The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-18
ST. JOHN TELLS HIS STORY.
He Makes a Statement Concerning the
Charges Brought Against Him.
lie Pronounces the Allegations False, and
Invites Anybody Who Has Proof to I'M
mediately Produce the Same.


of the Associated Press called on Ex-Governor
st. John this evening at his rooms at the
National Hotel, and obtained from him a verbatim
copy of the statement he promised to give the
public regarding the charges contained against
him in letters and interviews recently published
by Mr.. Clarkson and Mr. Legate. This copy
was compared, word by word, with the statement
written by Mr.. st. John, and bears, like the
original, his signature. Following is the state
ment:
-. s. Clarkson, of the Des Mones Register
and member of the national committee of the
Republican party, after great deal of goading
and conference with his friend, j. B. McCullagh
OF the Globe-Democrat, of st. Louis, at last
gives to the public what he calls evidence to
prove that proposed to sell out to the Repub-
licans and thus betray the Prohibition party
In MIR. Clarksons letter, published in the Chica-
go Tribune of the 9th inst, he says:
ITO my knowledge, he did have overtures made
offered, if paid $25, 900 in cash. to withdraw a
candidate altogether, or to stay in the field and
feather his speeches as it was put in Kansas phrase
to the help of the Republicans was asked in order
10 prove the sincerity of his offer to withdraw from
Ohio the last week before the October election in that
State. lie did this under the pea which he said he
friend have mentioned went first to Pittsburg, next
to Philadelphia and finally to New York, where he
national committee, who would be ready to make the
deal and pay the cash.
MY appointments for the campaign were
made by the national committee of the Prohi-
bitioD party. AT Chicago H.. Sept. IS, it was
arranged forme to speak in Ohio-at Springfield,
Oct 3; Delaware, Oct 4 Akron, Oct 5, and
Ober.in, Oct. 6. filed every one of these ap-
pontments, and one more, and those who at
tended my meetings, feel sure, will do me the
justice to say that did not feather my speech
es, either Having thus completed my work IN
Ohio, without having sore throat or pretend
ing to have one, in accordance with the pro-
gramme made for me by the committee, pro-
ceeded. on the morning of the 7th of October
to Adrian, Mich, where, at P. NJ,
that day, / addressed, in the open air.
near 10000 peoples going the Same evening
to Detroit, where | addressed large audience in
the Grand Opera-house. Next morning, in com
pany with Hon. d. P. Sagendorf, of Charlotte,
Mich and one of the members of the national
committee, and several other prominent Prohibi-
tionists, started for my next appointment, at
kalamazoo, making several short speeches on
the way, and addressing meetings at Kalamazoo
both afternoon and evening. From Kalamazoo
| went, with other Prohibition workers, to Flint,
Mleh. where at P. NJ, on Oct: g. | addressed a
large open air meeting, leaving there, in com
pany with Hon. David Preston, Prohibition can
didate for Governor of Michigan. in the
evening, for Detroit. from which city,
about o'clock on the evening of the 10th. l
spoke in the Academy of Music on the evening
of the 18th. / spent good portion of the day of
the 18th with IL. j. Burdette, at Ardmore, eight
miles from the city. On the evening of the 18th
/ addressed an open-ar meeting at Monument
square, Baltimore, and then another meeting
the same evening" in East Baltimore. That
night, at II o'clock, l started for Brooklyn, ~
Y, where, on the evening of the l4th, spoke in
the rink; on the 10Th spoke at Mldletown, Conn. ;
on the 10th at Worcester, Mass. on the 18th at
Chickering Hall, New York city, on the 18th at
Newark, n. j., and thence to western New
York, where held eight meetngs-every one of
the foregoing meetings being in strict pursuance
to the appointments made for me by the national
Prohibition committee. / have not been
m, or passed through Pittsburg for near
ly two years. Mr. Geo. r. Scott,
foreman of the New York Weekly Witness
joined me at Oberlin, O., Oct g. and travelled
with me and attended all the meetings from that
time up to and including the one at Newark, N.
j., Oct Is. He, and no other acquaintance, ac-
companied me from Michigan to Philadelphia
nor did on the way see any friend or acquaint
ance from my own State
Mr. Clarkson further says, in his Tribune
letter of the 9th:
II may add that neither the national committee nor
any acting for it made overture or propo
sition of any kind to ST. John All that it did was to
listen and discuss the overtures and propositions
made to it through the medium which he employed to
reach it.
'Yet in the same letter he convcts himself,
for he says: He myself was asked in order to
prove the sincerity of his offer, to withdraw
from Ohio the last week before the October
election in that State Who was there in this
transaction to doubt my sincerity but j. S.
CIarksonf But further on he says, the things
which were demanded of St John as to his
movements in Ohio we're pledged by that friend,
and carried out by st. john Three parties are
here referred to-frst. the party that made the
demand; second, the that gave the
pledges, and third, myself who carried
it out Now, l submit that there
must have been somebody to have named the
things which were demanded and who could it
have been bat Clarkson2 And yet he says that
all that it 1.-THE committed did was to listen to
and discuss the overtures and propositions made
to it, If Mr. Clarkson was an honest man, why
did he not Indignantly refuse to. entertain any
such propositionsl But, finally, Mr. Ciarkson
names James F. Legate, of Leavenworth, Kan,
(the long suppressed name as this middleman,
and proceeds to publish what he claims to be
Legate's letters, which, whether genuine or not,
what Clarkson claims to be Legates letter.
dated Topeka Kan,' Oct. 4, addressed to Mr.
j. S. Clarkson, Legate says
'At Senator P.'s request, I came 70 see You
at Cincinnati ou seemed to share my views. You
read me your talk / awaited the arrival from New
York. and supposed the matter would be closed up
but after the consultation at Columbus it deemed
wiser that should look after St. John and meet him
go to Michigan with throat I teegraphed
him and made him specific promise to go with him
to Pittsburg, expecting to find word there but
failed Isad to him. based on what you had said and
your friend from New York together with what was
said by Senator p the night after the conference
at Columbus, that would guarantee $40, 600. He
satisfied and went with to Philadelphia. l
there persuaded him to write letters to L. w. Gage,
State organizer for Ohio A. l.. Carey, of Samantha;
Rev. Mr.. Gegen of Columbus and Prof. w. Ct. Frost,
at Oberln, urging them TO aid the Republican State
ticket, saying if the Republican State ticket was
elected he believed his vote in November would be
largely increased. Ny judgment is that his leaving
the State and writing these letters added very large
number to the Republican majority in Ohio. At
Philadelphia received dispatch that the matter
would be fixed at New York where, with him went
found Mr. Ellins who seemed to know nothing and
would do nothing
Sat senator's request I came to see you
[Clarkson at Cincinnati You seemed to share
my views / said to him. based upon
what you had said, and your friend from New
York, together with what was said by Senator