Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-23

lalied IN his argument. He then proposed I
give him 81 900 if he would stay away Nj
). y. White refused that. Wallace Il. Whit
then asked him il he could no
ma somebody and il resulted in J. o. Whit
communicating the fact to Mr. Swan. Mr.
swan entered into the plan of defeating tn
scheme and says II will take that money
make him believe l am bought when I an
not and then he will cease his efforts to pur
chase other men," He met him according t.
agreement and the money was paid. TheI
he wanted somebody else, and Mr.. Swan men
toned Mr.. Hartman. and he went and tool
the money, not for the purpose of gain bu
ior the purpose of preventing the crime o
bribery and defeating the efforts to prevent
the organization Of the House. We say the
facts. as stated by these witnesses, and the
testimony Of those witnesses is so connected
so lnterwoven, so dovetailed, that it is utter.
~ impossible to separate them, show that il
one has testified untruly all have testified nm.
truly. If one has testified truly they have all
testified truly. 1t is therefore, case
OF three to one. 1t is just as satisfac-
tory to my mind as though three
men were in the same room ard the
money was offered at the same time, for say
to you when you read the testimony you will
perceive that they are absolutely interviewer,
| .'i"s ~ chS - ttue All are true. OF ii one Is
false all are false. Now, then, Wallace X.
White finding himself confronted with the
charge of bribery did what thousands had
done before him, denied that charge and COM
mitted greater crime in covering it up. II
l had been brother of his, would have ap-
pealed to him to confess the crime, for sincere
| ~ believe that he did it, and not add anoth-
| er by going before that committee and testify
ing as he did.
But as a member of that committee, / had
no right to speak to him, / had no relations
| with him which would authorize me to do it.
can only say that it was the most painful
thing have seen during the legislature, when
l saw that young man appear before the COM
mittee. knew beforehand what he was to
testify to. believed he was to testify to that
| which he ought not to.
Now am not here struggling for victory.
l am simply adding my mite, towards the
discovery of the truth, and have endeay ored
to present this matter briefly, precisely US it
is.
Others will take part and enter more mi
nutely into the testimony. But the thing
that satisfies my mind is the fact that here
was temptation on the part of Wallace II.
White to commit this crime, while on the part
of these other gentlemen, there was no such
temptation.
1t is inconceivable that three men should
arrive at this legislature the 9TH day Of
January, and Immediately enter into con-
spiracy to charge this man with crime and
then support it it by perjury.
Even if you could conceive that one man
could do this, with no adequate notice, the
idea that three men should do it, is utterly
| and totally incredible.
And say in regard to these gentlemen,
upon Mr.. Swan about some remote and un-
satisfactory testimony, the standing of Mr..
J. o. White and Mr.. Hartman is as unex-
ceptionable as any man within my knowledge;
and the matters in reference to Mr.. Swan,
were such as would not as a rule be heard in
court--they were too remote.
But l say in regard to the other two, there
was nothing, and they stand before the world
as unimpeached witnesses.
On the contrary, Wallace r. White stands
charged with high crime. He is the de-
fendant, and everybody who has been in
court knows that the testimony Of a defendant
is received with very great caution, and that
verdicts against the defendant are the COM
monest things in the world.
Here then is the case, three men against
one, and to my mind the result can only be
in one direction, and that is that the three
who had no motive to perjure themselves,
must be believed before one who had the
highest of all motives to commit that crime.
Mr. HUTCHINSON of Lewiston:
Mr.. SPEAKER-As a member of the COM
mittee appointed under the order of the Goth
of January last to hear the evidence on the
attempted bribery cases, desire to say that
yave close and careful attention to all the ev
idence that was adduced and heard before
that committee. Having no knowledge Of the
facts in the case, desired simply to ascer-
tain the truth so far as we were able from the
evidence produced before us. 1t was the de-
sire on the part of the majority of the conf
mi.tee to make a finding in accordance with
those facts. 1t is well known. as has been
stated by the gentleman who opened the case
in behalf of the minority report, the gentle
man from Wiscasset. that at the time when
this matter arose and when these charges were
first made, there was great excitement. 1t was
a time when we felt that a conspiracy second
10 none in political history had been attempt
cd and that feeling has been corroborated by
the evidence SINCE. until it has become an
established fact in the mind of every candid,
r.. .soning person. There was desperate at
10 mt made at that time of a minority to
usurp and hold the place of the majority.
And the means that were take to obtain that
position. and to hold it success ally have been
detailed in various instances. ! must con-
fess. Mr. Speaker. that when this charge was
f;rst made known to me on the morning OF
the 9th dsy of January last, was impressed
in manner which shall not forget. But
deemed il proper that we should investigate
the charge so far as the standing Of certain
members of this House was concerned, and
that we should learn the facts And want to
say 10 the gentleman from Camden and to the
gentleman from Lincoln. that we didn't come
here afraid to face any music. to face any
evidence, to face any facts that must appear
here or that will appear here.
I did not court any discussion upon this
report. had no desire for it. The gentles
man from Lincoln had written his speeci
which must b. published. The gentleman
from Camden had written his speech which
must be published in the press. Hence
thew must be delivered. And after those
sneechcs have been delivered in behalf Of
the acceptance of the minority report instead
of the majority, it is but reasonable and fair,
ana to be expected, that I, . member Of the
committee who have signed the majority re-
mort. should give some Of the reasons which
;mpelled those members to sign it.
We fnd in the first place an anomalous
condition of affairs here. The first knowl-
edee or intimation that had Of this matter,
and presume the FIRST that most of the MEM
II vo~h~D. of Tho v,onvnIe n the