The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-11
John wanamaker and Other Viii
1ains. /.

lalnS.
Yesterday was a day Of calamity for
John Wanamaker. 1t brought forth
something like a true statement from
John Bardsley, MI. Wanamaker's
sometime accompliee and present
scapegoat, and. still more disastrous,
another explanation which does not
explain from Mr.. Wanamaker him
self.
The statement OF Bardsley shows
Mr. Wanamaker consciously holding
fraudulent stock Of the Keystone bank
and using it to blackmail the honest
stockholders for anything he could get
from 500, 900 down to $4,000. 1t
shows him, having first eDmeshed
Bardslev in a web of guilt. then com
polling that wretched man to turn
over to him, noninally through the
bank, $500, 900 OF the public funds Of
the city of Philadelphia, which Bards-
ley held as City Treasurer.
The testimony Of Mr.. Wanamaker
Ai11ccii SHOWS bilu ubbcfiJ uhaoAc "
interpose any reasonable defence to
the charges andinfsrences which grow
out OF the testimony against him. He
can make a fiat denial, it is true, but
most OF his denials are so preposter-
Gus that they do his cause more harm
than good. His case is M where de-
mails are absurd, explanations are in
order. The facts are facts of record,
and fifty thousands denials would not
upset one of them. The question is,
can Mr.. Wanamaker reconcile them
with the theory that he was innocent
Of common swindling.
Let us glance at just n phase of
the case. There are a large number
of fraudulent stock certificates extant
In Mr.. Wanamaker's name. 1t is in
evidence, it is even admitted by MI,
Wanamaker that these certificates
were in his possession. He says he
received them from the late John G.
Lucas as collateral in a Reading Rail-
way stock deal. Bardsley says he
refused to surrender them unless
somebody gave him 800, 600 black
mail. He is asked to explain. He
says, II never owned a share of Key
stone stock in my life"
IL this reason2 Is this common
sense. Does Mr.. Wanamaker take
the Amecican public for fools or
children? Win anyone believe that
he honestly had in his possession
fraudulent stock made out in his own
name?
People have wondered at the ST.
lence Of the Philadelphia newspapers
on this subject. 1t has been asked
whether Philadelphia journalism is
SO low that the wretched advertising
patronage of the trade mark John
Wanamaker was bride enough to pro-
tect the Postmaster General from the
exposure Of his criminality.
No, the advertisements of the big
Cheap John establishment were not
the sole consideration. 1t appears
that Colonel A. K. Mcclure, the great
independent editor of the Times and
Mr. Singerly the alleged Democratic
proprietor of the Record, stood in
with Wanamaker and Marsh and
Bardsley in their corrupt and vile
crimes against the municipality. OF
course nothing could be expected from
Mr. g. w. Childs' fossil sheet, or from
the Press edited by Charles Emory
Smith, President Harrison's Minis
ter to Russia, or from the En-
qufrer controlled by the McMichael
brothers, office-holders and members
of the inner Republican ring. But
from Mcclure and Singerly the people
of Philadelphia had a right to expect
protection, and their venal alliance
with public eorruptionists covers them
with odium, compared with which
even Wanamaker stands clean and
spotless.
What Philadelphia wants is at least
one honest fearless newspaper.
UFU0rR AM THE