-
sidered.
Without entering into any discus
sion over its merits you are advised
that the chairman of the commission
did informally confer with the mem
bers of the commission regarding
certain complaints which had been
lodged with him affecting proposed
speeches to be made by you against
congressional candidates in the ap-
preaching primary campaign. The
chairman was requested by the other
certain the facts, and he understood
the commissioners were agreed II
would be matter of questionable
propriety for you to attack candidates
in the primary election campaign
while occupying the position OF chief
clerk of the land department. He
further advises us that he called up
on YOU at the land office as suggested
but that you were not then in your
office and he left word requesting you
to call at his office which you did.
Some difference of understanding
exists as to the character of the dis
cussion, but we learn you were Their
advised the commission did not care
to be held responsible if you, while
CHIEF clerk of the land office, entered
into any primary contest against tht
candidacy of any one in the mannel
proposed by you. We also under
stand you were further advised tina
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