American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-03-15
POmerOy's Tale.

Old subsidy Pomeroy's account of his
pecuniary transaction with York is very
properly characterized as chin" 1t is
considerably thinner than the average
sOap-bubble, and even thinner than Mr..
Colfax's romantic and affecting story of
the departed Contractor Nesbitt. Mr..
Pomeroy ingeniously admits that he gave
York 81, 900 at q certain critical juncture,
but asserts that it was intended as loan
to assist Mr.. Page and his associates in
starting national bank at Independence,
and was handed to York to be handed by
him to Page. But York, instead of de-
nvermg the money as agreed, f1ourished
II In the face of the General Assembly of
the State Of Kansas, and declared that
forderoy had paid it to him for his vote
and support. Perfidious York.
This is an interesting story, and one
which places Pomeroy before the credu-
1ous inithe attitude of deeply wronged
man, the victim OF a foul conspiracy
which could never have succeeded had he
been less generous and confiding. But,
unfortunately for Pomeroy, the story is
not quite SO credible as some that have
been told in Washington since last De-
cember. In the first place, it is a signifi-
can't fact that the money was handed 20
York just at the time when it "would do
most good in promoting Mr.. Pomeroy's
Cured just before the Senatorial election,
and, according to Pomeroy's own state
ment, the money was delivered just after
conversation between him and York on
the subject of the election, in the course
of which York reported "what had been
going on at the anti Ponaeroy caucus.
In the next place, it is significant fact
that no receipt for the money was given
~ York, and no memorandum of the
~ IA
tomary among men who know how to un-
lock the public treasury to transfer such
sums OF money without passing receipts.
These favored individuals may not be in
the habit Of doing business in the ordi-
nary way; but less favored persons will
naturally think it q suspicious circum-
stance that Mr.. Pomeroy did not ask a
receipt for the 81, 600 he put in York's
hands. He does not seem to have had
sufficient reason to place unbounded con
fidence in York. Indeed, it would appear
from his own statement that he had
some reason to distrust the man. He
says York came to him and reported the
doings Of the anti P0meroy caucus. From
this he must have concluded that York
was either acting in good faith
with his enemies, or playing the spy in
their camp. In either case he could
hardly have regarded the man as per-
fectly Trustworthy, while he might well
have considered him just the sort of
man to be made more trustworthy by
means of goodly bride.
Pomeroy says that York asked him for
the money to send to Page, representing
that Page had asked him to do SO. 81
told him." says Pomeroy, 81 soas not pre-
pared at that time to furnish 1t, although I
had promised it to Page before left the
city. York said perhaps had no conf
in I h i'm, Of
hdence, and told him I cou'd furnish So, 600
at that time, and thought should be able to
tuTaish 81, 600 more the nert day." Thus,
according to Pomeroy's own statement,
ne nrst showed his want of confidence
BY saying he was not prepared to furnish
tho money at that time, and showed it SO
plainly that it did not escape York's no.
tice, and afterwards he showed his I'M
bounded confidence by admitting that he
had the money, and by handing it over
without even asking for a receipt! Mr..
Pomeroy's confidence in York seems to
have been plant of incredibly rapid
growth, passing from the seed to prolific
bearing in the space of about one minute.
The Kansas Senator'S statement that
the $1,000 he gave York was intended for
Page will not appear any more credible
when it is considered that there was no
need of trusting the money to a third
had reason to believe, was decidedly slip
perry. According to his own showing, he
supposed that Page was in Topeka at the
time, and he could have handed the
money to that gentleman in person. But
whether Page was in Topeka or not, the
money could have been transmitted to
him In some safer way than by trusting
it to York without taking receipt.
But it is a waste of time to analyze Mr..
Pomeroy's story. 1t is as transparent as
empty space. 1t is thinner than the thin
nest OF the stories invented by the other
Washington corruptionists to hide their
shame, and one can only wonder at the
effrontery of a man who could concoct
and tell such wildly improbable fiction
In the expectation that it would be be-
1eved. Cheek, thy name is Pomeroy!-
Chicago Times.