The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-31
yUDoE MAYNARD.
A Country Lawyer Ventures m OpIuion mud
Asks Some Qurstiou-.

| Acourtrv Lawyer Ventures m OpIuion M,
| Asks Some Quretious.
To THE EDITOR OF THE suN-Sr: woult
not burden your columns with any opinion @
mine were II not for tho gross disregard c
facts and the reckless onslaught on character
made at the Cooper Union meeting By certain
gentlemen prominently conn ected with the Bal
Association. The stir made by the same gon
tlemen year or two ago over the conduct o.
Judge Maynard, In connection with the con.
tested election cases o; 1891. led us country
lawyers to investigate the whole matter with
considerable care. What we wanted to learn
were the facts: what we wanted to succeed
was the right. and what We wantod to SEQ was
fair play, and nothing else.
While we knew that these gentlemen had nc
love for the Democratic party or Its leaders
and that they led In every opposition move
ment. Citizen" Independent Reform
or whn. not. yet We expected TINT they would
treat with fairness tho counsel who fought the
battles OF the party through all the courts. A
half dozen or more prominent lawyers were
retained on each side in the struggle for tho
four disputed seats in the Senate. Judge May
nard was the leading counsel for the State
Board OF Canvassers. and made nearly all
the arguments In the courts. including the
| Court OF Appeals.
| lot look Mt tho way in which this leading
| counsel In the most important election cases
ever brought into the courts Of this State. Ia
described In the preamble. the statement OF
the case adopted at the Cooper Union meet
| ing: Whereas Isaac II. Maynard did. on the
I'D Of December. 1891. then being Deputy At
| torney-Gensral OF the State. deliberately re-
move n certain election return from the
| Comptroller's Office. the same being a public
| record &c. Not a word said about his beipg
the legal adviser OF tho Comptroller in the e!ec-
| ton case pending In court to which this re-
turn directly related; not n word said about
| the Comptroller being out Of the city. and that
his counsel was his sc cond self In this partlcu-
lar matter. and had authority. as the Comp.
troller himself declares. to act for him 10 these
election contests. This is the language Of the
Comptroller: Il always considered you had
full authority to do as you considered proper
In that and oil other matters involved, as at
torney and counsel for the State Board Of Con-
vassers and for myself as one OF the m en- bers
composing the same" Moreover. the Comp
troller says these returns never become
records In his office. and are not fled there.
but are sent to the Secretary OF state.
Now. have these heightened gentlemen In
their pream BILE to their resolutions stated Il Q
case fairly2 Have they given the facts, or
have they suppressed them2 What is there to
suggest that Judge Maynard was the counsel
capacity that he claimed to act2 What is there
to suggest that the Comptroller said at the
time over his own signature. and says now.
that Judge Maynard had full authority to do
this very act, and that had he been In his Office
at the time he would have followed the Judges
directions in regard to this election return
Is this statement Of their case against Judge
Maynard a sample Of the way these learned
gentlemen practise law: the way they secure
decisions. verdcts. and the large incomes
they are Boosting about2 Are these learned
gentlemen honest or are they merely amusing
themselves with one OF their periodical forays
to throw the Democratic line into confusion2
II they wanted to be fair would they not have
told their hearers something about the rea-
sons Judge Maynard gives for his action. and
how he justiies his conduct instead OF calling
an act crime. and then say Judge Maynard
confessed 1t? Despite tho large space taken
up in the law reports by these election cases.
and the prominence given the leading coun-
sci on both sides. Judge Maynard is referred
to only as deputy Attorney General. Just as
II they had said In their preamble. "Isaac II.
Maynard. lawyer. Of Delaware county did re-
move the records" &c.
Fine rhetoric Is o poor substitute for facts,
and platitudes on virtue prove nobody an
offender. Does not the situation show that
the assault on Judge Maynard Is made to suit
the exigencies OF the Republican party. and of
certain alleged Democrats who want to humii-
ate the bosses and down the "machine2"
While Democrat. am not in politics and am
not concerned In this war on the IN achine."
but In carrying 1t on by the slaughter OF such |
an excellent man as Judge Maynard. think the !
parties involved are showing the cowardice and |
cruelty Of an assassin. Who and what are the |
persons that assume to advise the great |
masse, OF the Democratic party and urge |
them on in this vile political murder2 No one |
can tell thoir politics except when they jump |
up at Republican or anti-Democratto gather |
ings and say they arc Democrats and begin |
to sn Ger at tho leaders Of that party
and Willy It's candidates. They exploit them
at free-for-all mass meetings. and are
delighted at the applause and outlaws Of cum
ming Republican heelers.
What right have these men to call them
solves Democrats. who have deserted the party
time and again and gone over to the enemy2
They are skulkers and assassins OF character.
and the loyal hosts OF the Democratic party
spurn them. What soldier would not be hor-
rtfled to see some OF those who had been
with him rush out while the battle
was on and stab his most alert leaders and
best fighters in the back? Name a newspaper
Democratic or Mugwump. that hns an old
grievance against Hill. Croker. Murphy. or
Sheehan. and you name a Publisher OF yle
squibs against Judge Maynard Name paper
in accord with the State organization and
friendly to the above leaders, and you will find
a stanch supporter Of the Judge. Do party
spites and jealousies sharpen the moral per-
ceptions? Is an upright man to be sacrificed
10 enmities to which he is total stranger?
Are the men who last night suppressed essen
Iial facts that might at least have set their
hearers to thinking entitled to any more con-
slderation than ordinary defamers and llars.
lust because they POSSESS brilliant wit and can
At any time Ali a hall with caqueurs
Now what was this incident which those few
'hronic deserters from tho Democratic party
'all crime and are using in their attemp ut to
lefeat Maynard and strike the bosses? Laying
,side politics. let us look at 1t from the stand
point Of fair play and common sense. On tho
AYaninn of DAG Dl 1901 Ennnna h. |