Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-12-09
A Fraudulent Defence.

that Is made Ter them, Is that they knew
nothing of the letter until it appeared,
investigated it then, and honestly De-
lieved it genuine, and thus were i'm
posed upon completely. Now, there are
a few facts which prove beyond ques-
tion that this defence is as false and
fraudulent as the letter itself.
Information that some such letter was
about to be published, which would de-
eide the Presidential contest, was given
in this city as early as Thursday. OctO-
Der IA. Whispered from one person to
another in that whirlpool of rumors
which has its centre in the Stock Ex-
change, it was not supposed to have any
foundation, except by some who believed
they had it from sources deep in Demo-
Ecratic councils. As all know, at least
one conspicuous operator was on the
Democratic National Committee, but
there were others who had paid largely
to the cost of the Democratic campaign
in Indiana, and by that means, or by
personal relations, had secured sources
of confidential information at head
quarters. From which of these the
story first came probably never will be
discovered. But the fact that such a
story was whispered ON Thursday, and
came to the ears of Republicans on Fri
day, has an evident meaning.
Again, it was on Friday, October Is,
according to two gentlemen of high re-
spectability known to our correspondent
at Washington, that they were told at a
hotel in this city. by General W. w.
Averill, that such letter would soon
appear. Their statements that General
| Averill said: 81 have just come from
Governors Island. 1 cannot divulge
what is going on, but it is big thing.
There is a letter coming out
which you will see in the papers. 1t
may be published in two days, and it
may be in four or five. We are going to
send it to the Pacific Coast. When it
comes out Garfield cannot carry a single
Pacific State" General Averill was par
ticularly positive that Hancock would
be elected. "as sure as you live," because
the letter was "going to turn the whole
thing" Just five days after this CONVEX
sation the Morey letter was published,
and Mr.. Barnum telegraphed it to all
the leading Democratic journals in the
country, saying, "The letter is genuine
Denial is worse than useless" From
whom did General Averill get his in
formation, accurate and minute as it
the use to be made of it, and the time of
its publication? No one will imagine
that it was communicated to him, or to
Democrats in Wall Street or on Cover
nOr's Island, that the forthcoming letter
was to be forgery. No doubt all the
Democrats who knew Of the matter, ex-
cept the few who concOcted the letter,
were led to believe it genuine. But
what becomes of the pretence that the
Democratic managers knew nothing of
the letter before it was published, and
then, having little opportunity te exam
inc it, were imposed upon?
Again, Bridgeport is the largest town
and the chief center of political activity
in the district which Mr.. Barnum repre-
sented in Congress. He has there init
mate and confidential friends. But the
Bridgeport Standard states that the
forged Morey letter was known about,
and its publication predicted, fully five
days before it appeared, and it was ex-
pected to create a great revolution in
the aspect of political affairs. That is,
it was known in Bridgeport just when
General Averill spoke of it, on Friday
the 18th, and on the same day whispers
came to Republican ears on Wall Street.
Now iG is in order for Mr.. Barnum to
state how his friends in Bridgeport came
to hear of letter which, it is pretended,
the Democratic Committee knew moth
ing of until five days later.
1t is an interesting question how this
whisper of bomb-shell Forthcoming
happened to get started in three distinct
directions on the same day. Was there
consultation of Democratic leaders
about that time? Or was the "lethal
weapon" already prepared, and known
to Mr.. Barnum, before the October cleo
tion, and only disclosed to other Demo-
Gratis when he saw that their discour-
agement on account of defeat in Indi-
ana was so great that tonic was neces-
sary? Possibly some of these questions
may be answered in due time. But, as
is already evident, the completely of
some members Of the Democratic Com
mittee is betrayed by the very attempt
made to conceal it. The story that moth
ing was known Of the letter ut head
quarters until it was published is a
falsehood which would never have been
told without an object. The obvious OBJ
ject is to hide the truth that some men,
Der or members of the Committee con-
trived, cSncccted and managed the infa
nous fraud. Those who do not tell what
they know, and refuse to demand
thorough investigation, must expect
that public opinion will not rush to the
conclusion that they are innocent.-[N.
Y. Tribune.
THE eternal fitness of things is shown
by the fact that petroleum comes from
the Black Sea. An American in Tamin,
Caucasus, Russia, controls 100000
acres of petroleum lands, stretching from
the Straits of Kertch and Hurkali in
southeast direction along the northern
flanks of the Caucasian Mountains
about $50 miles. He has wells flowing
200 barrels day. He has refineries and
all the modern improvements" for turn
ming out 10000 barrels day of refined