The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-03-05
WILLIAMS QUIT
HIS OFFICE
In Letter to President
John Shelton Williams
Expresses Opinion
of Senate

ton Williams retired tonight as comp
trOllcr of the currency In accepting
his resignation with deep and genu-
inc reluctance" President Wilson
wrote Mr.. Williams that he had been
done gross injustice" by the way
in which the senate banking commit
tee had handled the question of his
rccOntrmation.
Il can only believe, however" said
the president, that time will disclose
the injustice to everybody and that
the right verdict Will be rendered by
opinion if not by one OF the houses
of congress.
Il hav" had tn" pleasure upon more
than one occasion OF expressing to
YOU the approval, not only but the
admiration with which ] hove follow
ed the administration OF your office.
You can carry away with you into
private life the satisfaction of hav-
ing performed the duties of comp
trollcr Of the currency in a way which
has rcd"undcd not only to the credit
Of this administration but to the ma
| tcrial benefit OF tn" financial intc .ests
| OF the country"
The president was writing in re-
! Ply to Il letter from Mr.. Williams on
! February 2H rendering his rcsigna-
| ton, effective tonight and in which
| he took a parting shot at some Of his
| critics in congress. The retiring
| cOmptrOllcr charged that certain
selatOrs who had the power to bring
his nomination before the senate had
dodgcd and cvadcd ANONYMOUSLY"
Mr. Williams also wrote that since
in 'tho expressed opposition" To his
confirmation ana prolonged hearings
before two senate banking commit
tees virtually had put him. by i'm
pication,' under charges he had felt
that hr was "cntitlcd % "a verdict"
Il haN" ur@Cd ana pleaded in Vain,"
he said, "discusSion in the open sem
At" o. executive session OF any objec-
uon to my confirmation. My infor-
nation is that Senator Mclean OF
Connecticut, chairman OF the banking
lana currency committee. refused to
report my case because he promised a
iCcrtain part iSan politician not n mem-
bcr Of the senate that he would not
report il.
unfortunately, | was compelled to
pat into the record of the hearings
an incident seriously involving the
VcrHCitN of the man who's" favor Sem
atOr Mclean sought 10 obtain at tho
cost of Justice and fair dealing ! am
informed, however, that the person to
whom tn" promise was made recent
~ consented TO release Senator Nc
Lean from the obligation referred TO
but TIA" senator refused to submit
the matter Of my confirmation TO Il
senate containing Il majority Of his
own party
- am compelled TO conclude that
this senator lacks both the moral
and mental Caliber TO uphold the du-
ties ana dignitics OF his Office, and
that the consideration due to those,
as well as the most sacred political
land personal purposes"
Mr.. Williams said the wide publi-
cation of a statement that the bank
ing committee reported against his
nomination WAS false" and that he
would haze WELCOMED such a report
ii it had resulted i'm securing for me
Il bearing before the senate or the
lpublic:"
He added that If there was q will
to make it, the nerve was lacking"
The retiring comptroller told the
president that his resignation under
the circumstances and before cXDira-
ti"n Of thr time | might have occu-
pied this office under my present ten
urc. and pending action by the senate
on nay nomination "rcquircd him to
present this very brief compilation Of
the facts and OF the reason for my
action"
The president in reply said he had
read the "lcttcr with the greatest
sympathy"
Mr.. Williams is returning to his
home in Richmond to become chair
man Of the board of directors OF the
Richmond Trust company. The retir-
ing comptroller first came promincnt-
~ before The country in 1915 when
the liSSs National Pank of Wash
ington. b. c., sought temporary ana
permanent njunctions 10 prevent him
from making what the bank charged
were unlawful demands for special
reports Of various kinds. The bank
allc@od that Mr.. Williams and the
then secretary of the treasury, Will
! liam G. McAdoo, had combined ana
! cONSpircG to wreck The bank.
Since that Time MIR. Williams has
! Been engaged in number Of con-
/ troV,rSirs with VariouS banks and in
! di,idua!s. including New York banks,
which n" accused of charging usuri-
oua rates OF interest. the New York
stock exchange. Representative Nc
Faddcn of Pennsylvania. who unsuc-
ccssfully sought to obtain an iniunc-
ton i'm Hcnus} }lNaniI restraining The
comptroller from making persistent
demands uu The First National TanIL
of canton for statements of its con-