The Washington herald., 1922-08-09
A Politicized Department of
Justice.

"Marse" Henry Watterson had
been a warm personal and political
friend TO Grover Cleveland until
Cleveland's candidacy for a second
term. when they fell out. and
''Marse" Henry opened on him with
some of his most choice rhetoric
In the columns Of the Courier
Journal When taken to task for
abusing his one time political
friend. whom he had so ardently
supported in the past, his reply
was:
Things have come to a hell of
pass,
When a man can't wallop his
own jackass.
In the last election I worked and
prayed for the success of Harding
and the Republican par'> with all
the zeal of an ardent patriot and a
new convert. firmly believing. in the
simplicity and guilelessness of my
soul. that the election of the Re-
publicans was indispensable to our
peace. prosperity. and the preserva-
tion OF our institutions. am be-
ing reluctantly convinced by the
performances and inadequate func-
tioning of the administration that
I was the victim of my own hal
lucinations, and that the Grand Old
Party. instead Of achieving any
thing. has. after more than a year,
stopped in the middle Of doing
nothing to do something worse"
My first attack shall be aimed at
its most vulnerable point. viz. the
~
ment of Justice; which I shall pro-
ceed to call to strict accountable
ity" on the three following charges.
to be followed by supporting speci-
fications, viz: That II Is incom-
petent. That the department has
been politicized. And that II is
lacking the moral courage to dis
charge its manifest duties.
Confidence on the part Of the peo-
pie in our courts and in the legal
departments OF the government is
indispensable to the welfare Of the
nation, and to the perpetuation or
our institutions. Destroy that con-
fidence. and what security has the
social order, or the Individual in
his life. liberty, property. and pur-
suit of happiness? And yet for the
first time in the history of the ma
ton the Department of Justice has
been politicized. and put in charge
of a man renowned only for his
local political activities. who Is
made the administrations politicai
executioner. and dispenser of poiiti-
cal patronge-a work that mas
heretofore. and properly. been con-
fided to the Postmaster General.
Shades of Randolph. Lee. Pinkney.
Writ. Mason. Johnson, Black. Gar
land. and others of the immortal
worthless who have filled that eN-
aIted office since 1889. what tpink
We of this prostitution of your
noble functions. and of the low
estate into which your off1ce has
fallen. to say nothing Of the pres
emf wearer of the spotless mantle
Won did so much to honor and for
which YOU inspired the esteem ana
confidence of the people!
II Ia a well-known fact that most
applicant for political appointments
have to receive the OK OF the Az
torney General. and that ne has
been one of the most earnest ad-
vocates of a return to the spoiis
system. He has not concealed his
opposition to the Civil Service, TO
which We owe the little efficiency
there is in the government, ana In
a recent hearing before commit
tee of the Senate his cynical and
contemptuous attitude towards II
was made manifest by him.
No greater disservice was ever
done a chief by a subordinate than
when he induced the President to
commute the sentence of Eugene v.
Debs, which, in a labored thirteen
page typewritten statement, he ad-
mitted he did for reasons of policy,
and not because there had been any
miscarriage Of justice in his case.
Debs had not only failed his coun-
try in the hour of her peril, put In
every way possible had attempted
to thwart and hinder her in her
efforts to. prepare for and prosecute
the war. When convicted. as he
properly was, and asked II he had
anything to say why sentence
should not be Imposed he gloried
In and tried to justify his acts in
open court, asserting he would do
the same things again under the
same circumstances. II the dead
be cognizant of earthly things what
must the spirits of our departed
heroes, who died that fire. govern
ments should not perish. and whose
remains lie buried in the. blood
stained fields OF Europe. think when
they contemplate the tender solici-
tude that was shown this traitor to