Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-06-15
The Case ofmr. Kerr.

grave Tor On upright lie, ana no
protection in spotlers reputation.
He has been more than twenty
years in public employment, and
is serving his fifth term in Con-
grsss, and scandal has never been
busy with his name till now, nor
has the most unsorupulous Of his
oppoaents, in the many sharp
political contests in which be has
taken part, Yentnred to impugn
his integrity. He has been SUR
rounded by temptation and has
lived in the midst of corruption,
but men of both parties have agreed
that he was one Of the few polIti~
clans in Washington whose scru-
pulous honesty reflected credit
upon the profession Of politics.
Yet the moment man-we do not
say Of bad character, but of no
character at all-accuses him Of
taking q pitiful bribe not large
enouga to tempt an ordinary thief,
We find = great many newspapers
Of the opposite party ready to &C.,
espt every word Of the tale for
solid truth, and to declare that
unless Mr.. Kerr can "prove' his
innocencs he is already practically
convicted. His honorable life
counts for nothing. The gross
improbability of the charge counts
for nothing; and IN their haste to
believe evil these incorporate par
tisans even lose sight Of the very
simple explanation Of Harney's
conduct which suggests itself to
every impartial reader.
The accusation was first beard
of when Harvey began to use it
privately rs threat to stop an
investigation into bureau of the
custom-house with which he was
connected. 1t has been whispered
in q wspspsr Offices aud certaii
political club.rooms for several
weeks. In ito original form the
charge that Mr.. Kerr actually
took money from Harvey was not
distinctly made, and it is not diff
cult to understand how Mr.. Har-
ney, without intending to do the
Speaker any real harm, may have
gone about hintlng hensces, and
half uttering disclosures, il the
hope Of frightening Investigations
away from the appraisers office,
until the scandal of his creation
got beyond his control, and he
found to his dlsmay that it was ne
longer MIR Kerr's reputation that
was at sake, nor Mr.. Darling's,
but bis own. Summoned 20 Wash
ington, he was driven TO the dilem-
una Of either making oath to the
bribery OF the Speaker or confess
ing that he had robbed Greene,
slandered Mr.. Kerr, and attempts
cd to bla kmail u Committee of
Congress; and Mr.. H.rney seems
70 have hesitsted SINE tins before
no made up his mind which horn
TO choose. sB
) The extreme improbability of
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 a Republican, and
Harney was q Republican office>
holder--baa already been alluded
70. There 10 ano.her point which
seems TO have escaped notice.
Why did Harney make himself
party 10 the crimei He swears be
moi only gave Mr.. Kerr all the
money which he received from
Greene, but he even advanced for
ty dollars out OF his own pocket to
make up the amount. He seems
10 have violated all the precedents
of the lobby by charging nothing
ssor his S~H services. Why? Ger.
tainly not out Of friendship for Mr..
Kerr, becsuss the extent of his in-
timaey with that gentleman aeems
20 ha, B been ''passing the timo of
day." Nor out of friendship fer
Greeus, because Greene ..testiiioS
that he always believed, and be-
lleyes still, that Harney lied to
him and kept the money himself,
and that 10 not the way o man
speaks lof his frisnds. No, il is
morally certain that If Harney had
acted as the intermediary in any
euch transaction he would have de-
manded his share Of ito profit;
when he avcrs that no committed a
felony ont Of pure henevOlcnce to-
wards Q manpwho looked upon him
$40 cOnSummsW rascal, he lays
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