The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-09-19
CONGRESSMAN M'KINLEY.
HIs Answer to tho Charge Of Corruption,

His Answer TO the Charge or COrrupuOn'
lr. Editor-In your paper of Sept. l3, 1877, there
appears letter over the signature OF Andrew Jn
containing the gravest charge against me, affect
ing not only my personal hut official character.
am averse to any newspaper controversy, and
very reluctantly appear in print to contradict
slander, made by one not courageous enough to
declare It over his own signature but the gravity
Of the charge and the confident terms in when
II Is couched, forces me TO positive ana pubic
denial should have been glad, II the Editor
could have seen his way clear, to disclose the
name Of the author OF the SANDER which / re-
spectfully requested Of him last Monday morn
lug, This being denied me- | submit the follow
ing statement of facts aud invite the author, or
any one over his own proper signature to success
fully controvert
never sold the Canton Post Ollice to anybody,
and never fixed the price Of $1,000 or any other
sum or amount for the appointment. never was
approached with such proposition from any
source nor had any interview with such an object
iu view. and had any such proposition or ar
rangement been suRg to me l ehonld nave
repeled 1t with the sCorn whish 1t would nave
fitly deserved.
MIR, T. W. Saxton was not my agent for effect
ing the sale 0f the Canton Post Ofice, nor was
any other person my agent for that purpose, nor
was he or any other nerOn anthor2ad hy me 70
promise said Office, with or tOtt0ut consideration 70
any one. He never sought such an agency and
never sought TO control me In my support OF any
candidate. / never said that Mr. Shaier could
not be counted out under the civil service
planks.
Whatever may have taken place In the alleged
interview or interviews between Mr., SaXtOn ana
Mr. Shafer, had no knowledge Of the same nn'
I'll long aftprward, when so informed by Mr Sha-
Ter. Certain IL is, they were had without my
knowledge or consent. tact or expressed, II Mr;
SaxtOn made any assurances that II ne (Shaierl
would accede to SaxtOn'S terms, he, (SaXt0n) c0d
Cntrol me- or had the interview which is impu'
ted to m, he acted on his own responsibility
and must have known that he could not keep
the promise, which he is charged with having
made. Mr. Shafer in his interview with me ara
not charge that Mr. SaXtOn said that had any
knowledge Of his proposition, or thai had all-
thOrizsd him to call upon him; and ], mytelf IN
this sinterview Indignantly diSclamed any kn0wl'
edge on my part, of the whole matter, as Mr. sha-
fer well knows.
about his proposed depntiPs-tbat is after Mr..
Reisnider had determined to retire from the
office, and before Mr. Shafers term OF office had
eXnired.MT. S|anker among others, uniformly
and repeatedly told him that wonld have moth
ing to do with hiS deputies thatso long as he was
Postmaster he must be responsible for his own
deputies
never made any assurances or promises 10 Mr.,
Shater or to any one In his behalf that he should
be Postmaster at Canton; but on the contrary,
repeatedly told him and others, that l would
make no promises to any one.
When Mr. Shafer called on me for his petition,
gave 1t to him tDih entire willingness and only
exacted of him promise that should have mat
morning to notify Messrs. Huntington and Vlg,
nos whose petitions also had, that they should
take theirs, and II they so desired they could all
be sent by the same mail, which Mr.. ShRfer con-
sented to as only fair, and It was accordingly
done Sometime after the petitOns were al In,
the Postmaster General notified me, and asked
that give my views In relation to the respective
candidates I accordingly recommended Major
VignOs Before l reco mended him for the
place. l had been Informed by persons interested
IN Mr.. Shafer that there were susnicions that
there was an arrangement between Major Vignos
and T. W. SaXtOn, that II the former received the
appointment, he was 10 divide the nrOCeeds with
the latter. ! at once calf upon Mr. SaXtOn and
Major VgnOs, stating what | had heard. ana
they both positively and Indignantly denied the
charge-going further, and saying that there not
only was no such arrangement, but that the sub.
jAct had naver been talked about. | told Mr..
Vignos, in that interview, that II any such com
buatiOn was proposed or understood between
them, under no circumstances would he be The
Postmaster at Canton II l could prevent It, He
called upon me number OF times subsequently,
and before | had made the recommendation, and
repeated his former statements, If possible in
stronger terms was satisfied that there was no
such arrangement, and rs Sta'ed before recon-
mended Major VignOs. The petitions which were
sent in by the three candidates. were about equal
in point Of plumbers, Mr. Shafer having few
more names than either of the others, But dur
ing the time the petitions were being circulated |
and afterward. ! received number Of letters |
from citizans of Canton who had signed either |
Shafors or HnntiugtOn's papers, asking me TO re
Vgnos and saying that when they |
signed the other petitions they did not know Ma
Or VgnOs was a candidate. / was called upon |
by other citizens for the same purpose. also |
with citizens and business men very |
freely and found them Of the same mind. | was |
accordingly convinced that the appointment of
Major Vignos would meet the views of majority |
If the citizens. / learned from those who knew |
lim best that he was competent aud believed |
hal he was honest and re liable. He was one
lrmed soldier poor man, and who In his disabled |
'Ondition had seized every opportunity to work,
ither at mental or manual labor, to support his
amily. he was Republican like Mr.. Shater; the
after had enjoyed the emOluments of the office
or eight years, aud l thought 1t no more than
light, that another man equally competent and
lonest bearing the same wounds received In de-
ense of bis country, who had heretofore been In
measure neglected, aud who was at the same
line so generally supported by the people, was
1stly entitled to the appointment. recommend
d him cheerfully, believing was doing right.
I mean in this article TO deny edch and every
barge or implication against me, contained IN the
over the signature Of Andrew
81 imputing TO me want OF personal or official
Integrity. WIN. MCKINLEY, JR.