Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1889-01-16
LEAcH's STATEMENT.

to Senator Quay, Yesterday gave Harr'
8. Brown, the Philadelphia Press CORES
pendent at Dover, the following accoun
OF the attempt to bride two Repuhli
can Representatives to elect Democrats
Senator Il went TO Philadelphia on Wed
nesday. said Sir. Leach. and rename.
until Thursday, following up some clnes
On Thursday heard something that tool
me to Wilmington that night. regis
tered at the Clayton House as A. b. VII
hngton and looked over the ground unit
Friday morning A Philaeelahia mai
was in town stopping az the same hotel
and some Wilmington people had con
ference fixed with him for 2 clock that
afternoon
at ]. 80 Mr.. Leach was in an adjoining
room. An o'clock two men knocked al
the door of the other room and entered.
These men. he says were ]. Alfred Col
Inns, connected with a Wilmington paper,
and C. H. McVhorter. register in Chan
Gerry. A man was already in the room.
and Collins introduced him 20 Mr.. Nc
Ehorter as Mr.. Jones. In few minutes
the man whom Mr.. Leach prefers should
be known as Jones" for the present.
said that as this was o business
transaction they had better get down
10 business The others assented,
and Jones asked what it was they wanted
done They explained to him that the
Legislature stood 10 to Ia, and that they
wanted to get two Republican votes TO
elect a Democrat to the United States
Senate. Jones said he supposed that
could only be done with cash The others
said that was the situation. Jones asked
how muck they had to invest, and Mr.
McWhorter went into details
Jones" interrupted him and asked IL
1t had been contributed by federal office
holders. The reply was that that was
the superstition, and Mr.. McWhorter
added that the Administration ought to
put up at least $25 600. Continuing he
said that to the man who had $15 900 he
had said, well / have $40 600 raised in
4his state; then he added I'VE are go
ing to have some trouble In agreeing on
candidate and | am not sure that the
$15, 900 Mr.. 49, has (Mr Leach this time
caught the name) would be available for
any other candidate than Mr.. ---, but
presume 1t would be- The candidate
mentioned was a prominent Democratic
politician. II it is not, continued Mr..
MeWhorter, Il have reason to believe
that Mr.. 49,, manning another prominent
Delaware Democrat) il his brother should
be chosen as the candidate
We started out, said he, with $40,
O00 but made up our minds several days
ago that this would not be sufficient, as
the Republicans who voted for a Demo
crat would have to leave the state never
TO return, and they would have to get
enough to keep them for some years
IL was then explained that they had been
endeavoring to raise $50 900. but would
not be able to reach these figures. Mr..
McWhorter had recently talked with
man whose name Mr.. Leach failed to
catch, who informed him that he had
$4,000 at his disposal which had been
contributed by certain people in Phila-
delphia.
1t was added that there would be con
ference probably next day to see If all
factions could not agree on a candidate
Jones" asked what he was TO get, and
was told per cent. of the $25 900, or Of
such other sum, larger or smaller, as he
handled. The Philadelphia man then
suggested that If the negotiations were
carried further il would be necessary to
put up the money in his hands. Yes.
that's business" was the answer
Jones" asked who the men were they
wanted worked on, and he was given the
Legislature. He was told that they
wanted these two men to vote for Demo.
crat. Failing in this they wanted one
Republican TO vote for a Democrat and
one to leave the state before the vote was
taken, which would make the vote stand
Is to a. Failing even In this, two Re
publicans were to be induced to leave the
state, which would make the Legislature
tie and would throw the appointment Of
Senator into the hands Of the governor
The Philadelphlan, went on Mr.. |
Leach, said it was absolutely necessary |
10 consult with very small number Of |
people. Mr.. McWhorter agreed with him |
and said SO, for he had only talked with /
Mr. - manning the man who had the /
40 900, and in addition he had only con.
hded to two parties whose names were /
mentioned. One was the man who was |
likely TO contribute $4,000 or $15. 900. |
and the other was prominent Delawar. |
can who had frequently been an aspi- |
rant for the governorship. He would have |
consulted with another prominent Demo /
Graf only he was out Of the state.
The trio separated, the two Whining |
tonians saying they were going to Dover |
and promising to meet Jones" in Phila- |
delphia at II o'clock Sunday morning As
70 the identity Of the men Mr. Leach saws |
he saw Collins in the room, and that the |
other man acknowledged to the name of |
=. Il. McWhorter when he was intro. |
duced. Notifying Wilmington RepubR. |
cans of what was on foot and putting
them on the watch. Mr. Leach went to |
Dover on the $3.50 train. Collins and Nc
Whorter arrived at s o'clock. took supper
at the Capital-Hotel without renisterino
and went to the Office Of prominent
lawyer. They met two other prominent
Democratic lawyers and remained till
after midnight, and returned home BY
the same train that took Mr.. Leach to
washington, via Wilmington. On Satur-
day, Mr. Leach says, Mr.. McWhorter was
N Philadelphia, as was also one of the
three Democratic lawyers he had been in
consultation with the night before. On
sunday one Of the party came to Phila-
delphia and advised Mr.. Jones. and
proposed that the conference should be
held IN Dover Sunday hight. Jones was
asked to 60 down.
Cur people followed them so closely. "
said Mr.. Leach, ''that the whole party
became alarmed kilograms went back
and forth and the negotiations came to a
standstilL became convinced at an
early stage that they could not touch our
people. Those mentioned as accessible /
found had the confidence Of the party
leaders, and this confidence has been
justified by the results am disinclined
TO give the names of the prominent men
brought in, for | have no information
that they were parties to the transaction
further than what overheard, but I win