New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-30
KEIFER AND BOYNTON'
THE rx-spEAKER MAKES GRAVE CHARGES.

! HE CHARGES GENERAL BOYNToN WITH MAKING
| HIM A CORRUPT PROFESSIONALS INQUIRY Or
| DERED BY THE HOUsT
WASHINGTON Jan. 29.-In the House to-day, Mr..
! Hopkins. of Pennsylvania, rose TO question OF
privilege and offered the following:
Whereas, The Hon. ]. Warren Keifer member OF thls
House, has charged II. v Boynton, washington 'p e
spondent OF The Cincinnati Commenced GG;eut 20" ne
lug in the press gallery under the rules 0I lhe
House, with having approached the speaker Oh '9 1s
during the closing days of the last session OF CogI
with corrupt propositions intended to influence HIS ~
Whereas This alleged act in the nature of gross
breach OF the privileges OF the House. ana the ~
sustained, would call for the exclusion OF the sa" IL "
Hesoired That special committee Of five members OF
this House be appointed by the Speaker WIN lowea i
gate the said charge Of attempted corruption ana 70 '0
port result of their investigation to the iouse
Immediate consideration of the resolution was oo-
iec;ed TO- the point Of order being raised that was
| not privileged question The Speaker however,
ruled that il was such question: and Mr. Keller rose
| IN sneak A great deal of interest and excitement
was manifested by members. who cOngrcgated
about Mr. Kcifer and listened attentively 10 ms re-
| marks The ex-Speaker sent TO the Clerks desk
| and had read letter written by himself on Jan
uary 2S to Mr. BOyntOn, OF which the following IS
| a portion:
You have often been shown 10 be liar and defamcr
of character that IL has become unnecessary 10 deny any
thing you say YOu conceive il 10 be the business OF Con-
gress 10 occupy its time in investigating your hai deeds
TO thus dignity YOU Your colleague W. b. shaw IN de
flaming me- and who presided last spr1ag over meeting
~ fev member o he pr,.s 10 condemn me- was many
years ago shown land he compelled 10 alt the fact
appears by public records 70 have taken SlOoO as
lobbyist while correspondent, and so far as know, he
has had privilege Of the press gallery ever since mat
meeting refused to investigate the truth OF the charse
against AZ your and his instance Whci they mus nave
been known by both 10 be false Do you think the present
House should investigate each ease OF your VIOLATIONS OF
press and otherwise. and appealing to others To
same, am informed Does not such conduct on
your part forfeit all right you may lave 70 ST. win gh
lcmen Of the press shall not move the INVESTIGATION
you seek because do not believe II is the business Of tue
House OF Representatives 10 lnvesIgait your cIup1
conduct There is no rule of the House against your
being lobbyist The members OF the last House lahd me
record shows the factl know you lied III your publication
that opened the press gallery iOrhe admission OF mem
bers OF the present House know you He'd When you pup
lshed that when seats were about TO be drawn went IN
haste 10 Mr. Cannon Of Illinois, and asked him TO request
the privilege of being allowed TO select one etc 10 Wc1
no investigation by the House to learn their aisity
know you forged letter last summer and published IL 10
the country purpOrtng TO have been written by me 10
Secretary of the Treasury, giving date and about
matter OF no Importance, but as was informed AT
Your printed card has been riGhtfuly interpreted by
the public advance confession OF your gnt as
lobbyist II when you tod me near ne cose OF we ust
Congress- was fool for not making money WmIeepeak
cr Blame and Coifx had done and mat there was SUI
plenty tObe made If the Mc(afrahan bll cOu De go'len
through, | had thrown you as yon deserved from my
that time you and had been ON gOou terms anoagh
had been warned by friends and your puoe reputation
TO beware of YOU treated YOU enienty although nave
neyer iSA ~ 70 bis dVSid V31T Work TO- by ali mat
did not say who, with yon were Interested ID
colleagues. My knowledge OF the lobby clique
was obtained from YOU. have had no desire to con
denim the correspondents. for think most OF them gre
gentlemen, bat all have suffered in pu}c esteem ny
yOur bad example, and some of them have been lniu
cnced by yOu 30 do what they say they are nearby
ashamed Of. correspondent OF newspaper should re-
gard his position OF nigh responsibility and OF az
10 SAY that Mclarahau had merit in his original land
claim; but When yod ekpilGi tIai ,ug n you piI
to geo through Congress provided Ior the Issue o. May
| millions Oi acres OF lana scrip, Whlch
y9pa be s Of %STn5 i1f aGaS . SO pS
acre and since moro and that there would he &6anlance
Congress. have letter from oldate5 February -,
suspend the rules and pass the bl when Is OF da'e
earlier than our TAX No person mas ever SPOKEN W mug N
it taken, as you know, at the time you explained 10
leave il Tor the public to decide whether
the lobby who work Tor hic jobs M
the expiration Congress DO 1t for pay or senti-
mcut The committee Investigation you spoke OF has
given youmore concern than IL Las me; oi has n0tded
published untruths pretending that they are the
result Of thetcsJimOuy disclosed beore the committee
dislike the iaea Oh Houcs your irltF a i, ply Ha
You propose - publish IT, 1t ma} De ga. - IN. llpc
that OfAe iact sLoad 20 along vito H. or course
You would not puohsn yours without ltnI'h-"5 'Ai'
with IT,
When the letter had been read. MT. Refer took
the floor and said that III conversation with some
members he had used the unfortunate expression
that there was clique Of newspaper lobbyists.
have been reported to General Boynton that he had
used the expression BoyDton at once rushed into
the papers and began denying that he guilty OF
any connection with the McGarahan claim in
the last Congress. Certainly he ldr Keifer
had not mentioned it up 10 that time.
Now this man Boynton appeared to be friend OF
lis. until about March last, when he came to him
withthis bill holding bill for the relief Of McGar-
rahan in his hand. 1t should be horno in mndtha
on February 81 Boynton had written him q letter,
asking him to gnize q member Of the House to
move to suspend the rules and pass the bill. This
letter Mr. keifcT also sent to the Clerks desk and
had read as follows:
McGarrahan Cyouhave doubtless heard OF him appeal
ed to me yOuto give Dunneil chance to ak vote
ms CcG's bill Ii has been reported favora1ly from
committee To nave vote seems fair enough when one
side Is great monopoly Inc Dl appears 10 ne ilr one
both sides. have no interest OF the rcnoteSt kind IN
this matter; hut have always thought MEG the victim of
a rich corporation, aud 10 he has always had my sym
pathy.
Continuing. Nh Kcifer said that his impression
was that he did not answer that letter, but either
the next day or the day after Boyntcn came to his
room when other persons were there. WHen the
room was cleared, he began a conversation some
thing like this: He said " Keiier what do you
think think Of Won" l SAID 81 don't know. l
hone Well.p He replied: Il think you a fool
| did not know what he meant Loud lqughterl
He answered that had been Speaker Of the House
of Representatives; that might have made money
as Speaker Blaine and Speaker COlIaX had done
and then proceeded 10 say, VIII lAlS Dill III MS
hand, that there was plenty TO be made yet, If We
could get McGarrahan's bill through.
A GREAT SCHEME TO MAKE MONEY.
Continuing with the details of the alleged CONVEX
satioD Mr.. Keller stated that Mr. Boynton eX-
planned to him the terms aud purposes Of the bill
which confirmed an unsold part of the claim, and
provided for the issue of land scrip III lieu of other
portions of the land granted. Mr.. BoyntOn then
explained that the bill, i'll a a very covert |
81 a. aortf Of
a portion of the lands that the money was 10 be
divided by IL and that that was To be the measure
of further land scrip, and stated that it would !
amount TO millions of acres. and also that that
Of Anlnn Ihnn LIE cnlnd NJ |