Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-03-23
legislative Debate.


cocted that should upset what had already
taken place was evident; that that very thing
was attempted in this case II seems TO me ev-
tdsnt; that il will impress the candid
members Of this Eiorse that sucll
IL the fact it seems 10 me there
can be question; that 1t Will
convince the candid people Of this State that
that was 40, I apprehend there can be no
question; that parties who should 10 ,lcbase
themselves, that they should confess that they
came before the people acccptors of bribe-.
deceivers as to what they were doing, dis
torters Of facts. obtaining money under false
prefences, making charges Of the kind that
were here mahe--f say when all those things
things are considered and the circumstance
under which 10 was done are taken into CON
sideratiop and the consideration of the fact
that something must be done, then say be
lieve that It will be- accepted ~ II fact by all
candid reasoning men that the report which
the majority of this committee have made is
the report which must be accepted rs the
truth. and whose deductions are based upon
the evidence.
II IL not true that il is three against one.
Il Il true that II il just one to one. IL is Mr..
Swan TO Mr.. White in the forenoon, and Mr..
Hartman TO Mr.. White in the afternoon
And II y. which will yor believe? Who tells
the truth? Who is surrounded by circum-
stances that lead to the tru,hf Who has
pursued the honorable course? Who is tread
ing In that pathway tha, is without turn or
crook or swervcl l. it Mr.. Swan! IA it Mr..
Hartman, or 10 j. Mr.. White? He had u
right to talk with those men. We all had n
right to talk And saw to you that the very
charge here which Is sought TO be fastened
upon Wallace II. White could be fastened
upon any member Of this House, il
you could find a person desperate AMI
dcspcabe enough to assume that he re
ccivcd bribc and 10 make the charge.
and you place upon him cloud anl hard
ship; you put him under difficulties. You
may make partizan thing of it. and you
may have 1t believed by q certain class of
citizens; but tell you when you look all the
circumstances in the face, when you see the
role In which these parties appear. and when
they say they did it for the sake of prevent
ing a conspiracy and crime, men who were
endcav oring to uphold the greatest conspira.
CIV and the greatest crime ever perpctrated on
the liberties of 4 free people and free bal
lot, l say when you have seen all that. and
when Won have seen all those circumstances
and all those facts, and when ynn see that these
efforts were made to uphold that conspiracy
the candid conviction of every candid and
thinking man that il was but part
and parcel Of the fabric of that conspiracy
and that with this Investigation il falls and
dies. Great applause.
Mr.. CRANE of Winthrop; have felt. Mr.
Speaker, an interest in this question which
has been under discussion at this time. ]
have In common with the citizens OF this
State and with the members of this House,
felt nm unusual interest in this inves-
tigation. have iclt an interest not only
because very grave charge had been made
against the political party with which am
connected. but also because charge had
been made directly against IL young man. n
citizen of the town which have the honor to
represent. And though the charge was re-
peatcdly made in the public prints and in
this House. and Extensively male. | did not
raise my voice to say one word concerning
II. And when asked by those with whom
was acquainted and by my fellow citi-
Gems At home whether there was any truth To
substantiate the charge made. | have inva-
riably told them did not know. felt it a
duty to myself to wait until both sides should
be heard. until the evidence should be al.
duccd and weighed and carefully presented
before l drew conclusion. And now as
tuts u"S t"heu Pt"Ve "uu tue eNiuence mas
been presented on the one side aud the
other and ably summed up. wish to say and
to declare emphatically that nv convic-
tion is that they have failed entirely to sub
stantiate the charge that has been made.
Now. did not rise to enter into argument.
did not rise to consider the testimony in
detail which has been given. But wish to
call attention To one or two points. In the
hrst place, invite gentlemen to notice
this fact, and do it because the point was
alluded to by the gentleman from Wi>casset
The reasonableuess of the thing; or. as he
prefers to put it. the motives which prompted
the action which has taken place.
Now, in my Judgment, believe we stood
at that particular time when this transaction
10 said to have occurred. where there was not
one particle OF a motive Tor the republican
party to do such deed as that. or mike any
other great effort 60 accomplish that result of
obtaining one or two members. Ii is true
the future was dark We could no, see
throurh to the end. and know what was IN no
tho i.sue. But we had arrived a, on,. po;n,
vherr We stood with conscions secnri,v
finder the good Providence of God and he
the workings Of great moral princip,es. tbrre
men. whose name. were numbered among
the IS. had taken their stand asa;ns, the con.
spirscy, reducing the fusionis,s to IS. IAp.