The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-10-09
Stat ment by Senator McDOnald, OF
Indiana.


To the Democracy of Ipdiana:
Being about to leave home for the pur'
pose of resuming my duties as Senator
from this State, feel it to be duty L
owe to you, as well as an act OF justice 10
myself, to correct some false impression
that has been made in relation TO my late
visit to Governor Morton, and state brlet-
ly the facts connected with IL. 1t Is well
known to the people OF this State that
from the time Governor Morton united
with the Republican party, we have
STOOD politically opposed at the same
time our personal relations have oeeh
always friendly. | have therefore no
apology to offer fol visiting him IN his
sickness. 1t was an act OF kindness
which / owed to myself 10 perform. lD
q briet interview OF less than five min
utes, at which Col. R. w. Thompson,
Secretary of the Navy, Mr.. Mckee, OF
Terre Haute, and DR.. Thompson, OF this
city, were present, the probabilities OF
his Gov. Morton's) return to Washing
ton City were spoken OF. He expressed
the nope of being able to do SO at the reg
ular Sc, sion, but said he had given up the
expectation OF being there at the extra
session. l remarked in substance that
he ought TO take all care of himself, but
il he regained his strength 80 as to be
able TO go to Washington and found the
attendance on daily sessions OF the Sen
ate too fatiguing, he could rest himself
by pairing of with me. This is all there
was of it, and while 1 spoke OF tle mat
ter by way of encouragement, L meant
Just what said, and so expressng my
self, did not more than propose the
usual courtesies that had been practlced
in the State from the foundation
of the government, and which had
been extended TO me by Governor
Morton at the late extra session or the
Senate. when l was called home by the
sickness of my daughter. 1t did not
seem to me that there was anything IL
this to attract special attention or that L
had done any act TO merit cen
sure or praise and on my return from
the visit went almost Immediately to
visit my friends in Fountain county, and
only on my return Monday last learned
that any notice had been taken OF it IN
the papers. found in the indianapolis
journal of that date q brief statement
Of the fact, which is substantially correct,
and supposed that it would probably be
the eud of the matter. | understood ,on
reaching home, that parties representing
the Sentinel had called st my residence
IN my absence to see me, but met with
no one representing that paper till
Tuesday. Up to that time l had seen
no one connected with the press,
to my knowledge, since my return
from the visit to Gov. Morton, but on
Tues lay afternoon gentleman called at
my office and said be had been sent on
behalf of the Sentinel to learn the facts
in relation to my visit, and especially in
regard TO an alleged agreement between
Governor Morton and myself to pair OF.
| took the article in the Journal, part OF
which gave q statement of the facts as TO
the alleged pair, and handed it to him, sta
ting the usage of the Senate IN similar
cases, and the facts and circumstances Of
Governor Morton's having paired oil with
me last spring. He expressed himself en-
tlrely satisfied with the explanation. The
extract gave him from the Journal is ss
follows: "rhe proposition of that gentle
man Senator McDousldt, WAS not to
pair off with Morton UNCONDITIONAL
whether he should be obliged to go 10
Washington or not, but WAS to the effect
that il he should so far recover as TO be
able TO 90 to Washington he McDonald)
would relieve him from the
labor of daily attendance by pairing with
mm on questions on which they might
be at vsrlsnce-only this and no hing
more This, it seems to me, would Ger.
tainly put the subject at rest but on
the next day found in the Sentinel the
interview referred to, and the statement
of facts grossly misrepresented. That |
may do no injustice, | quote the lol1w.
ing extracts from the article | sl,ude TO.
In referring to the report OF my having
paired off with Governor Morton the
Sentinel says: ave have been 10th to
believe that Senator Mcdonald could be
guilty of such an lndiscretion, but ne ad-
mits the correctness o. the report, az d
tue Democratic party will be compelled
to submit to the humiliation with the
best grace it can command" Then, after
quoting the extract from the Journal
which have quoted above, 1t proce eds:
"This settles the question. If Governor
Morton is able to 60 to Washington,
and should be uRsble 10 attend the
sessions OF the Senate. Mr.. Me
Donald will pair with him on
questions on which they are at variance.
This proposition OF Senator McD)rald
to throw away bis vote on account Of Mr..
Morton intermitles grows out of the
fact of Mr.. McDonald's personal regard
for Mr.. Morton ard is to repay "A similar
courtesy extended to Senator Mcdonald
by Governor Morton" / sm willing to
leave it to any fsir-minded man if there.
one word or sy label in the Journal ex-
tract tnat sustains the Sentinel in the
construction 1t attempts TO pass on
my conduct or that furnishes any founda
tion to the charge that ! have proposed
to throw away my vote on account of
Mr.. Morton's lntirmitias.
Again, in cor clusion the Sentinel says:
1--WE cherish the hope that Senator Nc
Donald, in strict justice to the Democrats
of Indiana and the country, will regard
it as his duty to relieve himself OF the
obligations OF his pledge, and in this way
reintrsnchise MS constitu. ents and re-
store Indiana to her rightful place in the
Senate OF the United States.
am al a loss TO know why the Sentinel
has INDUCED in these unjust and un-
friendly criticisms, but am not surprised
if some OF my political friends vino
may believe them should. feel solicit
tous as to my future course. To sll such l
will say that have entered into no OBJ.
legation, ard taken no pledge that in the
least degree interferes with full and
faithful discharge OF my duties of Dem.
ocratic Senator. have lived nearly all
my life IN this State, and FOR more than
thirty years l have taken an active part
in all of the political contests that have
occurred in that time l have fought 8
hundred battles for the Democratic party,
and never one against 1t. will be sb-
sent, perhaps, for many months, and If
shall be able to make 8 short visit to my
home friends in the meantime. II Will be