The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-06-03

Ahc neeaAsti0n A6Aih2t speaker Aerts
On Monday last Lawrence Harvey tes-
tilted before Mr. Clymer's Committee, that,
In 1866, while he was assistant doorkeeper
Of the House, he paid to Mr.. Kerr, the
sum Of $3.50 for procuring for Augustus
P. Green, Of New York. commission in
the regular army, Mr.. Kerr having re-
commended Green's appointment, in con-
sideration Of that sum to him paid BY
Harvey. After Harvey had told his story,
Mr.. Kerr took the stand, aud duly sworn,
eontradiotsd Harney's statement in toto.
He emphatically denied the whole story.
Mr.. Green was also examined He testi-
fed that he paid the money to Harvey,
bat did not then believe, and does not now
believe, that Mr. Kerr ever received cent
of the money. This is equivalent to say
ing that he believes Harvey to be base
perjurer, which he doubtless is. This man
Harvey is Republican, ward politician,
and holds subordinate place in the APP
praisers Office of the New York Custom
House, He concocted this story out Of
revenge for an examination into the APP
praiser's Office with which he was con
nected. Mr.. Kerr has been in Congress
for about ten years, and has borne an ir-
reproachable character through all that
time, no breath ofsuspicion having sullied
his fair fame. The impression very gen.
eraly prevails that this story of Harvey is
unworthy of belief, and is the result Of
conspiracy. The New York Tribune SITS
Harney's statement, as follows, showing
its disbelief in the malignant SANDER.
Speaker Kerr might be pardoned if he
asked yesterday, with some bitterness, wheth.
er there was no recognition on this side Of
the grave for an upright life, and no protec-
ton in a spotless reputation. He has been
more than twenty years in public employ
ment, and is serving his fifth term in Congress,
and scandal has never been busy with his
name till now, nor has the most unscrupu.
lous of his opponents, in the many sharp
political contests in which he has taken part,
ventured to impugn his integrity. He has
been surrounded with temptation and has
lived in the midst Of corruption, but men Of
both parties have agreed that he was one Of
the few politicians in Washington whose scru.
pulous honesty reflected credit upon the pro.
fession ofpolitics. Yet the moment man
we do not say Of bad character, but of no
character at all-accuses him Of taking pitt.
full bride, not large enough to tempt an
ordinary thief, we find great many newspa.
pers of the opposite party ready to accept
every word Of the tale for solid truth, and to
declare that unless Mr.. Kerr can ''proyei
his innocence he is already practically con.
victed. His honorable life counts for nothing.
The gross improbability Of the charge counts
for nothing and in their haste to believe evil
these Incorporate partisans even lose sight Of
the very simple explanation of Harney's con.
duct which suggests itself at once to every i'm.
partial reader.
The accusation was first heard Of when
Harvey began to use ii privately as a threat
to stop an investigation into bureau of the
Custom house with which he was connected.
1t has been whispered in newspaper offices
and certain political club-rooms for several
weeks. In its original form the charge that
Mr.. Kerr actually took the money from Har.
ney was not distinctly made, and it is not
difficult to understand how Mr. Harvey, with.
out intending to do the Speaker any real
harm, may have gone about limiting menaees,
and half-uttering disclosures, in the hope Of
frightening investigations away from the APP
praiser's office, until the scandal Of his crea.
ton got beyond his control, and he found to
his disnay that il was no longer Mr.. Kerrs
reputation that was at stake, nor Mr.. Darling $,
but his own. Summoned to Washington, he
was driven to the dilemma Of either making
oath to the bribery Of the Speaker or con.
tossing that he had robbed Greene, slandered
Mr.. Kerr, and attemp ed to blackmail a com.
mittee OF Congress; and Mr.. Harvey seems
to have hesitated some time before he made
up his mind which horn to choose.
The extreme improbablity of Mr.. Kerr's
committing such foolish crime for $3.50, and
at the same time putting himself in the power
OF his political opponents-for Greene was n
Republican, and Harvey was Republican
office-holder-has already been alluded TO.
There is another point which seems to have
escaped notice. Why did Harvey make him.
self party to the crime? He swears that he
not only gave Mr.. Kerr all the money which
he received from Greene, but he even adyan.
ced forty dollars out of his own pocket to
make up the amount. He seems to have vi.
olaied all the preeedents of the lobby by
charging nothing for his services. Why q
Certainly not out Of friendship for Mr.. Kerr,
because the extent of his intimacy with that
gentleman seems to have been ''passing time
OF day. Nor out of friendship for Greene,
because Greene testities that he always believ-
ed, and believes still, that Harvey lied to
him and kept the money himself, and that
= not the way man speaks Of his friends.
No, i is morally certain that if Harvey had
acted as the intermediary ia any such trans.
action he would have demanded his share OF
the profit when he AYERS that he committed
a felony out Of pure benevolence toward a
man who looked upon him as consummate
rascal, he lays too heavy a tax upon credulity,
even for campaign season.-N. i. Tribune.
Harvey was further examined by the
Committee yesterday