Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-07
John sherman and AIurat Halstead Give
Testimony.

John Sherman and Murat Halstead Give
Testimony.
WAsBINeToN, February 6th.-The House
Committee on the ballot-box forgery this
morning called Senator John Sherman as
the first witness. He was shown Exhibit
"a, and declared that he never signed it.
He saw it first when it was sent to him in
November by Halstead.
The signature was q copy of his rubber
Thanking stamp ana not an imitation of
his signature. The witness never heard or
knew of the baliot-box contract and never
heard of the Campbell bill before Governor
Foraker's Music Hall speech.
Murat Halstead, editor of the Cincinnati
Commercial GG-ettc, testified that when he
published Governor Campbells signature
he cut off from Photographic copy of the
paper the signatures below Canlpbells.
The witness told how he got hold Of the
paper, of his talks with Governor Foraker
and others about il, and how it was
thought advisable TO use il in the campaign
against Campbell.
Witness did not see any room for ques-
tioning the genuineness of the papers. He
told Foraker it was necessary to use the
paper OF part of it, and that he felt SO ex-
asparated at the idea of Sherman, Butter.
worth and Mckinley going in with John
Mclean in such matter that he felt COM
PEELED to explode it under them. 1t was
something more than policy, almost pub
lie duty. Campbell was the only one be-
fore the people as a candidate for public
Office and he thought it would be proper to
use his name
Another reason for cutting all names but
Campbelrs was that Sunset Cox, whose
name was among the forgeries, had just
died, and witness felt convinced of the
genuineness of the signatures.
HalSfoadis thaor- nj n, foronrv xro . Nh al II
was never intended or expected TO harm any
body. The motive originally was Woods
extreme anxiety TO get the Smoke Inspec-
torship." 1t was preposterous to suppose
that Governor Foraker thought there was
anything fraudulent about it. There was a
cloud of witnesses and lawyer who drew
up the contract.
Witness wondered now that they did not
come down and deny it the day after the
publication. Undoubtedly Wood put Sen
ator Sherman's name on it to make it i'm
possible for Foraker to use the paper.
After its publication witness was stag
gered to see Senator Sherman's declaration
that the paper was a lie but he assumed
that Sherman was extremely unlikely to
have signed the paper knowing what it
was.
Thirty years ago Sherman lost the
speakership by signing in that way The
nptliOlQiI1 Vi Tic 4)OJh.
Mr.. Halstead placed at the disposal
of the committee his private letters
to Governor Foraker, and said that
some of them were conclusive evidence
that both himself and Foraker were con-
WINGED Of the sounGness of the paper.
Cogswell asked why witness did not
verify the character of the paper by Sher-
man and Butterworth.
He replied that Butterworth was not in
LnI ~,-f nod
Sherman was in Washington He also
said that you could get a member of Con-
gress to sign a petition to get himself
hanged 1t was not pleasant to put finger
on a sore spot like that.
Just then the publication was forced by
circumstances beyond his control, so he
did not consult the signers. He admitted
they could not draw Campbell out, as they
tried to 90. 1.-The fact is," said he, "he
turned out to be q more difficult person
than we thought"
Learner-'Then if the Governor had sue
ceeded in getting Campbell in a corner, you
would stand at the head of the cannon and
touch it OFF,
Halstead-"No, sir; did not intend to
stand at the head of the cannon, but l got
there" [Great laughter
Continuing, Halstead said there was sup
posed to be feeling between Senator Sher-
man ana Governor tor2EeFi growing cut
OF events at the Chicago Convention. Ohio
contained more than her share of dis
tinguished men, snd there was necessarily
friction where they are so crowded. The
delicate relations existing between Sher-
man and Foraker made it highly expedient
to allow the paper to get out through
Foraker's agency; that reflection on the
Senator would have been fatal to the party.
Witness had not relied on Woods words
regarding the paper, but was guided by the
internal evidence of she paper, 6 document
far beyond Woods ability to produce.
He believed from the beginning that
Foraker had been fooled, as he had him.
self Witness never contemplated rivalry
TOR the Senatorship between himself, Nc
Kinley and Buuerworth.