The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-03-18
APERSONAL EXPLANATION.
Senator Scott's Reply TO the SlHnder.
Oft the Philadelphia "Press."

In the United States Senate on
Friday, Hon. John Scott rose TO a
personal explanation, as follows.
Mr.. Scott-Mr. President, send
to the Chair, and ask to have read,
a very brief extract from paper
called Lebanon Courier, published
at Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
The President pro tempore-It
will be read if there be no objection.
TIE Chair hears uone.
The Chief Clerk read as follows.
"But our other Senator Hon John
Scott, | am sorry to state, took side
with the contractionists, giving as
reason Gf correctly reported) that be
believed it to be the only means Of
bringing about the resumption of
specie payment, and that it would
tend to reduce wages so as to enable
our manufacturers to compete sue
cessfully with those of foreign coun-
tries This means, in plain English,
exactly what Mr. Killinger says, to
reduce our procucing classes to q
level with the pauper labor of Eu-
rope"
Mr.. Scott-That article refers to
report, and says that | occupied
certain position, eff correctly repor
ted" For the purpose of showing
the originof the report, send to the
Chair also an article, very brief ex-
tract from which / have marked,
contained in the Philadelphia Press
of February 81, 1874, and ask to have
i: read.
The President pro tempOre-it will
be if there be no objection
The Chiefread as follows.
"The Senate Finance Committee
and the cortractionists and specie-re-
sumptionists were badly beaten in
the Senate to-day by the adoption of
Mr.. Merrimon's amendment, instruc-
ting the committee to report o bill
increasing the national bank circu-
lation SAC, 100000, making it s400,
600, 900 in all The vote stood 90 to
25. Five Senators we're absent and
the remainder not voting were paired
OF the FIVE absentees three are in fa-
vor of more currency and would
have voted for the amendment, and
two against it. This would still give
the friends of more currency a major
ity of four or five. Senator Scott,
wos is "a member of the Finance
Committee, voted with the contrac-
tionists, while Senator Cameron vo-
ted for the amendment. Senator
Scott is in favor of resuming specie
payments and he thinks the way to
do it is to keep down the volume of
currency. His theory about specie
payments is that, could this be
reached, the rate of wages would he
reduced, and we would then be in a
better condition to compete with Eu-
rope"
Mr.. President 10th these extracts
reached me ttis morning in letters
from numerous portions of the State
of Pennsylvania, from those who l
consider my friends, and who advise
me that, however averse my private
feelings may be to personal expla-
nation, it is my duty to the State to
correct whatever NAV be false in
these extracts. The paper which is
given as the original authority for
the extract in the Labanon Courier
claims to be respectable The Leba.
non Courier, so far as l am aware OF
its character, is respectable news.
paper circulated in the interior OF
Pennsylvania. This announcement
appeared originally in newspaper
claiming, as l have said, to he respec.
table, and the tone is such as to car.
ry the idea that it speaks for me, and
states my opinion and my theories
by authority. 1t is again quoted and
referred to in paper in the interior
Cf my State. SO long as this has
been confined to misrepresentation
and fabrication chiefly of personal
character, / have declined answer
them. So repeatedly has this been
the case that can come to no Other
conclusion than that the reporter O
the Philadelphia Press is under or
ders of his superior Systematically
to misrcpresent and defame me
When / have striven for and secured
appropriations in which The city O
Philadelphia was largely interested
l have been represented as neglectine
her interests. When / advocated
the expulsion of the Senator from
Kansas, (Mr. Caldwell,) for reason
seeming to me to demand it, l was
represented as defending him. Wher
the books of the Secretary of the Sen
ate showed that mad not drawn the
back pay authorized by the law OF The
last Congress, his dispatches repre-
sented that l had drawn it.
| l might refer to u more recent or
ticle in this same newspaper affecting
q question in which philadelphia
and the State of Pennsylvania are
largely interested, and in which it il
complained that both the Senator.
from Pennsylvania have failed to forcs
upon the Senate measure which il
was there duty to bring before it, OF
have been cowardly in advocating it
| fOrebear, however to notice that