Daily globe., 1879-04-05
SENATOR M'DoNALD SPEAKS.
As,d the MyriGd of ISLANDERS Relative to the
Netv vS0rOeant-at-A Arms DisaDDeGrS.

NetU US0rgeant-dt- Arms Disappears.
UNITED STATES SENATE CHAMBER, WASH
1NaToN, April 2, 1879.-The nomination and
election of Mr.. r. j. Bright as seargeant at
arms of the Senate of the United States hav-
ing revived in some of the partisan presses
of the country the old stale SANDER in re
gard to his action as public printer in In
diana, and garbled and false statement of
the judicial investigations having ap-
peared in certain leading journals, it is due
to the public that as one of his council then
and one of his Senatorial friends now, I
should make brief reference to the facts
out of which this slander originated. The
suits and prosecutions referred to in these
publications were Investigated through the
bitter partisan feeling engeandered
in newspaper controversy be-
tween the Indianapolis Sentinel and
organ, then owned by Mr.. Bright, and the
latter being Republican organ, and were
grounded upon Mr.. Bright's action, as state
printer. in the purchase of paper for the use
of the State, in which Mr.. Bright had fol-
lowed the usage that had obtained and been
practiced for more than ten years before he
came into Office. The first trial upon the in
dic.ment, owing to the intense partisan feel
ing that had been engendered, and the parti-
san character of the jury, and without an ex-
animation of the state printers books and
accounts, resulted in a disagreement. The
second trial. which followed as soon as the
defendant could obtain it, when the books
and accounts of the state printer were
brought ito court, and at his request and
with his concurrence, were fully examined,
resulted in an immediate acquittal. The fol-
lowing letter of the Hon. A. G. Porter, re-
fers to the last-named trial:
Hon. J. E. McDonald-My Dear Sir: re-
member very well the case of the State vs. vs..
Richard J. Bright, in which was one of the
counsel for the State and you for the defend
ant. The case was tried upon its merits and a
verdict rendered, after brief retirement of
the jury, for the defendant. Mr.. Bright, ae-
cording to my recollection, met the case boldly
would throw light upon the transactions IN
volved. can say frankly of Mr.. Bright that
he has many friends in the Republican party
as well as his own who heartily wish him well.
Yours, very truly, a. d. PORTER.
In the meantime civil action had been
brought against Mr.. Bright to recover the
, amount charged by him for State paper
Col. Norman Eddy, Democrat, secretary Of
} state, held that the State printer was the
legal custodian of the State paper. He died
, suddenly in January, 1872, pending these
ii
} Governor of the State, appointed Col. Fo.
!! quer, leading Republican, to succeed Mr.
Eddy, when, upon consultation with th'
Governor, it was decided that the secretar,
of State and not the State PRIMER was th'
legal custodian of the paper. Upon reoeiv.
ing notice to that effect the State printe
rendered all of the State paper to the secre
tary and after it had been examined anc
I counted by disinterested experts selected b.
a the secretary and found to be correct it wa
9 received by him, and thereupon, by the ad
4 vice of the Governor, the secretary o
t state ordered the civil suit to be dismissed
without cost to Mr.. Bright. This ended th'
: judicial proceedings. The prosecution closet
i in February, 1872. In March, 1872, upol
e the first settlement of the accounts betwee
e Mr.. Bright and the State the latter paid th
f former $9,555.5O, as the State record shows
!. a part of said amount being due when th
proceedings against him were instituted, an
> the balance having accrued during tn
\ n pendency of the suits. These facts are j
my knowledge, because was of counsel fo