Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-05-24
.SPELLACY TURNS
DO WIN OFFER OF
HARTFORD MAYOR
Decides His Position as United
States Attorney Is Most
Important Work.
MAKES SACRIFICE
FOR PATRIOTISM
Offered Corporation Counsel
ship at $4,000 a Year But
Declines Offer.
Especial to The Times.)

Hartford. May 17-Universal com
mendation is heard here over the
patriotic stand of United States At
torney Thomas ]: Spellacy who has
turned down the offer of Mayor Rich
ard J. Kinsella to become corpora
ton counsel of Hartford.
Mr.. Spellacy as United States at
torney for Connecticut receives but
$4,000 per year and the duties require
all of his time. The corporation
counselship of Hartford pays. $4,000
a year, and it would be possible. for
Mr.. Spellacy to fill both positions as
there is nothing in the law which
could operate to stop him.
His view of the situation, however,
is that this is no time for men hold
ing public Office who can be of SER
vice to the government to think of
the profit there may be in a job.
Below is a copy of the letter which
MF. Spellacy sent to Mayor Kinsella
following the latters offer of the po-
sition. Its perusal will show the
reader that the author had an oppor-
tunity to serve in the National army
as a commissioned officer but at the
request of Attorney General Thomas
W. Gregory stuck to his post.
The appended letter of Mr.. Spellacy
to Mayor Kinsella is se1f-explanatory:
Honorable Richard ]. Kinsella,
Mayor of Hartford,
My Dear Mr. Kinsella:
Replying to your favor of May
8, may I not express my grateful
appreciation of the high compli-
ment which you have paid me?
Your prefer of the office of Cor
poration Counsel furnishes me an E
opportunity for public service,
which in ordinary times, 1 could
not well decline. My personal
preferences moreover, would in
cline me to accept, if for no other
reason than the pleasure it would
be to assist you in the. admins
tration of the city of Hartford
1t is therefore with a feeling Of
genuine regret that 1 am unable
to accept. The time is not prop
itious for the consulting of pri-
vate predictions. Our country
is at war, and until the war is
| won, it is incumbent on us ALI
| to fill the niche wherein we best =.
-ean serve our country
While tits true there is no law -
or regulation that would preclude
me from holding both the offices
of Corporation Counsel and
United States Attorney, 1 do not
! feel, in justice to the demands. of
| my present position, that L should
accept any appointment that
would in any slight measure
make inroads upon my time, the
whole of which I now devote to
the United States. I have prac-
| tically abandoned my private law
practice SO that my Federal du-
| ties might receive my undivided
attention 1t was my personal de-
sire to enter the service of the
United States. army. I applied
for a commission in the Judge
Advocate Generals Officers Re-
serve Corps and was rendered an
appointment as major. 1 consult
ed with the Attorney General in
regard to accepting this appoint
ment and under date of July 2,
| 1917, he wrote me as follows:
1.-The Department appreciates
your patriotic impulse to enter
the military service, and while
it is not the purpose of the De-
partment to interfere with anyone
} who desires to serve in the army,
it feels that, under the circuIn-
stances, you could be of more
service at this time as District
Attorney than in the Judge Ad-
vocate Generals officers Reserve
Corps, and therefore expresses
the desire for you to remain at
your present post"
I have written to you in detail
) the reasons which actuate my
J declination.. l have done so be-
cause I feel that you should be
fully apprised of all the facts, so
- as not to misunderstood my mi
tive. I fully appreciate your gen
= erous offer. 1 would like to accept
t the appointment. I am declining
only because 1 feel it my impera-
tive duty.
Cordially and sincerely yours,
| TIHnNHAC