The Portland daily press., 1880-02-19
THE BRIBERY INVESTIGATION.
Speech Of Mr.. A. A Strout Of Portland.

Speech Of Mr.. A. A. Strout of Portland
The following is the full text of the speech
of Mr.. A. A. Strout in the House Tuesday in
reply to Swan of Minot:
Mr.. SPKAKER.-I wish that the remarks
which have just been submitted to the House
could pass without notice so far as am con-
cerned. But their character is such rejecting
this body ,.that they seem to call for some brief
reply. The position which the gentleman
from Minot has taken is most extraordinary
The charge which is made that bribery was
undertaken and intended to defeat the ends of
justice, begs the whole question. A thing which
he seems to assume with positiveness which
| must confess am not able to take any part
in, that such bribery was in fact attempted
upon the part of Wallace r. White, is the
question which this House and the people of
The state are finally to pass upon when all the
facts of this Ubiquitous transaction shall come
to light. And to assume as he does with loud
voice and without hesitation before his accusa-
ton has been made in the presence of the &C
cused and before the evidence which exists, as
[ am informed shall be laid before the proper
commttee-for him to assume that the people
of this state and the membeas of this House are
to come to the conclusion that Wallace r.
White his been guilty OF bribery, is begging
the whole question in advance, and is placing
at the present time. Let us wait until we can
have full investigation. Let US learn what
the declarations of the gentleman from Minot
were as to his intentions before he came to
Augusta upon the 4th or 9Th day of January.
Let us learn whore the money which he claims
to have received, came from. And further,
Mr.. Speaker, let us learn, as we shall learn,
what has been done with that money since the
time when he claims it was paid to him, and
when he further claimed that he held it as the
property of Wallace R. White. When all
these matters come to our KNOWLEDGE, and
when we have heard the statement of Mr..
White in relation to them, and the witnesses
whom he calls, and whom 1 understand no can
such judgment as will be satisfactory to our
selves and to the people as to where the guilt
or innocence in this matter actually lies.
Now. an explanation has been attempted in
relation to the revised statutes. A technical
distinction is attempted to be set up that he
who receives bride without an intention that
it shall influence his vote or action, is not
guilty of completely in the offence. The
courts have not been silent upon this subject.
The courts have held that the testimony of an
accomplice, real or pretended, is always to be
received with caution and distrust. The law
set its seal of reprobation upon this sort of
trickery which undertakes, in order to accom-
plish given purpose, whether political or
otherwise, to induce another man to do that
which is a crime in the eyes OF the law. That
is the reason for it. And however this matter
may be looked upon, and whatever the testi-
mony in this case may be, still the honest judg-
ment of honest men OF honest minds, men who
hate trick and despise a trickster, will set
Its seal of condemnation upon this kind of
conspiracy which, in order to accomplish po-
litical ends and purposes resorts to the hold
ing out of inducements and temptations to
inveigle other men into the commission of
crimes.
But sir, am not sure that when this matter
comes before the court, or when it comes be-
fore the people of this state, the tribunal be-
fore which we must all stand or fall, that it
will not be found that this gentleman assumed
the role of an accOmplice in thit crime, if one
was committed. 1 am not so certain that the
gentleman from Minot will find himself in
position to assert with SO much confidence
that he is an honest man and that his course is
to be approved. Because, although it may be
true that this thousand dollars was deposited
in one of the banks of this city, for which he
took check upon a bank in Boston, although
he declared in his place that the money be-
longed to and was ready for Wallace r. White
and was at his disposal, if am correctly in
formed, he may be called upon to explain how
it was that subsequently the same check had
been deposited by him in one of the banks in
Portland, one-half to the credit Of the town Of
Minot, Of which he is treasurer, and the other
half, five hundred dollars, he has taken and
put in his own pocket. do not think it be-
comes him at this time to lecture the members
of this House or to impugn their motives in re-
lation to any matter OF feeling towards him,
| when these facts remain for, him to explain be-
| fore the proper tribunal and at the proper
| time. He is in error in relation to this ones
| ton of feeling. No man has any feeling Of re-
| venge towards him. He does not rise to the
plane of revengeful resentment. It is rather
| sentiment of disgust in relation to the whole
| affair than any desire to make him the scape
| goat of any party or raise him to the position
| of political martyr.
And further than thai, as / understood the
| gentleman from Minot, he not only took occa-
| sion to forestall the opinion of this House in
| relation to his own matter, but he intimated
| that this subject may fall in high places, and
| upon high people holding public trusts What
! does he mean by that? Does he wish to echo
| the vituperation which has filled the journals
| of the opposition, and SO give color to what, in
| part, in my Judgment, this very movement has
! been started for? Does his eye rest upon one
| who occupies position in the councils of this
| nation. so high above him that he can only
| stand and look upward with wishfui and ma
| levolent gaze. Let me assure him and others
| that if it is their purpose to aSsail those who
are not members Of this body, but who are
| outside and in honored stations of public trust,
their purpose will meet with ignominions fail
1 ure.
| The objects of the assaults of the opposition
bring before my mind the scene
An eagle soaring in his pride of place
Was by housing owl hawked at;-
| But here the comparison ends. No death On
| sues. But with one sweep of his majetie
| wing he beats to earth his puny assailarts,
| where disabled they lie uttering their sfrill
l cries of imn0fAnt rqUa and furv unable tn