The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1890-01-09

strike out the preamble and makeit read
THAT the attorney-general be, and he II
hereby instructed to inform the senate
what instructions, IL any, the depart
ment ofjustice has given to S. N. Cham
bers, district attorney for the district
of Indiana, on the subject of the arrest o
w. w. Dudley, or his exemption from ar
rest, and by what authority of law any
Instructions have been given and that
copies of all such chcorrespondence be trans
mitted to the senate"
He expressed (sarcastically) his admi
ration OF, and concurrence in, the beau
tiful tribute of the senator from Indiana
to the value of political morality. He
also gave his adhesion to Mr.. Voorhees,
denunciation of political immortality. II
Mr.. Dudley had done the thing imputed
to him, he had certainly committed (ii
not crime against the United States) q
crime against that class of public moral.
ity which the senator had so beautifully
described, and which, as he said, was
so essential to the safety and perpctuity
of republican institutions. Still 1t was
possible that the so-called Dudley letter
had been forged or SO altered as to make
an innocent (morally innocent) political
letter appear to be morally guilty one,
There were instances OF such political
lorgerics about the time OF presidential
eections-such as the Morcy letter. But
he was glad the leaders of the democratic
party had apparently reformed, laugh
ter in the galleries) and that now at
least, an anniversary of the battle OF
New Orleans, there was some evidence
of allegiance to principles of the only
real democrat he had ever heard Of
General Jackson. (Laughter.)
Mr.. Voorhees-"lf the Dudley letter is
forgery, why is it that he has not
brought his libel suits against the New
York papers to trial; and why is it that
he has skulked and cowed and hid him
self in exile for the last twelve months or
inore?"
Mr.. Edmunds-I do not know that
Dudley is skulking or hiding anywhere,
and do not believe it. | do not know
that he has any libel suits pending in
New York. If he has. suppose he
knows how to take care of them.
Mr.. Voorhees-l say here. in the hear
ing of the New York press and its agent,
that every possible effort has been made
to get Dudley, in his own person i'll the
State of New York, to prosecute his own
libel suits; that all such efforts have
tailed, and that Judge Lawrence the
other day denied the motion OF Dudley's
lawyers because Dudley The said kept
himself out of the limits OF the State.
Mr.. Edmunds-Judgc Lawrence may
be right or may be wrong, ! do not
know; but il Dudley has any libel suits
md does not prosecute them the defend
ants are entitled to have them dismissed.
Mr.. Edmunds argued that this Dudley
letter, il it were genuine, constituted an
uffense against the laws of Indiana, and
asked where were all the democratic dis
trict attorneys of that State and why all
this delay on their part to institute pro-
ceedings. He intimated that United
States District Attorney Sellers. who
preceded the present incumbent, had re-
signed to escape the necessity OF taking
some action on the Dudley letter. He i'll.
timated that Dudley's letter might have
been suggested by, or initiated from, one
which had been sent out by a Mr.. Whit.
aker, of Martinsville, Indiana, chairman
of the Democratic county committee on
the 7th Of September, 1888, and which
was recently published in an editorial
of the Terrc Haute Express, a paper the
bclicved) published i'll the town OF the
Senator's residence. Mr.. Dudlcy's letter
seemed to be child or a twin sister OF
this Whitaker letter. which he sent to
the clerks desk and had read. The letter
uses precisely similar expressions as
are used in the Dudley letter, as to sup
plying list of doubtful voters, describes
them as "fioaters" and directs that they
shall be closely looked after and that
none Of them be allowed to escape, The
reading of the letter was received with
loud laughter in the galleries.
Mr.. Edmunds continued, Now this
Whitaker letter may be forgery, do not
vouch for it. II is possible that the edi
tor of the Terrc Haute Express invented
it but its likeness to the so called bud
ley letter is so perfect and particular that
should I've bound to say (if | were juror
September wrote the Dudley letter mud
palmed it off as a letter from the Nation
al republican committee"
Mr.. Edmunds then touched upon recent
political scandals in Indiana, and closed
by hoping that the senate would not
stop until corruption and dishonesty a'
elections should have been utterly cast
| away.
Mr.. Voorhees, replied that he hnt
never before heard Of the Whitaker lcttcl
and did not believe it had ever existed.
At the close of the discussion, Mr.. Ed
munds' amendment was agreed to by {
party vote, 81 to ~. and the resolution
thus amended was adopted, Mr.. Nor
i,ccs rcmarking that he would find SOM
way to ascertain the judgment OF th'
law department on the action OF its sub
ordinate.
After the disposal of some routin
matters. the senate proceeded to tn
consideration of executive business; AM
at $40 adjourned.