Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-03

Why the RAilndslphis "Ledxer's Refused d
} PrtPt ths Docuuasnt-
The Philadslphis Ledger rsiteraxes it's state
ment printed in The STAB yesterday that It hat
receivedno confession Of az Treasures Bardsley
IL says sditorially: As eonsidersble interes
mas been manifested In o statement by Johr
bardsley, srroneously described a. . COMES
SION suppressed by the Pubic Ledger, the edi
tor-in-ehief Of this paper has written letter
upon the subject to the editor Of the Inquire-
FOR puoaac information We reproduce . copy o.
the letter In these columns, at the same time ex
pressing the belief that the matter has beer
made to assume prominence altogether out Of
proportion to its importance. II will be seer
that NO confession by John Bardsley was sup.
pressed in the Ledger Office; that a statement
by him was received at the office; that it was
promptly examined, and that the editor de-
clined to publish It for precisely the same
reasons that would have ruled it ont if it had
been an assault upon any reputable person
made by other men as unworthy of credit OF
belief as John Bardsley and Gideon Marsh.
III the statement had been confession in
good faith 1t would have been published, OF
would have been so used as to promote the
efforts Of the finance subcommittee of councils
to track ont all the ramifcations Of this Bards-
ley Keystone Bank villainy, and to bring to tine
bar of the committee or the courts all the
participants. r..,..i
1T will be seen also that if the COMMITTEES
should think it desirable that the editor of the
Lecger should appear before it to testify he will
do that on demand, and that if the committee
should think it important that he should pro-
duce the Bardsley statement he will do that
and submit it for such disposal as the COM
mittee shall deem best.
TT should be further added that no one out
side the Ledger Office had any say in the deci-
sion not to publish the statement; nobody was
present when that question was considered ex-
cept Mr. Mexican aud two of his associates.
No one ever asked to have it suppressed CT
limited or suggested that it should be withheld
from publication"
Here is the letter referred to:
PUBLIC LEDGER,
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT,
PHILADELPHIA, July 2, 1891.
To the Editor Of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Ny Dear SU-An editorial article in the In
9uuer of this morning seems to me to invite
what follows in this letter with regard to what
is called confession by John Bardsley that
was received at the Public Ledger office and
that. it ie said, was suppressed in the Letige.
Office.
On that subject repeat tc You what has been
said by me to several other newspaper men,
that no confession by John Bardsley has
been received or suppressed at the Public
Ledger office. A statement from Bardsley was,
however, received at the Ledger Office on Fri
then absent from the city, was telegraphed to
come home to examine it and decide whether it
would be proper to publish it He did come to
the city for that purpose the same evening; did
examine 1t in the presence of two members of
his staff and no other person or persons, did
decline to publish it on precisely similar
grounds to those which have caused him to de-
cline TO publish scores, perhaps hundreds, Of
papers Of similar nature.
Instead Of being paper that would be of
service to the public, it was repetition Of ac-
cusationJ and scandals against reputable per-
sons upon no better authority than two wit
nesses wholly unworthy OF credit-John
Bardsley and Gideon Marsh-and in large part
hearsay testimony at that.
1t is the Ledger's habit to decline to publish
scandalous attacks upon individual character
upon any such testimony. ..
wish to add to the foregoing what has been
communicated by me to an influential member
OF the investigating committee that if the
committee or any member of it should think it
desirable that should 60 before the commit
tee to testify about this Bardsley statement,
and the refusal to publish it, the committee
will find me ready to obey its subpoena, to be
sworn and to answer all questions in relation to
it, and to place the original Of the statement at
the disposal Of the committee. to do with it
what 1t seems best Very truly,
W. V. MCKKAN.