Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-05
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1881


yet not one cent was spent with my knowl-
edge or consent for any improper or
fraudulent purpose. On the contrary,
every dollar confided to any one for cleo
tion expenses was given under a solemn
engagement that nothing not consistent
with strict honesty should be done with it.
1t may be asked, Why did l send this
money, knowing the consequences: The
answer is, l did not understand until l
was well into the campaign what l woull
be called up to pay for, and when l did l
felt that if l should retire l would, as
there was a third ticket in the field, en-
danger not only the success Of the county
ticket, which was very anxious to have
elected, but also, perhaps, Of the national
ticket and although in the heat and con-
fusion Of the campaign was always very
particular not to contribute cent for any
improper purpose was not able in the
few weeks it lasted to consider the whole
question as have since.
OF course l do not pretend to say that,
when money passed through not a dozen
but hundreds Of hands, some small part of
it may not have been diverted to improper
uses, but if it was Ihave never heard of it.
l have done nothing in this campaign that
| am ashamed Of, or that was inconsiste mt
with strict honesty. Although l would
have no hesitation in taking the
oath, were the words "expressly au-
torized'' by law omitted (and also the
words g have not knowingly violated
any election law" SO far rs they apply to
the act defining necessary expenscs), yet l
cannot, after reading the act Of 1874, de-
filming necessary expenses, swear ''that l
have not paid or contributed, or promised
to pay Or contribute, either or indirectly
any money or other valuable thing to pro-
cure my nomination or election Cor ap-
pointment), except for necessary and
proper expenses expressly authorized by
law"
did, however, determine twice to retile 9
from the field, but upon reflection 1 re-
solved to fight it out on the line Of spend
ing what could honestly for the success
Of the whole ticket, as not to endanger its
defeat by my withdrawal, and to decline
to take my seat if. upon careful considera-
tion Of tho subject in the niue weeks that
would elapse between election day and
the meeting of the Senate, should decide
that any part Of tho money was used for
expenses not expressly authorized by law.
Having made this full and frank state
ment of the facts. wish to say that if l
had done anything that l considered
wrong, or anything which would wish to
hide, l could have resigned before the
meeting of the Senate, giving as reason
| my business engagements, or something of
| that kind but such is not the case.
have nothing to conceal nothing to be
ashamed of, and am ready, as every hon.
est man should be, to suffer the conse-
quences Of my actions. l make no claim,
to having been deceived and kept in ignor-
ence. What did did with my eyes
open.
Regrctting that cannot, as 1 had oriSi-
nally hoped, be of some service, however,
slight, to Luzerne and Lackawanna
counties in the Senate.
am yours, very respectfully.
ECKLEY B. COKE.
| Late Senator-elect for the Twenty sixth
District.
[Eckley B. Coke, is member of the firm
| Of Coke Bros. & Co., which owns large
tracts Of valuable coal lands and is heavily
engaged in mining, and is and has been
for two or three years q director of the
Reading railroad company. His name
| was brought forward recently when the
McCalmont ticket in opposition to Gowen
| was first talked of. He has been resident in
Philadelphia as we'll as at Jeddo, Luzcrnc
county, from which county he was elected
to tho Legislature. He is about thirty
who descended Of Tench Coke, and is 4
SON of the late Judge Coke. During the
Centennial he was president of the Associa-
ton of Mining Engineers, being very
talented engineer himself.