The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-05
AN INDIGNANT CONGRE ESsMAN.
He Declares his Opinion of Sensation
Letter. Writers.


The Washington correspondent of the NJ Y
Herald of this morning w1ites:-
Inc sessions OF the House Committee on
Public Expenditures are becoming quite inte-
resting i'll consequence of the two important
Investigations with which they are charged, to
wit, the Alaska corruption fund and the Wells
Fargo contract Some of the correspondents
here are getting themselves into the hottest
KIND OF water in connection with these lively
Investigations. A young gentleman who cor
responds for a New York evening paper was
examined in relation to statement he made
recently charging the committee with unfair
ness in not summoning certain witnesses who
could furnish some light about the Wells Fargo
contract. He was asked upon what authority
ne had made the statement, and said that his
Informant was MIR. Spaids. Mr.. Broomall, of
Pennsylvania, inquired of the witness if he did
not know the statement was lie?
Correspondent-No, sir: | had reason to be.
leve the information reliable.
Mr.. BIoomall-Why did you not ask the COM
mittee about the matter?
Correspondent-Be I 6nd it difficult
generally, to get any information from mem
bers, and-.therefore have 10 seek ii in other
quarters.
Mr.. Broomall-Are you not in the habit of
writing sensational paragraphs because they
pay better?
GoTrcspondent-No, sill; write what con.
slider true
Mr.: Broomall-Don't sensational news pay
best
Correspondent-We are not employed TO fur
nsh sensations but facts.
At this part of the examination Mr.. Broomall
launched into sweeping denunciation OF cor
respondents in general, saying he believed they
manufactured such statements for the purpose
of blackmailing. For his part, ne would not
believe any correspondent In Washingto on under
| oath. He thought that any correspondent who
remained in Washington for even two weeks got
| thoroughly corrupted and unworthy of credit
| Mr. j. Lawrence GetZ, Democratic member from
| Pennsylvania, dissented from the sweeping de-
nunciation Of his colleague. He could not sit
| still and listen to such unjust condemnation of
| all newspaper men. For his part, he desired 10
say that he considered the oath of correspon-
| dent at least as good as that of member
| of Congress or any other man, aud he felt war
ranted IN saying as much for another member
of the committee, Mr.. Plants, OF ONO NO
doubt there were dishonest correspondents, but
| there were honest correspondents also, and he
thought they should not be illuminated,
| abused or placed on level with the seroblers
| OF easy virtue. Mr. Broomall reiterated that he
did Iot believe in the virtue of any of the cor
respondents of this wicked capital, aud sald
that, while he did not object to them pitching
into himself as fe-cely as they might desire, he
did hoIe they would never attempt to praise
him. To obtain their praise, he added, would
give the public good around to suspect
gular verbal ''spat" with Broomall about his
depreciation of newspaper men in general, but
| it was 20 weak and senseless on both sides as to
be unworthy OF publication. Late IN the alter
noon another correspondent was before the
committee, or rather two members OF it, Broom
all and Hulburd Why the other members were
| not present uOL huOWi CerJdlDly al ledst one OF
them was not notified at all. The correspondent
represents Philadelphia paper, and is the one
referred to by Robert j. Walker and Frederick
Stanton as a blackmailer. The correspondent
to-day had the testimony OF Walker
and Stanton read over to him in the
committee room, and pronounced each and
every statement referring TO himself to be com.
pletely false. Thus thsre is a nice issue between
this correspondent and his accusers- an issue,
in fact, which amounts to the tallest kind of
false swearing on one side or the other. There
is something curious about the testimony of
Stanton on this branch of the Alaska investiga
| tion. He made the same statement weeks ago,
but asked the committee not TO have 1t reported
"a request which, curiously enough, was
granted by the committee. 1t is wonderful that
the indignant Broomal and his colleagues
should be so merciul to one newspaper man
and yet 80 severe on all the rest.