The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-18

the law and with the action of my COL
leagues, and was compelled by the fact
that the sentence imposed by the court
upon the persons pardoned was illegal.
Upon this point the encouragement of
the state filed his written opinion with
our decision. | am frank to say that /
have no regrets for that vote. and would
repeat it under the 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 defendants. One of the gentlemen
involved 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 l
procured or attempted to procure the par
don OF man named Lynch, under SEN
tence for forgery, by threats delivered per-
sonally 10 Mr.. Bvers of Pittsburg l can
not at this day remember the facts on the
pendencv of this case, but the charge is a
lie for which there never was a shadow OF
foundation. Equally false is the wondrous
lyric of my escape from the Pittsburg
rioters of 1877 under the tuteiage of Mr.
DalZeli
''It is necessary to pass to history some
what ancient in order to dispose OF the
nebulous charge OF bribery and corruption
rs a member of the PENNSYLVANIA legisla-
ture nearly twenty-five years ago, in con-
nection with an action for libel against
the then editor of the Pittsburg
Commercial. With characteristic maliZ-
nifty my assailants have been
careful to emphasize the TACT that the
case was never pushed for trial They
fail to state the libel was retracted and
that the defendants pleaded nOiie contend
e., paying the costs OF the case and the
fees of the counsel. ! may mention, in
passing, that in the preliminary hearing
an effort was ma ]e to show that | was
rich man, the innuendo being that my
wealth was unlawfully acquired. L had
been prothOnOtary OF Beaver county from
1856 to 1861, when | resigned TO go into
the Union army; had served as private
secretary to Governor Curtin, as military
agent OF the state in this city. as chief of
the state department OF transportation and
telegraph, and for three terms had been a
member OF the Pennsylvania legislature.
My recollection is that the examination
disclosed the fact that after nearly twelve
years of industry and opportunity my
fortune was about $500
at Is proper aso to dispose of some
statements upon which less stress has
been laid. One accusation is that over
twenty years ago 1 attempted to bribe
Alexander Z. Tuition. then supervisor of
internal revenue for the eastern district of
Pennsylvania. to prevent the seizure of
an Illicit distillery. This is a wicked and
malicious falsehood without excuse for its
utterance or evidence for its support. Mr..
Tuition is now living at Downingtown, Pa,
and his reports are on file, / presume, in
the internal revenue bureau.
"a statement has been that when the
present high license statute of Pennsyl-
vania was pending in the legislature of
that state, liquor dealers of Philadelphia
and Pittsburg raised sum specified as
SO COO and gave it to me and to a federal
officer in Philadelphia who is not named
for the purpose OF securing an amendment
to that legislation in their interest. This
also ] denounce as an absolute falsehood.
Mr.. William J. Friday, who is stated to
have paid the money, is reputable mer-
chant now living in the city OF Pittsburg.
Finally reach a charge that in some
mysterious way brought about the de-
feat OF the proposed amendment OF the
constitution of Pennsylvania prohibiting
the sale OF intoxicating liquors in that
state, which was submitted 10 a vote OF the
people in 1899 Others, understand have
already exploded the silly falsehood of
the publication from which this charge
arose, and I specifically denied it at the
time it appeared. BY my vote alone did
| affect the verdict Of the people upon the
prohibitory amendments; nor had l ever,
in any contest, q corrupt or unlawful con-
Germ with the liquor or any other interest
concerned in legislation, constitutional or
otherwise, in the state of Pennsylvania or
elsewhere.
81 have endeavored to make this utter
ance complete, even at the cost of the
time of the senate and the WEAKNESS of
senators. / have endeavored to answer
every specified charge OF misfeasance or
malleasance that could be extracted from
a careful perusal of the mass of direct
falsehood, confused statements, influen-
does, insinuation and cunning implica-
ton. that, with an industry worthy of a
better cause, has been gathered together
for roy destruction. / deny them seriatim
and in toto; they are false and foul to the