The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-02-05
Mr.. ]. B. RINCH'S QUERIES.
OPEN LETTER TO CLARKsON

OPEN LETTER TO CLARKSON
A Number Of Important Questi ON.
] PropOunded to that Gentleman
Which he Should Answer
IN Apology Is De-.
! manded.
From chicago Daily News.
The editor Of the Daily News has
received from Mr.. John 3. Finch
chairman OF the prohibition national
committee, the following, which is
somewhat In the nature OF an open
letter to Mr.. ClarksoD, editor OF the
Iowa State Register. Mr.. Finch asks
Mr.. Clarkson series OF pertinent
questions In regard to the futile at
tempt made by the Blaine managers
to defeat the will OF the people by
bribery and corruption. Mr.. Clark.
sons replies. II frankly and truth
fully made, will be OF interest. Be-
low Is Is Mr.. Finch's letter:
BosToN, MASS, Jan. 2O.-To The
EDIroR! Clarkson superintendent
Of the bribery department OF the rep
ublican national committee, having
charged st. John with fraud, the
evidence was demanded. He called
his witness The witness INDICATED
st. John. Clarkson now impeaches
his own witness, and wants st. John
70 sue Clarkson for political libel In
the republican state OF Iowa. He
has evidently taken Blaine's opinion
that q judgment cannot be recover
ed where party politics are involved
and SO, instead Of owning that
he was played rs sucker by Legate
aud that he lied about St.John, tries
the game OF blum. By this he admits
that he has no evidence to convict
st. John, and wants st, John to help
convict himself. With your permits
sion, / want to ask this head OF the
bribery department Il few questions !:
Is LegAte the only witness you
can produce against st. John?
Does Legate tell the truth when
he says l was Clarkson's agent?
Legate being your witness, are
you not either to take HE testimony
or stand branded rs a man who in
tr0duced u liar to prove his case?
Legnte having vindicated st. John.
are you not bound to take the testi-
mony Of your own witness, and us
an honest man apologize?
Have you or your friends u letter
or telegram direct from st. John?
Have you letter or telegram that
purports to be signed by him?
When was this attempt to break
down the prohibition rarty first dis
cussed In your committee?
How much money was set aside
for the purpose OF pribing the pro-
hibition leaders?
What prohibition leader did YOU
FIRST attempt to reach?
Will you publish your entire cor
respondcnce with different prohi-
bitionists?
Will you give the public detailed
statement OF the money spent by
your committee?
Does Mr.. McCullngh tell the truth
when he says you agreed to pay st.
John $25.OOOy
! Do you regard it mn honorable
!, thing to attempt to bribc Il candidate
to betray his followers?
!; Would honorable men listen to the
propositions OF Il traitor to betray
honest men and women?
Why did you consort with Legate
Did you intend to buy st. John ii
you could get him cheap enough?
Is not man who will listen to and
help arrange plot to bride as vile
and mean as man who accepts u
bribc?
Did you not know that you stated
falschood when you said st. John
left Ohio to keep his contract with
you?
Do you not know that you were
being played as y sucker by Legate
Is not man who will enter into q
plot to bribs and then betray the con.
hdential communications OF his
agents, as you did Legate's, dis.
honorable man?
II placed on the national commit
tee in 1883. will you attempt to buy
the prohibition candidate?
Will you not admit that It was tho
asiDinc stupidity Of yourself and
your candidate that defeated him?
Have you any letters or tcle
grams connecting any.leading pro.
hibitionist other than those who
wrote letters III favor Of Blaine
with any money from either dem.
ocratic or republican committed
Will you at once publish all cv,
idcnce you have in this whole mat
ter. with detailed statement OF
the amount paid the "New York
Temperance Assembly," and those
who wrote letters for Blaine!
| Mr.. Clarkson should answer
frankly and in detail each Of these
questions. He has made charges
and now utterly fails to prove
them. He must now apologize OF
l,c branded as liar. IF he will
make a full confession III regard
to the bribery work Of the last
campaign and frankly and fully
state Just what he intends to do il
!, the future he will confer u favor on
the prohibitionists he attempted to
wrong. Respectfully,
! JOHN B. FINCH,
i Chairman National Prohibition
Committee.
Democratic papers blubberinl
over the use of dynamite urt