Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-02-19

deficiency existed, and | had every as
surance That my associate was able to
| carry his share of the losses. My con-
nection thereafter was simply, with the
aid of friends. to raise necessary funds
to supply the deficit.
Tits charged, again, that used moneys
belonging to the commonwealth Of
Pennsylvania TO purchase bonds or
stock, or both, Of Chicago street rail-
way. | was invited by friends in Phila-
delphia to Join in the purchase Of street
railway property in Chicago, and did SO,
borrowing the money upon my own
collateral from the Peoples Bank in
Philadelphia. | stood upon the same
footing with the other gentlemen con-
cerned; and it was a perfectly straight
| forward business transaction, and had
no connection in any way with any
| public fund or public interest. The
| charge that securities belonging to the
state Of Pennsylvania were used in this
transaction is false and impossible of
| truth. The only negotiable securities
| held by the state of Pennsylvania are
the registered bonds of the United
States, transferable only on the books
Of the national treasury by the auditor
general, secretary of the commonwealth
and state treasurer, acting conformity,
after having filed a certificate with the
governor in their official character.
Collateral to this last accusation is a
charge that defrauded or attempted to
dcfraud the widow of deceased friend.
This also is absolutely false. There
breathes not upon the earth man or
woman who can truthfully say that
ever defrauded or attempted to defraud
him Or her Of dollar. Upon this point,
charity TO the dead and to the living for
bids my making any personal eXplana-
ton. Samuel Cuisine Thompson, u
member Of the Philadelphia bar and
president Of the Young Mems Demo-
cratic Association Of that city, is one Of
several thoroughly conYersant with the
facts, who can give them to the public if
they see proper.
] come now to what might he called
the fourth ground of criticism Of my
| public conduct. This was my action as
Il member Of the board Of pardons of
| Pennsylvania, in voting for the pardon
of certain members of the Pennsylvania
| legislature and Others upon whom sem
tence had been passed for bribery. My
conduct in that matter has been bitterly
assailed, and it is proper to say that the
facts were patent TO the people of the
state, and were thoroughly discussed
before my election to the office of state
| treasurer and, subsequently, to seat
| in this chamber. | had no personal in
tcrest in the legislation involved. My
vote as a member of the board of par
dons was in accordance with the law and
with the action of my colleagues, and
was compelled by the fact that the sem
tence imposed by the court upon the
4 persons pardoned was illegal. Upon
this point the attorney general Of the
state filed his written opinion with our
decision. am frank to say that have
no regret for that vote, and would repeati it
4 underline same circumstances. Even had
not the sentence been unlawful, it is my
! opinion that the ends Of Justice had been
fully served by the conviction of the de-
PENDANTS One Of the gentlemen in
yolyed has within the last few weeks
received the unanimous thanks of the
| Pennsylvania legislature for important
services rendered humanity and the
state.
incidentally the statement has been
made that, in some unspecifed manner,
/
| pardon of a man named Lynch, under
sentence for forgery, by threats delivered
| personally to Mr.. Byers of Pittsburg. |
cannot at this day remember the facts of
the pendcncy of the case, but the charge
is a lie, for which there never was the
| shadow Of foundation. Equally false is
the wondrous lyric of my escape from
the Pittsburg rioters of 1877 ander the
tutelage of Mr. Dalzell
1T is necessary to pass to history some
what ancient in order to dispose of the
ncbulous charge of bribery and corrup-
| ton as member of the Pennsylvania
legislature, nearly 20 years ago, in con
nection with an action for libel against
the then editor of the Pittsburg Cam
merciHt With characteristic malignitv
my assailants have been careful to
emphasize the fact that the case was
never pushed for trial. They fail to
state that the libel was retracted, and
that the defendants pleaded nolle con-
tendere, paying the costs of the case and
the fees of the counsel.
may mention, in passing, that in the
preliminary hearing an effort was made
to show that | was rich man, the in
| nuendo being that my wealth was UNI
| lawfully acquired. | had been pro-
thonotary of Beaver county from 1856
to 1861, when | resigned to go into the
| Union army; had served as private sec
rotary 10 Governor Curtin, rs military
| agent of the state in this city, as chief
of tile state department of transporta-
| ton and telegraph, and for three terms
had been member of the Pennsylvania
| Legislature
My recollection is that the eXamina-
ton disclosed the fact that after nearly
II years of industry and opportunity
my fortune was about $4,000.
1t is proper also to dispose of some
statements upon which less stress has
been laid. One accusation is that over
20 years ago attempted to bride Alex.
| ander L. Tuition, then supervisor of in
ternal revenue for the Eastern district
OF Pennsylvania, to prevent the seizure
of an illicit distillery. This is wicked
and malicious falsehood, without excuse
Tor its utterance or evidence for its sup
port. Mr.. Tuition is now living at
Downlngtown, Pa, and his reports are
on file, presume, in the internal revenue
bureau.
statement has been made that when
the present High License statute of
pennsylvania was pending in the legis-
lature OF that state, liquor dealers of
Phlladelphlaand Pittsburg raised sum,
specified as $4,000, and gave it to me,
and to Federal officer in Philadelphia,
who Is not named, for the purpose Of
1 securing an amendment TO that legisla-
ton in their interest, This also | de-
nouncc as an absolute falsehood. Mr.
William J. Friday, who is stated to