Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-24
CORNELL CORNERED
The Governor Of New York Furnishes
Another and Most Fragrant Example
of Republican Corruption.
He Fathers a Blind Pool in Which Jay
Gould Was Interested, and Has Not
Yet Made Returns.

| The NJ york Herald, OF Sunday stated
| that II HAVING been asserted IN various news
papers that the recent meeting OF Ex-Sens-
| tors Roscoe ConkliBs ana fIau al Mr.; az
/ GoHld's residence st 1rsins'9n, on tue mud
son. was for the purpose oil deylsing means
whershv a. rsnomina,ion of Governor Cor
nell co,,id he defeated, and Messrs. Gould
| and ConkI;ng having been charged with pre-
vions sfTo-,- 20 corrupt the governor, a re-
norter S.s.s,Ssv sought Mr.. Gould at his
priv,te off;ce in this city for the purpose of
obtaining his statement concerning the mat
| ter.
ssYou ace Mr. Gould, that you are accused
in the Albany Epsaiag journal OF having en-
deavored, in continuation VII mr. Oonklng'
to corrupt Governor oorneil-
| yes"
"Haye Won .uy objection TO saying whether
there is anv foundstion for such charge in
any relations of yours with Mr.. Conkling or
"CertaipIy not. There is nothing in my
relations with Governor Cornell or Mr.. Co.k-
ling, or both of them, that L am not willing
| the whole world should know
"Wss Mr.. Conkling employed as your at
! torney to influence Governor CorheiIs mind
| in reference TO the Elevated railroad bill?"
"No, sir; Mr.. Conkling has never been my
| individual attorney or counsel. i am con-
nected with many corporations, and these
| cornorations h sve extended interests inVolv-
| ing important legal questions, and it is per-
| fectly natural that We should seek the coun-
sci Of the most eminent legal talent in
| the country. Mr.. Conkling, IN my ludg-
ment, fills that bill As to the Elevated rail-
road tax bill. before it passed, and indeed
before presenting Arguments in its favor to
the Legislature | conferred with the gov
ernor personally. met him in the hall of
the Fifth Avenue Hotel in this city and he
invited me into his room. Allusiou was
made 10 the disputed taxes OF the elevated
roads and the governor expressed the
opinion that the true and equitable way to
adjust the matter was for the Legislature to
pass such bill as had been introduced. He
added that he would gladly approve such
measure After the bill had passed the
governor intinated, as learned, that some
constitutional questions existed in his mind
as to certain details OF the bill which he
would like to have cleared up, and that he
would be glad if Mfr. Conkling could be en-
ployed by the company to give legal opin-
ion on these points.D
WHAT MR.. CORNELL PROMISED.
Gould?"
Several persons among them Mr.. Harris
and Mr.. Payn, made this suggestion to me
as coming from the governor. immedi-
was our counsel, and he, 1 believe, acted on
it. 1 had nothing further whatever to do
with it."
"You fully expected the governor, then, to
sign that bill?'
Certainly / did. told him that if he
had the slightest objection to the bill we
would withdraw it. This was before the
passage OF the bill. saw the governor my
self and explained The whole matter to him
end tol1 hin, fba hill Obi HE 70
him would withdraw it, as we did not
wish to antagonize him"
do you understand that he based his veto
on any objection of his own or on the objec-
tions raised by the city authorities"
II understand that he based his veto on
the objections of the city authorities, and
that surprised me, because in the interview
of which 1 have Just spoken, which took
place in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, after the
bill was introduced, but before it was passed,
took the precaution to say that / did not
know what course the city authorities might
take in regard to the bill, not know
ing what axes some Of them might have to
grind; on which the governor said very de-
cidedly that their. opinion would have no
weight with him. BE cared for none of
them except Mr.. Campbell, who, he thought,
was an honest man."
"You see ii is animated, Mr.. Gould, that
Governor Cornell was really Influenced in
his action by certain specuiations in the
stock of the road. Do you know anything
about it?"
"No. 1 know nothing of his transactions
in the elevated roads"
THE GOVERNORS "BLIND POOL,
"Have you had no connection with him in
any stocks~
81 have an unsettled account with him in
connection with what is known in Wall street
as the governors blind pool in American
District Telegraph"
''What is blind pool, Mr.. Gould?'
"a blind pool is a com binatioR of parties
taking certain interests in transaction and
leaving the purchases and sales in connec-
ton with the transaction entirely to the
party who gets the pool up and in whom they
all repose confidence"
"Did Governor Cornell get up such pool?"
aYes.n
"Was this before or since he became gov
ernor?"
"Itwas since. 1t was during the stock ex-
element; some time prior TO the death Of
General Garfield"
''What was the history OF the transaction,
Mr. Gould"
"You must go to Governor Cornell for
that. / only know what he told me. He
came 10 me and asked me TO take an interest
in mis- blind pool. L at first declined, but he
was very urgent, saying that he could not
make success unless l would lend him my
name and get those of Mr.. Russell Sage and
Mr.. Sidney Dillon. He said that il would
do this would be doing him the greatest
favor l could possibly do him. Being thus
pressed i reluctantly consented to take an
interest, and / induced Mr.. Sage and Mr..
Dillon also to take an interest in it.n
"How did 1t turn out?n
"The governor has.not yet rendered an &C.
count of his stewardship. Common report
says that he has made some hundreds of |
thousands of dollars out of the pool, so that
/ am expecting good round check BY way
of dividend, unless, indeed, the governor
wants TO have nae accept his veto of the Ele-
waited railroad bill as my dividend.
Here Mr.. Gould very eood-naturedIv
laughed.
"How is it supposed the governor has
made the large sum of money you mention?"
HOW THE GAME WAS PLAYED.
"Why, of course, the governor, having
THE ui0 h,-, 4