St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-04

Friend kenney, Who Bought a
Lithographic Plant, and After
wards Received a Fat Govern.
ment Contract-Profits in Six
Months Were $1,000.
WASHINGTON, March 3.-The senate
committee on printing this morning re-
sumed the investigation of the alleged
irregularities in letting the contract for
printing the United States Patent Office
Gazette. Ex-A ssistant Secretary of
State Quincy took the oath and testified
as to what ne had done to secure The
award of the printing contract to the
National Lithogrdphing company. This
contract, he said, had nothing 10 Go
with the state department, with which
he was connected. He considered that
he was acting as an individual, and not
as an official. He entered a general de-
NAL to the charges that he was interest
ed benehcially in the lithographic CON-
pany; that he knew beforehand that Mr..
Seymour was TO be appointed commits
sioner: that he had sought to secure
work in the department for the National
company in April of last year. Horace
Kenney, personal and political friend
of his, had discussed the work of litho-
graphing for the patent Office with him.
He asked him Quincy to secure infor-
nation for him rs to the work, with a
view to bidding and securing the work
from the present company.
Mr.. Quincy related circumstances of
several conversations he had with Com
missioner Seymour on the subject, and
his introduction of Mr.. Kenney to tie
commissioner. 1t had not occurred to
him that it was inconsistent with his
position in the state department to make
such recommendation to an official IN
another department Senator Mander-
son inquired whether he thought it was
IN accordance with official ethics that
one competitor should be informed Of
what other competitors would bid.
MR.. QUINCY THOUGHT
the Norris-Peters company knew that
another bidder was in the field, but
made their statement to Mr.. Seymour
before they knew this. He could not
say that it was not from the commits
sioner that he learned that the Norris
Peters company knew OF another bid
being made. Mir. Quincy went on to
relate how at one time he had loaned
money to Mr.. Kenny. He felt bound to
do this because of personal interest in
him, and because he had recommended
him to the commissioner.
Mr. Quincy said he had been Informed
that man formerly concerned in the
financial relations between himself and
Kenny had been furnishing material for
this attack, and that this had come to
certain members of this committee.
Senator Henderson, who took this to
mean himself, asserted that he was not
seeking the political secret of an ad-
versary, but thought the matter bore on
the credibility of the witness.
Mr.. Quincy said he had dictated this
statement just before he came up. and
he meant to make no accusation against
any member of the committee. He un-
derstood that certain person was fur
nishing material as to the matter of his
former political and financial transac-
tions with kenney. and this statement
was meant to provide for the contin-
gency of such testimony being brought
up. He did not mean to say, he eX-
planned
IN REPLY TO SENATOR GORMAN,
that either Senator German or Senator
Ransom had been present at any con-
ference with Mr.. Kenney and himself.
Mr.. Seomour had never known that he
Quincy hnd loaned money to MIR.
Kenny. Under examination by III j.
commissioner Quincy said his talks
with Kenny in April as to securing the
patent Office printing did not hav in
view the securing Of the contract for
the corporation with which Kenny
the National Economist Publishing
company was then connected with, but
contemplated the formation of an en-
tirely new company, new plant to be
secured. 1t was proposed to obtain the
plant of the Bell Lithographic COM
pany. 1t was known that the Bell
plant was not adequate to do the pro-
posed work, but it was intended to Sc
cure other presses. When the contract
was let he did not know that Mr.. Kenny
had an option on the Bell plant. but he
understood from him that the Bell peo-
pie were anxious for him to take the
plant.
Senator German said at this point
that the kernel of this statement was
that this contract was secured through
his (Quincy's) influence for company
that did not have facilities, and which
the next few months proved did not
have facilities TO do the work. The
witness understanding this, Senator
German said, should make as full and
clear statement as he pleased.
Mr.. Quincy said he had based his
in Mr.. Kenney's capacity. and the pro-
liability of further increase in the plant.
SENATOR MANDERsoN
asked when witness first lent money to
Kenney or indorsed his paper after the
first conversation in regard to the print
ing contract.
Mr.. Quincy replied that he was pro-
ceeding to state the circumstances of
the debt when Mr.. Henderson said he
cared nothing about that, but simply
desired to find a motive for his (Qa(n-
cs's) interest in Kenney securing the
contract.
Senator Ransom told witness that ne
need not go into matters concerning the
national committee. Mr.. Quincy then
said that his financial relations with
MIR. Kenney did not concern the national
Democratic committee or any public of.
fetal. He represented other people in
these relations. Mr.. Quincy then said
that he had not advanced money to
Kenny with view to his own
financial beueft through the operation
of the printing contract. He felt that
his security was good for the payment
OF the previous obligations, which grew
out of politics. Kenney owed him some
thing like thousands of dollars. The
amount had increased since the printing
contract has been let. Mr.. Kenney,
upon being sworn. testified that