Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1894-05-17
BRECKENRIDGE,

1t is indeed II mystery to under
stand how it is that Breckenridge
car become IL candidate for congress
after the exposure Of his r~ottennes
and venality. What source OF
argument could a man use under
such circumstances? The following
is his plea made in a speech in Ken
lucky the other day. 1t is interest
ing reading:
1t Is charged that the revelations concerning
my pirate life have shown that | inn NOT lit to
bo u representative; that renders II the duty OF
the district to set me aside: that a reelection
would be looked upon AS IA indication; that Il
vote for me Is u vote OF approval, or condona
ton; III this were so. my fellow citizens. l
would not stand FOR reelection; | would not
accept your votes; | would not live in your
midst.
''of what have I been guilty I have made pub
lie acknowledgement under oath. in the sight
Of God, Of the courts and OF the country. Asto
the number OF charges made by those who
eonspire to destroy me, | euter my indignant
the mendacity which has fabricated aud the
enmity that has uttered the numbcrless lies
against me, In the presence Of you my friends
and const tuents with All the memories that
cluster about me aud surge upon me rs | speak
today protest IN The name of God and OF
honor.
Bat l do not wish this district to conceive
that ] have any defense to make for what !
have done and Of what l have been guilty, En-.
tangled by weakness, by passion, by sin in coils
which il Is almost impossible TO break. | did
all that was within my power to prevent II pub
lie scandal, except the one thing which for one
moment ever entered my mind. Your re-elec.
ton Of me can neither take from nor add to the
hypocrisy that my life has not been consistently
wrong l knew the secret sin; | tried to atone
for II u ways that it is not becoming me to
Now that exposure has come, there Is M
element of ~gladness in it. I care not now what
letters come IL my mail; I care not now for the
there and ! can go into the clear sunlight, out
of mystery, and look up through the blue skies
into the other world with the feeling that there
Is no cloud there. ] am not afraid that from the
horizon will suddenly come u clash Of thunder
This is OF the past. l will wear the sears.
but Will not longer carry the dread, l will
come out OF that storm, however long IL may
last. In some respects cOnquorer.
The extent OF my guilt was truthfully con
iessed by me to ITS utmost boundaries without
Justification or naliation. 10 that extent ] was
guilty, beyOt.d thar l was innocent. Whatever
charge Of any kind made against me by any
person not confessed in that solemn testimony,
FOR the truth OF which ! appealed to God. is false.
| desire this acknowledgements and denial to he
fully understood, hereafter. In your presence
today and IN the presence Of the district { re,
peat that for that sin Of which l was guilty
have no Iustihcation. no palliation and l ask nc
condemnation.
III some OF your midst can better do the work
you want doi.e AS your representative, choose
nm: ! shall submit; some one whose life has
been Stainless. whose morals your young mer
can initiate with profit; whose days have been
pure anl whose nights have been sinless
whose ability Is ample. whose experience Is
wide. For IL hundred years this district has
been represented by men,. They have not al
ways been siniess men. Whether you re-elect
or reject me, hereafter some historian will write
Of me. ever with that blame. he loved the poor
he toiled for his fellow men. he labored foi
good causes; and ~ this historian turns over the
pages of the record In which my differences are
continued he will rise from them with the be
lief that IL was loyalty to my country thai
caused me to say wlrat I have"