Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-08-30
CINCINNATI, Aug. 3, 1856.
Mr.. THos. HE4ToN--

Mr.. THos. HE4ToS--
DEAR SfR:-Your favor OF yesterday, with
the enclosed published statements of Judge
Johnson, has been received. Icheerfu'ly com
ply with your request to state all know in
reference to The subject in controversy.
My means Of knowledge consist in the
fact that during the legislative session Of
1889, was clerk of the House of Repre-
sentatiyes Of The Ohio Legislature, aud was
in daily and intimate association with those
members Of that House, whose conduct is
called in question.
Judge Johnson's first error consists in his
list OF NJ Chase's adherents, Dr. Townsend
and Mr.. Randall. Mr. Randall was nc.
member of the House of Representatives at
all, but was OF the Senate. The person he
refers to was John T. Morse, of Lake county.
Jud ge Johnston is mistaken again in his
statement that these gentlemen were both
elected as Wings. They were both on the
contrary, elected in opposition TO regular
Wing and Democratic nominations, as mem
berS and by the supporters OF what was
known as the Free Soil party
The serious charge made by Judge John
son is, that Messrs. Townsend aud Morse,
by and with the advice and consent OF Mr.
| Chase. made a contract, by which they
! agreed to vote for Pugh and Pierce against
| Spencer and Runyon, in the Hamilton county
contest in consideration of which the DEM
ocratic members agreed to vote for Mr Chase
as Senator. This charge think know to
! be untrue, in letter and spirit
! The facts concerning the decision OF that
contest, according to my recollection, are as
follows: The House OF Representatives had
remained nearly three weeks without an or
ganizatou. An agreement was finally mad
for an organization of CT the House, between
Messrs. Townsend and Morse on the one
hand, g. the Democratic members on the 9th &.
er, whicE conte uplated and resulted in the
election Of John G. Breslin as Speaker, and
myself as Clerk; Pugh and Pierce, as well as
; Spencer anC Runyon, not being allowed to
take their seats in the first instance 1t was
! then agreed by the same parties, that Town
send and Morse. in the decision of the cleo
ton contest, 7Uuld vote in favor of the right
! of Pugh and Pierce, on condition that a sui.
fcent number of Democratic members would
unite with them in the passage of lew re-
pealing the Black Laws. This was the CON.
tract and the whole contract. 1t made no
provision whatever for the election of Mr.
Chase or any other man to office. On she
contrary, the Democratic members, to many
OF whom the Black Laws were very distaste-
| !ul, would have been very glad to have sub.
sttued the election of Mr.. Chase, as their
part of the agreement, ins,eud Of that meas
ure, had in been supposed that Messrs. Town.
send aud Morse would have consented to such
bargain. 1t was well known that they
would not. may add here, from my person.
al knowledge, that Dr. Townsend's opinions,
from the first, were against the constitution
ality OF the division of Hamilton county, and
in favor of the rights to seats claimed by
Pugh and Pierce, and that he would have vo-
ted in that way. without reference to the vote
Of the Democratic members upon the ques-
tiun of repeating the Black Laws. But that
fact was not known TO the Democratic men,
bcrs, and he took the advantage of the cir
cumstance 10 accomplish what he believed to
be great reform in legislation. r
! deny, therefore, that there was any such
contract as Judge Johnson alleges to have
been made. Ifthere was none SUCH ,'of course
it is impossible for it TO be true that it was
in Mr.. Chases handwriting and for many
months on exhibition at printing Office in
this city, as asserted by Judge Johnson.
The election of Mr.. Chase took place on
the 22d of February, ls49. do not deny
that it was matter Of arrangement between
Me.srs. Townsend and Morse on the one
hand and the Democratic members on the
other Neither party in the Legislature had
a maority-no party alone could elect sin
gle man 10 office. Townsend and Morse had
to act either with the Wing or Democratic
, party, or to suffer those two parties to act to-
gethcr agains: them. The Democratic par
~ was willing to elec. their candidate fol
! Senator. This was what they principally
; cared for. To accomplish this, there willing
to elect Democrats 10 Judgeships and othe
! officers, and this they did. 1t notnecessar!
for me to justify such an arrangement. No
| body ever objected to it, except those who ex
, pected to participate in similar one ant
I. were disappointed. Even Judge Johnson
> that whom no one can pretend to greater ter
, derness OF conscience in politics, states tha
: it is not to this sort of q bargain that h
objects.
n Respectfully, Sc,
STANLEY MATTHEW'S.