Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-06-21
lFor the REPUBLICAN,.
LETTER TO NON. r. j. BOYER


KYLRRrowS, june 14th, 1876.
! Dean SiR.-T have read with boil
pleasure and profit your letter OF vim
dication to tho public, in the REruBLI
CAN Of june 7th, IN which You expires
|your willingness To answer any and al
questions, providing they are not an
onymous. l therefore accept tho priv
ilcge thus extended, and ask your OK
planation Of some of tho points you
friends are unable TO reconcile, aftel
reading the various documents bear
ing upon the question, including youl
testimony before tho different commit
tees us well MS your letter Of deienc,
above alluded to. propose to disre
gard the reports Of the House ant
Senate special committees, for the roa
son that you declare at the outset o.
your letter that the formor was mani
testify "unfair, untrue and bnngling,
and the latter the promptings of spar
tisan zeal" and therefore turn my at
tention to the evidence ITSELF as 1t ap
pears in the Legislative Record. Hop
ing, that with your assistance, and my
mind freed from any prejudice that
may have been caused by reading the
"bungling report" you condemn as be-
ing "unfair and untrue" to be able Ia
rejoice with you in your complete and
triumphant vindication. If | have
misunderstood the testimony, or any
errors appear in quoting therefrom,
you will do the favor to correct me.
In calling your attention to few Of
the unexplained statements, as they
appearin the evidence, you are afforded
an opportunity TO relieve tho minds OF
your many personal friends, as well as
all your constituents, from any prcju-
dice that may have been occasioned by
reading the reports of tho committees,
and make the vindication of your honor,
as well as your dignity, SO complete
that hereafter any one reading your
reply, cannot entertain a lingering
doubt about either one or the other
In your letterg after characteriziDe
the report Of the house committee as
"unfair and untrue You alludc to the
action OF the first senate committee,
composed of Senators Dunkle, Strang,
Lawrence, Dill and Allen, who you say
"aftcr nearly two weeks effort failed to
find any testimony to corroborate the
testimony of Andre against me, and as
you do not charge the above commit
tee with being "uniair and untrue or
even influenced by partisan zeal" 1
inter that you make no objection TO
their report, especially as you assure
the public, that they "failed to find
any testimony to corroborate the tcsti,
mony"of one OF yourprincipal accusors-
and in order to reconcile the above as.
surance with the language Of their re-
port, you will favor me with the proper
explanation of the following extract
therefrom Leg. Rec. page 2056 -
"Tho evidence on this subject relates
to the conduct of Hon. 7. ]. Boyer,
consisting of the statement Of Nicholas
Andre, member OF the House Of Repre-.
sentatives, from Berks county, who
says IN substance, that Senator Boyer
approached him while the boom bill
was pending in the House and desired
him to support an amendment fixing
the boomage on pine lumber at si.12t
and on hemlock at75 cents per thou
sand feet, and said Boyer would assure
him Of $500 for his vote in case he
would support the amendment and
that he Boyer would be responsible
TOR the payment of tho money. That
on subsequent occasion Senator Boyer
desired him to vote against the bill
with the assurance of receiving s400
for his votei and again, April 6, Mr..
Boyer called on him in reference To
the matter having become public, com.
planned of Mr.. Andre for having ex-
posed what be had said TO him In con-
fidence, and he denied having become
responsible for the payment Of the
money. Some evidence was taken by
your committee that may be consid-
cred as IN some sense corrobordtiue Of the
respective statements Of the several tcit-
nesses but as it is partly TO the fact Of
an interview which is not denied by
Mr.. Boyer, and partly TO other ques-
tons in regular investigation may or
may not be evidence
1t will bo noticed that the commit.
tee say that "Some evidence pas taken
corobordtiue Of the respective statements Of
he sereral ,oitnessess," and it is possible
they might have intended in their final
report "after calm thought and rehec-
ton, the above being only prclim-
mary one--to state as you have to tho
public, that they, "after nearly two
weeks effort, failed TO find any testi-
mony TO corroborate the testimony Of
Andre against you"
Your next allusion is to the testi-
mony OF Mr.. Conrad, who you quote as
having testified "that you did not offer
him anything, or intimate that he
could get anything for his vote, &C."
viii You favor me with an explanation
of the testimony of Mr.. Conrad before
thehouse committee? See April Log.
Rec. page 22O.
j. b. CONRAD, swoRs.--In answer TO
the general question Of the use of cor
rupt means he says; "I don't know
exactly Of money being used. I was
approached by member of the Senate
and asked how | was on the boom bill,
then he told me there was some money
in tho bill for voting against u I told
him voted last winter in favor of the
bill, and intended to do so again"
Odd he tell Won how much mon.