The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-08
KEIFER ON THE RACK.
The Invessig zion Showing Him Up
Badly.

BADLY.
WASHINGTON, March Mr.. Keifer was re.
called by the BoyDton Investigating Commit
tee TODAY, and was asked by Mr. Ramsay. Gen.
eral Boynton's counsel, at whose request he
wrote a letter to the Attorney General in JAN
nary on behalf of the witness Elder. Mr..
Keifer replied that he did not remember. He
acknowledged having given Mr.. Coleman
about $40 to gay Elder for his expenses and
time, bat he emphaticaly told Coleman not
to pay any one for his testimony. Charles s.
Garfield was recalled, and admitted that he
had been arrested on charge of burglary In
Indiana but said that he was innocent, and
that the case was disposed of by a nolle prose-
qui. REPRESENTATIVES Jordan and Follett OF
Cincinnati, Rosecrans Of California, Hit OF
Illinois. Senator Hawley of Connecticut, Ed
gar M. Jonnson Of Cincinnati, and "Harry"
Smith, journal clerk of the House, testified to
General Boynton's good character
John A. Sloan and "Ben" Prescott, messen-
ger of the Senate, testified that the character
of the witness, j. W. Elder, for
truth and veracty was not good. A tran
script of a record OF the Court of General Ses-
sions of New York touching the arrest and inn
prisonment of Elder for personating an officer
was accepted In evidence. Brewster Cameron,
General Agent of the Department of Justice,
produced and identified the following letter
from the files Of the department:
WASHINGTON, d. O., Jan 10, 1884,
Hon. Benjamin II. BreUster, Attorney Cen
erdL.
My Dear Sir,-I am we'll acquainted with
John w. Elder, who will present this letter to
you. / wish to say that he is reliable in all
respects, and ask you as q personal favor to
give him hearing on the matter about
which he wishes to speak. I don't know what
it is. but assure you he does not wish to i'm
pose on you in any way,
Yours with high esteem,
J. WARREN KEIFER.
NJ Ra;far tbouohr that ho uurota he lattar
at the suggestion of Mr.. Townsend Of Ohio.
1t was stated that Elders purpose in seeking
his appointment was to aid the defendants in
the star route cases. The defence rested here,
and the committee adjourned to 10 q. N. on
Tuesday.
Special Despatch to Boston Herald)
WASHINGTON, March T. William Henry
Smith, general manager of the Associated
Press, was examined by the subcommittee of
the Senate committee on post offices today. He
made formal statement OF the principles
upon which, aud purposes for which, the AS
eociated Press was organized. He traversed
many of the statements of former witnesses
regarding the management of the Associated
Press, and its alleged relations with the tele-
graph companies
Senator Jackson asked the witness the fol-
lowing questions relative to composition in the
news service:
From your own consideration of the sub
sugges?"
II think that telegraph compan les should
give a rate similar to tha rate given by the
British government; that is, they sh ould
charge so much for serving place, aud if
there is more than one paper there they
should serve the additional papers, and that
the rates should be given whether three points
we're served or ten. That it should be SO
much, and that the rates should be high
enough to pay them for doing the work"
fharo oh ha iafin hx7o
OF Congress, to the effect that all the news
transmitted by telegraph company should be
furnished at the same rates to all the papers at
the different points reached, what effect, in
your judgment, would that have on your case
of complsint?"
II think it would give everybody chance
to live and do business"
what would be your dgment concern
ing measure of that kindP'
''I think the effect would be good. It would
put everybody on the same basis, and the
newspapers then would be just the same as
commercial patrons of telegraph companies
are now"
The Associated Press, Mr. Smith said, exer-
cises the right enjoyed by every other private
business in the laud. OF choosing its own part
Ders. It does not interfere with the formstion
of ther associations or with individual enter
prises. The result of the governments inter-
vention would be to increase the cost, to weak
en- the papers, and to reduce the cost to a
stranger.
Senator Wilson-"When buy newspaper
buy what is published in it,
Mr.. Smth-"For yonr own individual use."
Mr.. Wilson-"For such use as choose to
make of it.''
Mr.. Smith-"No, I bag your pardon; you
cannot immediately take it and issue that in
another form and sell it, in competition with
the man of whom you purchased. mean it
is not right to do so. Phat is violation of a
property right as recognized by common law"
Mr.. Wilson-"Well, that is distinction
concerning which we would probably disagree.
1t is not very material to this inquiry"
Mr.. Smith was questioned at length con-
cerning the power Of the Associated Press to
Influence public opinion by the manipulation
of news, which he held to be impossible.