William Kent to Woodrow Wilson
Title
William Kent to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Kent, William, 1864-1928
Identifier
WWP25359
Date
1918 October 30
Description
Kent criticizes the Attorney General's handling of the Bouck case.
Source
Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
Freedom of speech
World War, 1914-1918--United States
Contributor
Danna Faulds
Language
English
Provenance
Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.
Text
The President
The White House.
My dear Mr. President:
It was very kind of you to write me at such length concerning the Bouck case. The form of the indictment is to my mind specific evidence that Bouck was not correctly reported. No man capable of filling his position in the community would or could be guilty of such imbecile remarks.
My friend and your friend, George P. Hampton of the Farmers’ Open Forum, who is available at all times in Washington, was at the meeting and testifies that Bouck said nothing at all about war finance and that the charges made against him were therefore absurdly false. After personal knowledge of Hampton for six or eight years I have absolute confidence in his statements.
I am sorry to be obliged to reiterate the statement that I believe there is a serious weakness in the Attorney General’s office in that the Attorney General, whom I esteem and respect, has determined upon an obstinate policy of absolute trust in the subordinate prosecutors despite any evidence that may be brought as to their disqualification or disqualification of the evidence upon which they are acting.
When you address queries to the Attorney General you merely get a repetition of the charges which in the case of Bouck and the case of Miss Pollock I believe to be unfounded and growing out of prejudice. I ask in this case that someone not subject to the hallucination that the sub-prosecutors of the Department of Justice can do no wrong, be asked to investigate and report as in the Mooney case.
Yours truly,
William Kent
The White House.
My dear Mr. President:
It was very kind of you to write me at such length concerning the Bouck case. The form of the indictment is to my mind specific evidence that Bouck was not correctly reported. No man capable of filling his position in the community would or could be guilty of such imbecile remarks.
My friend and your friend, George P. Hampton of the Farmers’ Open Forum, who is available at all times in Washington, was at the meeting and testifies that Bouck said nothing at all about war finance and that the charges made against him were therefore absurdly false. After personal knowledge of Hampton for six or eight years I have absolute confidence in his statements.
I am sorry to be obliged to reiterate the statement that I believe there is a serious weakness in the Attorney General’s office in that the Attorney General, whom I esteem and respect, has determined upon an obstinate policy of absolute trust in the subordinate prosecutors despite any evidence that may be brought as to their disqualification or disqualification of the evidence upon which they are acting.
When you address queries to the Attorney General you merely get a repetition of the charges which in the case of Bouck and the case of Miss Pollock I believe to be unfounded and growing out of prejudice. I ask in this case that someone not subject to the hallucination that the sub-prosecutors of the Department of Justice can do no wrong, be asked to investigate and report as in the Mooney case.
Yours truly,
William Kent
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Collection
Citation
Kent, William, 1864-1928, “William Kent to Woodrow Wilson,” 1918 October 30, WWP25359, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.