Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-06-22
Speech Of Hon. L. Danford in the
House of Representatives on
the Report of the Committee
Oh Expenditures of the War
Department ON the Charges
Against Speaker Kerr.

| Inc Report Oh ln6 SOUl1nlllet HdNlDR UtcH
read by the Clerk, Mr. Danford said:
1t affords me real pleasure to be able to sub
scribe to the report just read at the Clerks
desk, and desire at the outset TO say that /
do it not because of the unfortunate illness of
Mr. Kerr, but 1 do it because it is an act of
simple justice to the man.
| desire to call the attention of the House
for few minutes to what | deem were some
rounded Mr.. Kerr in connection with the
charge of the witness Harney. The commit
tee were met at the very threshold of this in
vestigation with a somewhat singular fact.
1 Mr. Kerr, resident of the State of Indiana,
! had conferred valuable appointment, perhaps
fully as valuable as any appointment he had
the privilege of controlling during that Con-
gress, upon a resident of the State of New
York. Mr.. Kerr, democratic member of
this House, conferred an appointment on a
republican, man with whom-as his testi-
mony shows--he had no previous acquaint-
ance in his district
These were the unfortunate circumstances
that surrounded him at the very outset of this
investigation; and l will announce here for
myself, and believe for the entire committee,
that had it not been for these unfortunate cir
cumstances the committee would not have
deemed it worth while to even upon the in
gestigation.
The witness Harney, when he came before
the committee, told connected story, and
one that in a cross examination of four or five
hours ne in the main sustained, and which the
House will see that he had very little difficult
ty in sustaining. In the main he was telling
the truth and in that constituted the danger
to MIR. Kerr. 1t was true, as he stated, that
Greene had been appointed on Mr.. Kerr's
recommendation, and it was undoubtedly true,
as he testified, as Greene also testified, that
MIR. kerr's first acquaintance with Greene was
upon the introduction of this man Harney.
The appointment was made and for ten years
presume that Mr.. Kerr had thought but lit
tie of it. The circumstance had almost passed
out of his mind, and when, some time in April
last, he received through an anonymous letter
notice that report was being quietly circu-
lated about the city of New York that he had
been corrupted in the appointment of Greene,
he naturally became anxious about the report
The committee met the fact of his anxiety
also upon the very threshold of this examina-
tion. They found that the personal friends of
the Spes ker had visited Harvey as well as
Greene.
These were the circumstances under which
we put Harney upon the stand as witness.
will not speak here of the testimony of
Greene, for | believe that the committee are
thoroughly satisfied that, to the best of his
recollection, he swore entirely to the truth
When this report, however, was being circu-
latated, and When it came to the knowledge of
Kr Kerr, he endeavored to find out the author
of the anonymous letter. Knowing, as he did,
the circumstances of Greene's appointment,
and although at the first blush it might seem
rather an unnatural circumstance that man
occupying the position of Speaker of this
House should go to work through his personal
friends and through an attorney to hunt down
the author of an anonymous letter, yet when
we come to consider the feeble condition of
the man, when we come to consider the tolls
with which by circumstances he was sur
rounded, his action was natural and was just
what any man under the circumstances would
have done.
Harvey, as have said, had but one false
hood to tell, and in that repeat consisted the
danger of this story. The falsehood was in
saying that he had handed the amount he had
received from Greene to Mr..
Kerr; and this was the only circumstance and
the only fact that in any way affected the
honor or the integrity of Mr.. Kerr. Sir, there
have been some charges made, and desire in
this connection to refer to the testimony of
the witness Mr.. Joseph s. Moore, that this
charge against Mr.. Kerr had grown out of
some conspiracy Matched in the city of New
York, c0rruptly Matched for the purpose of
breaking down the reputation and character
of the Speaker of this House want to ad.
dress myself to this matter as contained in the
testimony of Mr.. Moore. do not and shall
not refer to any newspaper articles upon the
subject, but only to the testimony of Moore.
After having visited the Speaker, and after
having learned the circumstances of the case,
he returned to the city of New York, and after
an interview with Harney he wrote letter to
the Speaker, in which he characterized this as
a conspiracy; and when the Speaker came first
before the committee and gave his informal
statement and denial, he spoke of the matter
as conspiracy.
Now, AIr. Speaker, upon that point 1 have
but word or two to say. This stery of Har-
ney's was no new invention. He told it ten
years ago to Greene; and the evidence of
is contained wholly and entirely
in the testimony of the witness Harney.
Moore based the facts upon. which he based
this charge of conspiracy upon what Harney
had said to him. Moore testifes that when
he first went to see Harney, Harney told him
that he was pressed to make this statement
He tells him likewise that his lips were
sealed, and that if he desired to know any
thing more of the charge he must go to see
his lawyer, Judge Dittenhoffer. l believe
we have the testimony of Moore as to the
fact of his strange conduct upon that occa-
sion but the House will take notice that all
this testimony is the testimony of Harney
alone. Moore testifes that. Harney had said
to him on one occasion that Darling and Bliss
and Davenport were insisting on his coming
before the committee of the House and re-
vealing this secret; but it will be remembered
that Harney, on the witnessstand, denied
having made any such declaration to Moore or
any one else; and whether he did SO or not,
am authorized to say here that as far as these
gentlemen are concerned it is wholly and en-
tirely untrue as to any corrupt motives or any