Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-10
THE EVENING STAR.
DOUBLE SHEET.
SATURDAY.. January 10, 1850.
The Bribery Charges i'm Maine.
STATEMENTS MADE IN THE kEGFsLATURE YEsTER.

SATURDAY........Ja January 10. 1850.
The Bribery Charges in Maine.
STATEMENTS MADE IN THE LEGISLATURES YEsTER-
In the Maine house of DELEGATES Yesterday
| after our Geographic repofs closed large num-
Der of circumstances were presented by persons
| Claiming seats in the house d. l. Murcy. of
| Ellsworth, claims the seat OF Eugene Hale. A
| committee of five was appointed to investigate
| the attempted bribery of members There was
less than quorum In the house at any time.
About forty members were present, c0nversing
| in groups, with anxiety depicted on their coun-
| tenances. Mr.. Talbot. the speaker, Colonel
| VIM. Dickey, Mr.. Plaisted. Mr. Perry, OF CAM
| den. and other Leaders had frequent consulta-
tons, and appeared extremely anxious at the
the situation OF affairs. Fears seemed to be ex-
pressed and grave appreheESCnS entertained
| that the republicans were about to Swoop down
| upon them and capture the government. A
committee was appointed to wait on General
| Chamberlain in regard to the condition of af-
| fairs They inquired if he would use his power
to protect the two houses. The General would
| make no promise, but that he>wrll do his duty
| as acting governor and commander-in-chief no
| one doubts. The house was evidently anxious
30 get quorum. The fuSionists again sent for
refused to take his certificate. 1t was reported
that the session was prolonged in. waiting for
MI. voter, but he failed to come, and at quar-
| ter to O'Clock the house adjourned without,
transactfDg any business whatever.
aE. SWANS STATEMENT AS TO- THE ATTEMPT TO
The statement b Sh ME h sWar r,A,ner ., tho
| Maine legislature, Fusion branch4. as to the
attempt 10 bribe him, is as follows: I came from
nay home to this city on Saturday, January 3.
Late on the evening of January a reliable per-
| son, who is now a member of this house. in
| formed me that Wallace r. White. Of Winthrop,
| had called upon him and offered him 81, 900 In
cash to deliver up his certificate and resign as
member OF the house, which he had refused to
accept, and that said White. informed him that
| he wanted three more men to resign, and re-
/ queSted him to see me. Upon this information
| Invent at once to the Augusta House and found
Hon. +. II. Cove, secretary OF state, and told
him what knew about the matter. Mr.. Cove
and myself then went out and found Hon. Scion
Chase. In their presence hastily drew and
| signed an affidavit emhodying NY statement OF
the bribery l then went and requested the
see MIR. White in the raGFning and inform him
| that l would resign for 81 600. He saw Nj.
| White the next morning.. Mr.: White sent back
| arequest for me to meet him at the court house
| al 1920 O'Clock a. m. Invent there at that time
| and met White, who took me up stairs into
| corner room. He then showed me statement,
| as follows:
| AUGUSTA, Me-, Jan. 6, 1sSo-To the Chair
man or The Democratic anu Greenback ComInit-
| tee:-After mature elaboration l have con-
| Guided that it is my duty as citizen to obey
the laws as they are construed and decided by
| supreme Judicial Court, I cannot, therefore
| publican representative elect whom the Su-
| preme Court aaS declared entitled thereto.
| therefore give public notice that will not par
! ticipate in the organization of the HCsse being
fairly and fully determined to obey the mandates
| OF the court. To resist that mandate is revolu-
ton destl9etive both to my party ard the great
interests ist OF the STATE THOMAS B swan
| statement, take it and sign the same; also,
sign resignation and deliver up nay certificate
to him. He said they should not want to use
I the resignation D1t wanted to show that acted
In good faith, ana that after the Rouse was Or
| gained should take my seat and the republic
cans would put me upon important committees
| l Informed him that would sign the PAPERS
and Re said that he had to go anaget the money
| as he did not bring 1t. He left Tie room and re-
| turn ID In about twenty minutes, and said It was
| all right. He then read to ME and copied In
| my own hand letters to tho chairmen Of the
| democratic and greenback committees. He
also read resignation, which I copied. I then
| put said papers without my signature into nay
| pocket. We then counted the money a ad found
It correct. then signed tho papers and took
me money. He said he Wanssd some more men.
| and wanted to know II knew any he could G It.
told him thought he could get Hartman, OF
Kennehunk. He told me TO see hin and come
and called into the Augusta House to see If I
could ind Hartman, bat, did nos find hlza l
went direct to the state house ana found E H.
| Cove and made the fol.oWing statement:
=" I, Thomas B. SWaa. In the paesenceef Hon.
Solen Chase and Hon. q Fl. Cove, make the
following statement: Iihave this day been APP
| prOached by an agent of the republican party
to resign as representative for money. 1 am
going TO take the money to-aOrrow, and thus
show to the people the fraud and corruption OF
| the republican party. IeXpeGt to have another
I party also take money for tie same purpose.
| "'THaS. Is. SWAN
| 81 went to the Augusta House and found Har-
| riman. | told him what had taken place, and
he agreed to gowith me st 1870 and take the
| money and expose the fraud. l went to my
dinner and then returned to the Augusta House,
| where again found Hartman, and not far from
| 2 O'Clock we went toward the courthouse, Be.
fore we reached it showed him White stand
ing upon the platform. White went into the
building aad so did Hartman. AS passed by
the courthouse White stuck his head out of the
window OF 1.-THE same corner room andmotioned
to me. answered the motion with g. nod of my
head bead , then l., went to the Granite National
me, ana bought draft on Boston. 1 do not
claim this money, and it is subject to the order
| OF the person who furnished it."
/ OTHER ALLEGED ATTEMPTS.
bunk, who displayed the roll of bills he re-
celyed, the house applauding, but the speaker
| ought not to be so received. In an impressive
manner Hartman called upon God to witness
the truth Of his statement as to the facts and his
intentions when receiving the money. Mr..
CLARK, OF Nobleboro, next rose and made a SINH
lar statement regarding attempts made to bride
him with promise OF money and certain house
Offices.
1t is charged that when White left Hartman
In the courthouse to go after the money he was
followed down State street and seen to enter
Mr. Blaine,s house Upon leaving 1t he went
directly to the courthouse.
I'VE have failed to be Informed as to who
makes this charge; and it does not appear in the
MR.. BLAINE'S STATEMENT.
The agent Of the Associated Press having
been notified by the general agent to obtain Mr..
BlaiAe'S personal statement regarding the pub
lie charge that he was implicated In the as
serted attempt to bride fusion member OF the
Maine legislature, handed the message to the
senator. who replied to 1t as follows:
Have seen your dispatch. That is the first
ever heard of any charge against me; but
whatever the form or phrase Of the accusation,
l pronounce it an unqualified calumny, and
merely a part of the monstrous, wicked, I'M
paralleled conspiracy to deprive free people
OF their suffrage by fraud forgery and perjury.
am busy night and day in the task of thwart-
ing the consp1rators, and it is merely part of
their dastardly and despicable crime to invent
some form Of SANDER against me- 1 have not
seen the charge, but know it is lie oHt OF
whole cloth, and cannot now be diverted from
the real work in hand to do more than de-
nounce the calumny and its authors.
| JAMES G. BLAINE"
| THE REVIVAL OF INDCsTRY.-A very intelli-
gent merchant who has just returned from a
three weeks business tour of observation through
this ate, western Pennsylvania, southern Ohio
and West Virginia, gives glowing account of
the revival OF industry in all that region. The
leather manufacture, he says. are refusing to
take further orders, and have as much business
on hand just now as they can take care of until
| mid summer p1fao