St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-17

state fled his written opinion with
decision. | am frank to say that | have
no regrets for that vote, and would re-
peat it under the same circumstances.
Even had not the sentence been unlaW-
full, it is my opinion that the ends of
justice had been fully served by the con-
viction 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 human
ity and the state. incidentally, the
statement has been made that, III some
uuspecitied manner, [ procured, or at
tempted to procure, the pardon Of a man
named Lynch, under sentence for fOrg-
cry, by threats delivered personally to
Mr.. Byers, Of Pittsburg. | cannot at
this day remember the facts on the
tendency of the 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 P~ittsburg rioters Of 1877 under the
tutelage of MIR. Dalzeil. 1t is necessary
to pass to history somewhat ancient
in order to dispose Of the nebul0us
charge of bribery and corruption
as a member of the Pennsylvania legiS-
lature nearly twenty-five years ago, in
connection with an action for libel
against the editor Of the Pittsburg Com
mercial. With Characteristic m|alignity
my aSsailants have been careful to en-
phasiZe the fact that the case was
never pushed for trial. They fail to
state the libel was reflected, and that
the defendants pleaded n0lle con-
tendere, paying the costs OF the case
and the fees Of the counsel. | may
mention, in passing, that in the prelim-
mary hearing an effort vas made to
show that / was a rich man, the inuend0
being that my wealth was ~unlaWfully
acquired. had been pr0thon0tary of
Beaver county from 1886 to 1861, when l
resigned to 90 into
The Union Army.
had served as private secretary to Gov.
Curtin, as military agent Of the state IN
this Guy, as chief of the state depart
ment OF transportation and telegraph,
and for three years had been a member
OF the Pennsylvania legislature. My
recollection is that the examination dis
closed the fact that, after nearly twelve
years of industry and opportunity, my
fortune WaS about $4,000. 1t is proper
dl0O W hl0DO0G " 6OlllC OlultlllGttIO uilOil
which less stress has been laid. One
accusation is that over twenty yearSagO
! attempted to bride Alexander Z.
Tuition, then supervisor of internal
revenue for the Eastern district OF
Pennsylvania, to prevent the seiz-
ure of an Illicit diStlllery. This is Il
wicked and malicious falSehOOd. with
out eXcuSG for its utterance OF evidence
for its support. MI. Tuition is now liV-
ing at bennington, Pa, and his re-
ports are on file, | presume, in the in
ternal revenue bureau. a statement
has been made that when the present
high license statute of Pennsylvania
was pending In the legislature of that
state, liquor dealers of Philadelphia and
Pittsburg raised a sum specified as
$4,000 and gave it to me and to a fed
eral officer in Philadelphla who is not
named, for the purpose of securing an
amendment to that legislation III their
interest. This, also, | %Genounce as an
absolute falsehood. William j. Friday,
who is stated to have
Paid the Money
Is a reputable merchant now living in
the city Of Pittsburg. Finally, | reach
a charge that in some mysterious way
| brought about the defeat Of the pro-
posed amendment of the constitution Of
Pennsylvania prohibiting the sale of
Intoxicating liquors in that state which
was submitted TO a vote of the people
In 1889. Others, | understand, have
also already exploded the silly false
hood of the publication from which
this charge arose and l specifically
denied 1t at the time it appeared. BY
my vote alone did ! affect the verdict
of the people upon the %prohibitory
amendment; nor had l ever, in any
contest, any corrupt or unlawful
concern with the liquor or any
other interest concerned i'll legisla
ton, constitutional or otherwise in the
state of Pennsylvania or elsewhere. |
have e%ndeaVored to make this %utterance
complete, even at the cost of the time
of the senate and the WEAKNESS of SEN
ators. | have endeavOred to answer
every specific charge Of mesefeance or
-malfeasance that could be made from a
careful perusal of the mass of direct
falsehOod, confused statements. inn
uendO, insinuatiOn and cunning impli-
cation, that with an industry worthy of
a better cause has been gathered to-
gether for my destruction. l deny them
seriatim and i'll toto; they are false and
foul to the core.