The sun., 1894-02-14
STATEMENT FROM SHEEHAN.
mr. plNOUNCEs SOME FALSE AND
INDECENT ATTICKs ON HIMSELF.


The FIueenth Rrpnbtenn Investigation.
,,u,xy. Feb. 13.-In view Of the statements
-hi,h have been made about Lieut-Gov.
sh,.han in various newspapers OF New York
.,,s and Buffalo. the Lieutenant Governor
,o.dny rlale a statement in the Senate
In position. The last one OF these stories
vhi,h was printed about him was that he had
,.issislUyuJ with which he was trying to
.n,,ur, Republican Senators to vote against
,he MASSAGE II the Buffalo bills. The absurd
-, of this story was manifest on its face as 1t
"a doubtful il Iieut-Gov Sheehan ever
mad $1,000 at one timo in his life. The
,,Iect OF these insinuations was to whip into
Inc several Republican Senators who are OPP
nossd TO tho buffalo bills by making them fear
,hat ,hair opposition would be attributed to
monetary influences.
,rrr the preliminary business OF the Senate
hat been DISPOSED Of. Lieut.-Gov. Sheehan
arose and said:
"Ly the indulgence OF the Senate. and
,lrourh its courtesy. desire to make n short
statement. Since the beginning OF this ses-
,ion il seems to have been the settled policy
ot some correspondents representing certain
New York journals to misrepresent. pervert
the truth and to deliberately lie with refer
.pte TO your presiding officer.
'Ue has without complaint submitted to
those ca,umnes. believing that personal
r,pcor and dislike would soon disappear be-
fore the apparent injustice and cowardice OF
the attack. But the height OF these calumnies
was reached this morning when. for the pur-
nose Of influencing and preiudlcing the minds
Of Senators. certain ci these papers published
sensational and baseless charges connected
with certain proposed Buffalo legislation, in
,Inuating. in most cowardly and contempti-
A. H.. t..v.
srly to influence Senators on this question.
What remedy has public man against
such attacks? What action should he take to
defend himself against malice and cowardice
such as this? l leave 1t to Senators to deter
mine By what rule OF law. equity. or decency
does il como within the province OF cabal OF
news reporters to meet in secret for the pur-
pose OF destroying the character OF men
whose sole ambition Is to leave after them an
honorable name and an unblemished reputa-
uon? Fancy such attacks as these upon Sena-
tors and honorable men. and then see the au-
dacity OF such creatures crawling around this
Capitol asking for tho modification OF the libel
laws OF the State that they may attack public
men without justice or reason. under the pro-
lection OF law.
There are some honorable exceptions to
this rule among the representatives OF many
OF New York's leading journals and the rural
papers as we'll. and want to pay publicly my
N eed OF respect and praise to those manly and
honorable reporters who record in their Jour.
nails the proceedings OF this body i'm partially
and truthiully. There is no man alive who
can truthfully say that have not In this mat
ter acted as becomes . gentleman and an oifi-
eiaL have talked with nearly every Senator
on the floor. and who among them will say
aught in criticism OF my conduct on any OF
these occasions2
Il appeal to Republican Senators. as we'll as
to Democratic and independent Senators. If
this is not true.
strongest possible manner as indecent. false.
and venomous all these articles which charge
me. dire city or indirectly. with having In any
improper manner attempted to influence or
prejudice the Judgment OF senators or mem
Alter the Lieutenant g overnor had finished
his statement Senator OConnor said:
believe that the time has come for the
Senate to assert its own dignity. Not only tho
motives OF tho Lieutenant. Governor. but those
ot the Chairman OF the Elections Committee.
or fear of an honest criticism, but object to
che methods OF an assassin and sneak. How
to sG to 5ns
am ready to take hold and put stop to 1t l
will not submit to have my character and mo-
tyes impugned l have no objection to hav-
ing every act OF my public and private life ex-
amined and criticised. but want the criticism
move that this matter be referred to tho
judiciary Committee with power to take some
action to protect the Senators and their pre-
siding officer from such attacks;
Senator Cantor appeared for the first time In
some days. lie asked Senator O'Sulliyan to
speak above a whisper owing to his illness.
but tnat he came to the senate 70 reiute the
same Newspaper reports which accused the
Lieutenant -Goyernor OF raising corruption
fund to buy Republican senators had said
that senator Cantor stayed away from the Sen-
ate with pretended illness.
Tho Judiciary Com mittee met at o'clock In
the afternoon. Lieut. -Gov. sheehan addressed
the committee and named the papers to
which he referred lie had no fault to md
the PS6Ssrs amer. had to say seSu
hm OF crime. he wanted TO know what tho
grounds for the accusation were.
tenant q overnoT. ' II is the duty OF the Senate
TO lmpeach me II those charges are not true.
evidence. and, IN fact, as mere tctlons Of a re-
IoTters Imagination. the senate should pro-
teet ITSELF and Nlndicato itself. Tor these
CHARGES not only AFFECT me. but they affect
equally the Senators Tor whom 1t is said have
raised SlOOOO, a greater sum than l ever saw
, The judiciary Committee decided to ask the
senate tomorrow for authority to subprna
Sh'nh st onu 20 i!nu OHi t9 inets: =. any: on
lhe senate considered in Committee of the
J, Mhc!e tho bin TO make all Election boards
eaHs and two Democrats. senator UtOnn"r,
VINO Introduced the hlll. explained It's object, |
which was To make Election boards non-paT-
usan and semi judicial bodies.
senator staple, on wanted the bill amended |
e. as 20 apply only to the cities. lie said that
he believed the election inspectors in the |
country towns were satisfactory now.
senator OSulllNan said that he was sur
bf.s"i that Senator StaPletOn should try to |
discriminate between the Republican rural |
ulsiTlrt, and the democratic cities. The Demo- |
erats Tor years had asked that the same elec. |
Won avs should apply 10 the kepublican rural |
districts as 10 the Democratic cities. There |
tihOIli be no discrimination between voters in |
W " state The suffrage should have the same |
talegGaIis everywhere and the voters should |
h-'o everywhere the same protection.
>ehatpr OCOunor said that the proposition |
y senator StapletOn was not received with |
f'lr by his fellow Eerublicans, The IeODis |
tthuull have confidence in their Election |
paris and the elections should he held hon !
esIlY leyuni any possibility Of attack. |
L senator NcMGnun said that he WAS glad the |
Le!Iti ans had at last come 10 the position |
" me Den OcTats and accepted non partisan |
ilegti9G lioards through tho state. The Demo- |
Tl-t- ma made this proposition to the ltepub- |
y. AIS Tor years There was no occasion for |
- i-InaiiOu between the democratic cities |
ALA tHr republican rural counties.
'rI ttnr Ntaplstun Withdrew his amendment I
OF INH Dill MAS unanimously advanced on the /