The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-05-22
BRISTOL WAS NOT APPOINTED.

There are quite a few insurgents
in this county who are induStriously
circulating the statement that w.
@. Bristol, the attorney who was
removed from the position Of United
States attorney for Oregon, had been
appointed by President Roosevelt
again and that he was confirmed and
was acting IN his official capacity.
! discredit of Senator Kittredge. 1t
is rather difficult to understand why
these insurgents are circulating
such u report Wien the matter was
thoroughly settled two months ago
when a new attorney was appointed.
Here is a statement that was pub
lished from Washington on March 81
and shows just the status of the
Bristol matter then and there has
been 10 change in the situation
since:
Washington, March 21.-At last
the state OF Oregon has a United
States attorney. John McCourt has
been appointed by the president,
confirmed by the senate and his COM
mission has been Issued. Immediately
after the commission was signed
Attorney General Bonaparte instruc-
ted the g district attorney by
telegraph to enter upon the duties
OF his office without delay.
This news is OF interest in South
Dakota only because of the exploita-
tion of tile Bristol case by opponents
of Senator Kittredpe in that state.
The alleged Associated ,Fress dis
patch published in a Sioux Falls
paper Sunday, March g. to the
effect that United States Attornev
Bristol had received Instructions the
day before from Washington direct
from the attorney general, to proceed
Immediately with the work Of the
federal court in Oregon did not con.
tain a scintilla Of truth with respect
either to the alleged instruction or to
the authority alleged to have been
conferred upon Bristol to appoint
two assistant United States attor-
neys.
Inquiry at the department. OF
Justice brings forth the most
emphatic denial after a careful read
Ing OF the Published article BY officials
OF the department. Furthermore,
1T Is believed here that the alleged
Portland dispatch is altogether a
fake, and that no such story ever
was sent out from Portland by the
Associated Press. The subject matter
was not sufficiently important to
justify the Associated Press In send.
ing out a story Of the magnitude
which 1t presented in a South Dakota
paper. This fact alone is pointed
out as sufficient to stamp the story
a fake on its face.
While this information. was being
obtained FROM the department. OF
justice, 1T was apparent from every
official interviewed, that the final
Disappearance of Bristol as an official
OF the United States was a genuine
relief to all concerned. Among The
highest officials Bristol's record us a
district attorney has been very
unsatisfactory, but no more so per-
haps than was to have been expected
from the character Of the man as
exhibited In his double dealing with
clients prior to his appointment. III
Bristol las the good opinion Tor any
bony in Washington, whether at the
White house, IN the department of
Justice, department. Of tie interior
or in congress, that fact is not
evidenced. That his original
appointment was a mistake and his
administration of tue Office altogether
unsatisfactory is now admitted by
every officer OF the government in
formed on the subject.