Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-05-14
Rich, Rare and Racy.

w. 5. King, the Republican member
sf Congress from Minnesota whose seat
Ignatius Donnelly contests, has written
the following open letter to Donnelly
1t will be remembered that the latter
told the Springer Investigating Com
mittee that he believed King wrote the
letter Offering Springer $4,000 if he
would seat the contestant. Mr.. Kings
letter is rich, rare and racy reading.
After referring to theeharge Mr.. King
says:
In the investigation which you have de
manded am with you heart and hand"
DOnnelly, and it shall be no fault of mine if
the guilty author of that wicked letter is not
scOvered and punished rs he should he. I
therefore make haste TO anticipate q verbal or
written request or subpoena, and forward for
the joint use and benefit of yourself and the
Committee of Investigation extended speci-
mems of my handwriting, which you will reud-
ty recognize, for the purpose of comparing
the same with your,-l beg pardon, with the
letter written to MIR. Springer. In furnishing
you with this specimen of my handwriting, |
cannot refrain from expires sing the rratihca-
ton feel at the evidences you atfc rd me of
your most remarkable reform in this matter
of bribery and corruption" There was a
time, recollect, when there was great danger
that you might become as bad in those mat
tcrs as ordinary mentor instance, when
you was making your Senatorial cam
paiun, some years ago, and invited me
INTO youc back ROOM where you rendered me
q lli ge package of money, containing, you said,
5000, which you begged me take and bribe
state senator to vote for you for United States
senator, pledging yourself to give me $1,000
additional and your written promise that a
friend of mine should be appointed Surveyor
General of our state in the event of your
election, which | heaitlessly refused to do.
My cruel refusal to aid you in bribing MEM
hers of the Legislature to vote for you on
that occasion was, well recollect, very aggra-
vating to your feelings, but my conduct was
not so perfectly soul-harrowing to you as that
Of m, mber of the Legislature whom you
personally attempted to bribe, and who, upon
consultation with his friends, " tied un'' $500
of your money, but did not give you his vote.
[ well recolect the letter you wrote that par
ty, after the election was over, demanding the
return of your money, and have often laughed
at the ludicrOus terms of the settlement final
ly made between you. | might, perhaps, stop
right here, but lest you and the investigating
committee might think the foregoing speci
men of my handwriting was not sufficient for
exhaustive comparison, and as you publicly
declare yourself so strongly of opinion that I
am the author of the letter you sent there it
IS again. of the letter sent to Mr.. Springer,
Will add TO the specimens farther by refer
ring, in a pleasant and friendly way, to some
of those other little tritles in your Congress
ional experience, which will remind us both,
in the most striking manner, of your great
change of heart in the matter OF "bribery
aud corruption" from which your vir-
| tuous soul now shrinks with such unaffect-
ed horror. For you will recollect Donnelly,
you did not always play on one side alone Of
this bribery and corruption" business to
which nave reterre0, Dy no means, OS TOO
many could If they would only testify. When
| you was in Congress, Mr. Dounely, and held q
pretty strong hand on a certain )mmittee be-
fore which important interests had come for
legislation, how you did use TO make "the
blood tiy;" how you followed parties through
the halls of the house into the Speaker 8
Ioom, to their hotels, and even to neighbor-
ing cities, demanding money of them for the
| great services you claimed you was render
| ing. | reccOllect the time, rs | am sure
! you will, also, when a party upon whom you
EnDWlnT that
! you and were out but supposing you the
representative of my district, and that we
| were personal and political friends sent a
| draft or check of $500 to me with the request
| that | hand the same to you, which did: and
! also remember how, amid the thictening
| bushes which colOred to a deeper red your
| rosy cheeks when handed you that tell-tule
| letter and incosure, you generously offered
nay, more, fairly hesought me to accept-a
tbut, having no proper claims to the
same, / could not, and did not accept
But, Lord bless us, Mr.. Donnelly, what was
/ 50 500 to you in those dayst Why, | recollect
! being told by party in interest of your once
| levying an assessment of $1,000 on the agent
| of a party desiring action on a bill which was
! in your hands. Acting under the demands OF
necessity, he paid you that amount, when you
! quietly Jumped on the cars, and, running over
! 10 New York, struck that agent principal for
$5,UO0 more. Not having been advised of the
| agents action, this principal gave you check
| for another 50 900 which he made payable to
! the order of his agent in Washington. When
ment, how he did swear. Called you Il swindler
| douhlc-harreled bhckmailer, pirate anC
all such naughty names, and stubblrnly re
/ fused to indorse the check, putting you TO tao
/ trouble of another trip to New YORK to make
| the best explanations you could. But then il
came out all right, and you got your eXtrS
+. 5000. There are many other instances, which
| might be recalled, of your sleepless and vir
| tuous vigilance in guarding the purity of leg
iSlatiOn, and your peculiar methods of op
! posing bribcrs and corruption when member
EOf Congress. but | must forbear, as / an
now acting only in obedience to courtesy anf
| n friendly desire to aid you in detecting tho
infamous scamp " no wrote your-Ot course
mean the letter to Mr. Springer. Neither yoJ
nor the committee can reasonably ask fol-
more Copious or extended specimens of. my
I hlndwritng to-hly, but, in the meantime
i DonnelY YOU may assuredly rely upon my
\ best forts TO MD you in this matter so long a.
YOU wish to con inue the search for the author
| Of ypur-of the letter to Springer. You nee
not look in the directory of Canada for me
Y I'll he ut home now, t. you and your inVesti
| eating committee, until the authorship o
| your-lf that-yile letter to Mr.. Springer Ii
satisfactorily settled. Don't doubt me lgna
tius, I'll stand by you to the last, and if yot
wish any more specimens of my handwriting
draw on me at sight. Yours, for " Reform
i YsT ttEE-E3E Wa. s. KING.
p. 81 rely upon you, of COURSE to ham
this specimen of my handwriting tn the Com
mittee of Investigation, for whose use it is In
tended. am sure you won't forget to do it