The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-26
THE ST. JOHN CONTROVERSY
Legate's Story of the Negotiations for
$4,000 of Republican Funds,
And How He Failed to Secure the Same
The Money Was To Be Used in the Cause
0fProhibition in Kansas.

iished here tomorrow from James F. Legate
addressed to- the editor of the Capital. dated
Leavenworth, 10th inst, in which the writer
says he feels bound to make a full statement of
his connection with the st. John-Clarkson con-
troversy, in order to show whether or not he
was 'huckster" of St John in the recent po-
litical campaign The letter reviews the mat
ter at great length and is to the following effect
The writer opposed st. Johns candidacy on
the national ticket, and endeavored unsuccess-
fully to persuade him not to accept the nomina-
ton. He then had conference with number
of St Johns friends in Kansas, and endeavored
to get st. John to return to Kansas and work in
the State, urging that prohibition was on trial
here; that its interests were allied with Repub-
lican interests, and they should work for joint
success in the State.
raised, whereupon the writer suggested that the
national Republican committee would furnish
reasonable sum. Legate wrote to O friend in
Ohio, making overtures for $4,000
Meanwhile, Legate and two others called on st.
John, while at Olathe and presented their views.
ST. John said Colonel Martin the Republican
candidate for Governor, would commit himself
to prohibition, and he St John agreed to see
that 10 nomination was made by the Prohibition
lists, but he [St Johnl must keep faith with the
national Prohibition party by filling his engage
ments. 1t was agreed that the $25, 900, if paid in
the State by the Republican committee, should be
placed in the hands of committee.
Legate received a reply from his friend that
nothing could be done with the Republican com
mittee. Afterwards at the request of the chair
man of the Republican State committee in Ohio
Legate went to work in that State. There he
met his friend, and by his advice called on Mr.
Clarkson, at Cincinnati, who had already been
approached by Legate's friend Clarkson COM
inundated with the committee at New York.
and arrangements were made to supply the
500, 600. Legate then saw ST. John at Oberiin,
and urged his return to Kansas. giving as his
reasons that prohibition needed him there and
by Withdrawing from Ohio, he could help Secre-
tary Robinson, who was real temperance man.
ST. John said he could not leave the eastern
field until Martin signed letter committing him
self to prohibition in Kansas. He would go to
Michigan and make few speeches, and wanted
to know for a certainty before he left Michigan
about the programme for Kansas, and asked Lee
gate to telegraph him in Michigan.
The letter here says: AFTER he had reached
Detroit, change in his programme for speaking
at those three places was made, and before |
left Oberlin, he telegraphed me of the change,
so that l should know where he was That
was the only dispatch had from him, and had
no letters from him during the campaign other
than those have alluded to. He left and / re-
manned and spoke at Oberlin the following even
ing. Before leaving Oberlin, l telegraphed Mr.
Clarkson at Cincinnati that the whole matter
must be fixed during the next three days. | re-
turned to Columbus, and the morning dispatches
said St John appeared at a meeting at Detroit
the day before, but was unable to speak but a
few moments on account of his throat being Sore
resulting from too much outdoor speaking and
said to friends there jocularly that it doubtless
was my talk to him that gave him the sore throat
Afterward, in writing to Carkson, ! presume l
alluded to the sore throat but il it was not
it should have been in quotation marks; at any
rate Mr.. Clarkson could not have failed to un-
derStand it. / went by request to Cincinnati.
and met Mr. Clarkson, and he introduced me to
Mr.. KGrens as the man who had been sent by
the n<tional committee to fix things. After
ward, at Columbus, Kerens and some others had
a conference after which Kerens told me it was
decided that he should return to Cincinnati, and
that should go to Cleveland and see my friends,
and told them that Kerens would give them
S., 900 or sc, 600, and the rest in eight or ten
days, and he wanted me to follow St John and
keep close to him, and see that he returned to
Kansas, as agreed upon, and l told him had
money enough to do that, and he gave me 800
for expenses
II reached Cleveland the next morning, and
found my friend had left to see ST. John at
Detroit. l reached him by telegraph, and said
to him: The things sure; two-ffths down,
balance before the Goth; meet me at GIN
cinnati to-nightr He replied: All right but
will not go to Cincinnati; will meet you at Pitts
burg l informed Kerens or Clarkson of these
facts 10y Wire and asked to give word at Pitts
burg. l went my way, met my friend at
Pittsburg, but found no word there as they had
Philadelphia st. John was in the city, and l
imposed the task upon my friend of getting St
John to write letter back to his Ohio friends to
quietly aid the Republicans, believing that his
(St John'sl vote would be increased in Novem-
Der if he did. Whether such letters were written
or not do not know, but had reason to believe
they had been. | remained in Philadelphia q
day, when l was telegraphed to go to New York,
New York will fix it, left for New York"
Continuing, Legate said he met Mr.. Ekins, aud
as he intn wit IT a0ata ci
mission Elkins replied. Yes but he could do
nothing till the arrival of the Ohio men. Legate
went back to his friend and told him he believed
the Republicans had only wanted to get ST John
out Of Ohio
His friend left for Kansas in great disgust,
agreeing, however, if the matter was fixed up, to
join with his friends in dispatch to St John to
come to Kansas
Later, Legate met St. John in the office of the
New York Witness, and told him the possibilities
of a canvass in Kansas were ended; that their
friend had become offended and gone home. ST.
john replied: CIV ell, am really glad of it, for,
though would have gone home with you and
made the canvass, l believe the welfare of prohi-
btion lies in the future than in the
present" Continuing, st. John said he be-
lieved if Blaine were elected the whisky
interests would be aurtured If Cleveland
were elected he would follow the expressed will
of the people. If the Republican party was de-
feSted it would disntegrate, aid the temperance
element form party that might soon become a
power. He ssid further that he would carry out
the appointments that had been made for him
Legate returned home, and met quite number
of men who were parties to the original arrange
ment and they reproached him for failing to
carry the plan through, and compelling them to
spend money IN the State canvass Then he
wrote ClaPkson the letter marked confidential
He did not expect Clarkson to send the money,
but to make some reply to satisfy these men
that he had not been playing game with them.
ofad ha in
Cincinnati by publishing the letter, and wllfully
misrepresented, for he knew that 'hm' in tho
letter did not refer to St John, but the gentle
man from Kansas who accompanied Legate on
the portion of his tour referred to rs his friend
and with whom all arrangements were to be
made.
The Letter Virtual Confession.
Dies MONIES, Jan. 25-In reply to Legate's
statement, sent in these dispatches last night,