New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-04
THE DEFENSE OF SENATOR JAMES WOOD

Senator James WOODS ltIeIse uedlllSU ''0
report Of the Investigating Committee IN the matter of
his Collision with Tweed and Gould presented to
the State Senate yesterday, by Mr. Lewis The docu-
ment travcrses the allegations of the Committee and
without citing facts TO disprcve THE TRiD-
UNr's charges seeks by elaborate eXtenua-
ton to clear MI Wood from the posiIion
In which the Committees report places him. fs'' is
argued that the acts charged were committeu previous
his election TO the present Legislature ana th' WIN
his constituents alone lies the business OF at'ehue "
tie character Of its representatives. Furthermore us
claimed that the bills which Mr.. Wood voted for "erc
not at that time condemned. IL IS main'anicu
that hc bearing Of these acts Of the eonator upon ts
investigation, does not in thc leiist 1870 hnt
the mgDuer in which they are now regaTuSu OtiC
Ipou tie manner in which they were Iesuuet, vi II!
which he may be presumed 10 nave LctdIut ILL., 81.
tc time OF diving heu MS support Ihe report contains
no evidence that those measures are now uhiNelsdny
condemned. The ConntteG says, these measures WI
where conccdedl Certainly not by Senator WOOD, or
l,y any person. shown e. be SO 10y any testimony on
ti Investigations Those measures nay anu may ~.
have measures Of mpurity. but there - nothing
which this nvestga lion dscloses ON the s1Dcet ctncr
one way or Tie othor Inc COhlt'ee auu, tl"' rs
measures OF conceded Eipu!tJ were ho.or01sp con-
nectei with corrupt legislation aId o,ncr oLtas's 3 "
great euonuity.' Upon what does the C0mlntee oaSe
TINS statements Certainly not upon any tiins "Ich a
lc.rod before them On THIS iiiycalGdtio.- =,
character of bills which the Senator sustained, fol-
lows regard the loans from Tweed, the defense
wood he was 20 or 80 senators the pending
-
was made it declares "thc conduct of Senator Wood il
rc.ud to the measures before the senate specially IA
tbS preyioIs sots.ope, in accUrlancc with the
ion of political associates Recitns the cSnony OF
Tweed. which carefully eXonoIalos Mr.. Wood rem any
collision in his measures, the defense aods; lhese
statements cover tic whole ground ana leave no room
not venture 10 alleSe IN tceir report as an teICTe
from these traneacuonS Bribery OF the nature sup
posed. is not acc0mpished apprehend, without some
neg0uatons There Is not OhlJ DO tIuIiIa'e iooI Vi
bribery in this any proof from which reasona-
bic inference OF b4ery can be drawn bat The negative
OF The $1,000 loan from Tweed. it ia stated an the
a fool and he had occasion 10 give $4,000 Tor any hing
that senator wood had done or could do for him.
but for lis friends Chamberlain and Libby,
ia NeY-Y0Ik and all lie , apGe1i ,r for Txos or
would aid his friends to get discounts on good
paper at the Tenth National Bank IN which he was
ashicr Of the bank but they IL appears we're not scs
fed with the security offered by him; and Mr.; Wood
being afferWard in New York, went with Chamberlain
10 see Mr. Tweed who declined to have anything to do
T1 loan mr. % to senator Sn tor WGd on ~" his
and did SO, and Wood immediately gave 1t to
Chamberlain with whom he interested in business
II may have been indicate and improper for Mr. Wood
to have applied to Mr. Tweed as he did for loan TO his
hi nts but if so it was fault and not crime
it he tortured into crime upon any evidence which ms
Inc Gould loan 1t is urged is hardly worth attention,
as therc were no measures before the Legislature in
which Mr. Wood could have aided the Erie Ring But, 1t
Il admitted two other considerations operated upon the
mind of Mr. Gould. Mr.. OOd resided at Gencsco, and the
Erie road interested in projected railroad 10 run
through GeneseO to form connection for the Erie
through the Genesse Valley Mr.. Gould was anxious to
secure Nh Woods active eXerions in behalf OF that
road; that was doubtless inducemcnt to the loan.
Prior 10 election Mr.. Gould had, he eses, fur
nished to Mr. Humphrey the opposing candidate 10 Mr.
wood for the nomination at Saratoga $780, 10 enable
him to obtain the nomination. He wished TO balance
that account, il Mr. Wood laid il up against him, and
probably thought 1t an easy way Of doiDg by oaning
$4,000, payable in year"
The defense concluded with the sentiment that such
actions as these trivial in Themselves not the proper
subjects for the Legislature to decide upon, ana that
Senator wood cannot be held to account for acts that in
dcatc the strength OF his friendship rather than weak
hess corruption.