The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-16
The SenatOrSliip.

The Senat0rship.
An estimable Archibald subscriber.
Mr.. W. A. Beecher. has addressed US
the following letter:
AS long time subscriber Of your esti-
mable paper, l must earnestly protes;
against such filings at religion and good
men as are contained In your editorial OF
Monday morning against John Wana-
maker. In denominating him an "arrant
hypocrite" without giving a single tansi-
BILE instance to prove the charge, but sim
ply calumniating him by mean, subtle. un-
derhanded insinuation, you not only do
gross injustice to the man himself, but
YOU outrage the Christian sentiment OF
the whole country. That unprincipled
politicians in certain localities should re-
sort to unworthy means to boom Wanna
maker would not be strange. But II this
is the case II in nowise incrminates him
unless it can be proved that 1t has been
done with his knowledge and approval
which your insinuations do not attempt
to show. l must, therefore. from an en-
tirely disinterested point of view, for the
sake of good morals, protest against your
unreasonable and apparently malicious
criticism of a man who is 4 most worthy,
consistent. and devoted member Of one
Of the most active and philanthropic
Christian churches In this land. Let us
In the interest of good citizenship have no
more of this kind of talk. have no axe
to grind In the senatorial contest, but only
wish that the man best fitted for the
place, whoever he may be, may be sent
to Washington. If Senator Penrose Is
free from atheistic views and the drink
habit. ETC., let those who have made the
charges be prosecuted and suffer the full
80 ~, 10, Dat lat e,lf
specting citizen or newspaper that desires
the patronage of good people attempt TO
defend Penrose by defaming Christian
gentleman like John Wanamaker.
Let us see whether Mr.. Beecher's
statement of the case is coprect one.
Can he point to any place lin it's files
where The Tribune has indulged in
filings at religion?" The editorial in
point certainly admits of no such con-
struction. It's only filing" was at the
type of self-assertive phariseeism which
employs or Without protest permits
men to blaqken an opponents private
character while 1t is itself guilty, unless
sworn testimony be false, Of conduct
which does violence to public morals.
We cannot see wherein We Outrage
Christian sentiment when we unmask
such hypocrisy as this. The Quibble
that Mr.. Wanamaker does not know
that such lieutenants of his as Kauff-
man, Leach and Van Valkenburg are
using his campaign contributions in a
vicious manner may excuse him in law.
but does it exOnerate him in morals?
Can he keep q clear conscience while,
without objection from him, under
strappers, feed with his cash, are cir
culating outrageous scandal against his
auctioneers for purchasible legislative
votes?
We ask Mr.. Beecher to read the fol-
lowing affidavit by Hon. Clark T. Bald
win, Of Fayette county, q member-elect
of the next legislature, and then inform
US whether its revelations sustain the
moral pretensions Of Mr.. Wanamaker:
"On or about Oct. 20. 1896, while canvas
sing In Connellsville, l was introduced 10
captain Edmund Dunn, and in the
course OF his conversation with
me he said II would be to my interest to
be at Connellsville at the Wanamaker
meeting on the 26th of October. l told him
l would be there. On the morning of Oct.
70 l went to Connellsville and accompa-
MED the Wanamaker party on a special
train to Dunbar. and on our return to
Connellsville, about noon, / met Mr..
Wanamaker at the entrance Of the Smith
House. and after shaking hands with him
he invited me in. After entering the room,
Mr. Wanamaker introduced me to a Mr..
Van Nalkenburg. When I started to 60
out Mr. Van Valkenburg called me back
and said he would like to have a talk with
me after the meeting was over. At the
appointed time met Mr.. Van Valkenburg
In back room of the Smith House. Con-
nellsVille, no one being present but him
and myself After talking over the cam
paign generally. he said Mr.. Wanamaker
was a candidate for United States senator
and he thought that could get some help
by promising to cast my vote in case of
my election for Mr.. Wanamaker, and he
then referred me to Edmund Dunn. | met
Mr. Dunn in the hall just as / stepped out
OF the room and he said. I want to see
You at quarter past 9 O'clock
AT the appointed time l met Mr.. Dunn.
who was accompanied by w. Howard
Thomas, In a room in the Smith House.
~~ pciI6 III the
when We entered. In conversation the
gentlemen present told me that this was
business campaign, and that the people
wanted Wanamaker elected, and that
they proposed to help me if promised to
vote for Mr.. Wanamaker. In considera-
tion OF this agreement / was to receive
$500. They then proposed for me to write
an agreement or statement to that effect,
emitting the consideration / was to re-
T~ Iy~rt-
write 1t and 1 will sign it, He said: No.
you write 1t and I will dictate it. He drew
paper from his pocket and as he read
from this paper ] wrote it. and after
signing II placed 1t in an envelope and
gave 1t to Mr.. Dunn. Mr.. Van Valken-
burg and Edmund Dunn left the room to-
gether. leaving Mr.. Thomas and myself
In the room. l asked Mr.. Thomas how
about the other two members from Fay
ette. He said that they had been seen and
liked: and that two members from West
moreland county had been fixed, and that
the other two would be. Mr.. Dunn came
back into the room and counted me out
$500 in 20-dOllar notes and told me to come
back on the following Thursday and he
would give me 500 more. I returned to
Connellsville the following Thursday.
Il met my colleague, Mr. G. w. Camp
cell. on the street. He told me that our
other colleague. George Hopwood, was
in town: that he had seen him standing
opposite Dunn's store as he (CampbelD
came out Of Dunn's store. went to
Dunn's store as arranged. and on enter
ing I saw Mr.. George Hopwood and Dunn
in the back part Of the store at the desk
] turned and went out: shortly after I
returned to the store and met Mr., Dunn,
who gave me the balance Of the $500 agreed
upon. which was $500 He said.' Now.
take this money: keep It quiet. and vote
for John Wanamaker: that's all ask you
TO do The $500 received on the night
Of Oct. 26 I placed In the hands of gen.
\tleman at Uniontown within three hours
after having received It, and after re.
csivins the other $500 placed It in the