Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-07
HIS CLAIMS FOR SUPPORT
Congressman Breckenridge to the Voters
Of Kentucky.
Admits That He Has sinaed. but Says
That lie Has Atoned-Not Unlike
Other Men-Still Loyal -

Congressman Breckenridge. in his speech
at Lexington. KY. on Saturday, after
speaking OF his public career and party
services. went on to speak OF the recent
scandal. as follows:
But IL 10 charged that all this may be
true. but that In the light Of what the
revelations concerning my private life have
shown, am not fit to be Representative;
that that renders IL the duty of the district
to Set me aside; that reelection would be
'vindication:' that vote fer me Is a vote
OF approval. and, IL not of approval, of con-
donation.
II this were SO. my ou-citizens, I
would not stand for reelection: would not
accept your votes; / should not live IN your
midst OF what have been guilty / have
made public acknowledgment under oath
In the sight of God. OF the court and of the
country.
As to Judge Bradley.
Il am a lawyer and litigant as wei as a
citizen, and have no criticism here TO maize
upon the court and the Judge who presided
at the late trial The proper criticism upon
his rulings will be before the Court of Ap-
peals, from whom confidently anticipate a
revesal. and comment upon his conduct AZ
II be ever proper TO make IL, may be upon
the noor or Congress in attempting such
legislation as VIII give TO other htigants
remedies which were not possible to me. IL
cannot, however, be improper to say that IL
was the first time within my knowledge,
and 1 have had considerable practice. where
htigant came into court and asked a post
ponement TO a later day because Of the alb
sence of his leading counsel, TO whom he
had confided his case. and by whose assist
ance II was prepared, and that the request
was denied. and denied in part upon the
ground that the ntigznt himself was a law
yer OF marked ability the meaning OF
which can be better understood when Il IL
known that upon the last day OF the trial
that htigant. IN correcting q false state
ment. known to be false by the counsel ut
tering It, and known to be false BY the
judge In whose presence II was uttered, was
rebuked and with scant courtesy told that
he must not interrupt counsel. but must
permit those Interruptions to be made by
his counsel.
But / do not wish this district to con-
ceive that / have any defense to make for
what have done, and for that OF which I
have been guilty. Eatangled by weakness.
by passion. by sin. IN coils which Il was al
most impossible TO break. / did everything
that was within my power to prevent a
public scandal except the one thing, which
for no moment ever entered my mind.
Your reelection Of me can neither take
from nor add TO the punishment have SUI
fered.
Tried 10 Atone.
has not been consistently wrong. / knew
the secret sin; tried to atone for il In
ways that IL Is not becoming In me 10
more than allude to. How many kind words
did this atonement produce TO Others.
How much OF self-control and how much OF
self-sacrifce. how much OF earnestness and
labor in aid OF good things and to eood
causes, When / came to make a public
utterance, under any circumstances. TO any
audience .zoa I . oo -
OF mine might tempt others 10 be guilty
as i was guilty; that in what would say
no trace OF what was not noble could be
found. / thank God that in the almost
whether upon the stump 10 the most mis-
cellsneous audiences, or to the most select
audiences IN the most select places, no
word was ever uttered that would not help
the weary and the struggling wrong-doer;
that would not give hope to him who was
downcast. This was not hypocrisy; this
was felt by the heart and delivered in the
soul; this was what the brain approved;
this was part payment for secret sin.
And now that exposure has come there
Is an element OF gladness in It I care not
now what letters come In my mail; care
not for the closet door to be opened: there
Is no 81 eleton there; and can go into the
clear sunlight, out of mysteries. and look
up through the blue skies into the upper
world with the feeling that there is no
cloud there / am not afraid that from
the horizon will suddenly come a clap OF
thunder. and a fash of lightning that VIII
destroy s ne and mine This is OF the past.
longer CARY the dread. i will come I'd
out OF that storm, however long Il may
last In some respects. conqueror.
His Home Life.
Sweet domestic relations. which ! abb
solutely need and out of which have no
life. are mine. The loyalty and devotion OF
the children given to me has not been los:.
90 N .rnSn a.
guage in the name OF God, may wantonly
wound the hearts OF those who iose me.
They cannot estrange them from me. They.
who speak in the name OF the crucified
Savior. whose mission It was to bind ,lp
the broken heart and to wipe away the
tears, may make the wounds bleed af-esh
o1t they cannot take from me the comfort
OF their daily ministrations. nor remove
from me the precious consolation of their
love. i enter the future with unimpatred
physical health. i am able 10 do the labor
that may be required of me. I ente- it,
too. with unimpaired mental vtcor nv
frierds and my enemies will alike ind that
my career Is not ended. There is a future
OF useful and profitable labor for me- a
future better than all the past. / have
passed through the fires. and In that future
those who still love me Will be indicated
Tor their consistency, and those who con-
spired TO destroy me will feel glad that
their conspiracy was unsuccessful. The
extent OF my guilt was truthfully confessed
by me TO its uttermost boundaries. without
9ustincation or palliation. To that extent
l was guilty. beyond that ] 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. ] do not know
the number nor the character of all the
ISLANDERS which have been published in the
papers or circulated from mouth TO mouth
in this district. Whatever they are. from
whatever source whoever their author, II
they are not confessed in that statement
denounce them a false.
II desire this Acknowledgement ana denial
to be fully understood, that there may b.
no misunderstanding hereafter
Supported Her Husband.
Anna A. Schoyer whose maiden mama