, 1890-02-07

WASHINGTON, FEB 6.-lhe h0use
committee on ballot box forgery called
Senator John Sherman as first witness.
He was shown exhibit AZ and declared
that he never signed it. Saw it first
when it was sent him In November by
Halstead. The signature was a CODY OF
his rubber frankling stamp and not an
imitation of his signature. Witness never
heard or knew of the ballot box contract
and never heard of Campbell's bill before
Governor Foraker's music hall speech.
Mural Halstead, editor Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette testified when he
published Governor Campbell's signature
he cut 1t off from photograph copy of a
paper of signatures wCampbells. Wit.
ness told how he got hold of the paper.
of his talks with Governor Foraker and
others about it and how it was thought
advisable to use it in a campaign against
Campbell.
Witness did not see any room for ques-
tionIng the ~genuineness of the paper, he
told Foraker 1t was necessary to use the
paper or part of it and that he felt, so
exasperated at the idea that Sherman,
Butterworth and Mckinley were going in
with John Mclean in such a matter that
be felt tempted to explode it under
them; 1t was-something more than policy;
almost a public duty, but Campbell was
the only one before the people as a can
didate for public Office and therefore it
might be proper to use only his name.
Another reason for cutting off all the
names but Campbell was that Sunset Cox
whose name was among the the forgeries,
had Just died and witness felt convinced
OF che genuineness of the signatures.
Halsteads theory of the forgery was,
1t was never intended or expected to harm
anybody; the motive originally was
Woods extreme anxiety to get a smoke
lnspectorship. 1t was preposterous to
suppose Governor Foraker thought there
was anything fraudulent about it. There
was a cloud Of witnesses and the lawyer
who drew up the contract. Witness
wondered now that they did not come
down aud deny it the day after publica-
ton. Undoubtedly Wood put Senator
Sherman's name on it TO make it impos-
sible tor Foraker to use the paper. After
publication the witness was staggered to
see Senator Sherman's declaration that
the paper was a lie.
But he assumed that Sherman was ex-
tremely unlikely TO have signed the paper
knowing what it was thirty years ago.
Sherman lost the speakership by signing
in that way, the compendium OF the
helper book.
Mr.. Halstead placed at the disposal of
the committee his private letters TO Gov,
ernor Foraker, and said that some OF
them were conclusive evidence that both
himself and Foraker were convinced of
the soundness Of the paper.
Cogswell asked why witness didn't
verify the character of the pape by Sher-
man and Butterworth.
He replied that B%utterworth was not
in the country OF had lust returned.
Sherman was in Washington, and he
recalled the saying that you could get a
member of congress to sign a petition to
get himself hanged, but it was not pleas
ant to put a finger on a sore spot like that
Inc 1t was not his particular part to go
scratching at it just there.
The publication was forced by circum'
stances beyond his control so he did not
consult the slguers, he admitted they
could not draw Campbell out as they tried
to do, The fact is" said he, he turned
out a more difficult person than we
thought
Turner then said IF the governor had
succeeded in getting Campbell into a cor.
ner you would stand at the head of a can
non and touch it off"
Halstead-"No sir, l did not intend to
stand at the head of a cannon, bu. | got
there" [Great laughter
Continuing Halstead said there was
supposed to be ill-teeling between Senator
Sherman and Governor Foraker growing
out of events at the Chicago convention,
Ohio contained more than her share oil
distinguished men and there was necessar
lily a friction wherethey were so crowded.
The delicate relations existing between
Sherman and Foraker made it highly in
expedient to allow the paper to get out
through Foraker's agency hat reflected
upon the senatoras it would have been IA
tai to the party. Witness had not relied on
Woods word regarding the paper but
was guided by the internal evidence Of
the paper as a document far boy ono
Woods ability to produce, he belle zee
from the beginning Foraker had beer
fooled as he had himself.
Witness never contemplated rivalry fol
the senatorship between himself, McKin-
ley and Butterworth, he had known o
great calamaties befslling public men anC
believed if these men had signed that pa
per this should be struck. Adjourned