The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-09
Wanamaker In Fayette.

A controversy has arisen In Fayettc
county which presents elements OF
widespread interest. The facts In the
case have only briefly appeared In the
news columns. They are reviewed be-
low in the language of the Pittsburg
Dispatch, a journal ranking among the
foremost for truthfulness and integ-
rity:
In an affidavit intended to be self-ex-
Culpatory, Edmund Dunn, or Cohneiis,
vile. admits having solicited fnanciaI
aid from the friends of Wanamaker ior
Clark II. Baldwin a candidate for electioh
TO the legislature: that he held conier-
ence with him on Oct. 70. while Mr. ana
maker and his party were In Conneiis-
vile; that Baldwin wrote a letter IN Wnlch
he agreed. if elected, that he would vote
for Mr.. Wanamaker," and that Thereafter
he gave Mr.. Baldwin sum of money He.
ported to be 5000. Mr.. Dunn says In his
affidavit, relating the circumstances: Ine
letter was handed to me. and Mr.. Baldwin
and left the hotel The money whlch
gave to Mr.. Baldwin was partly my own
and partly that which raised among my
friends
The Dispatch adds editorially:
Such is the case as 1t stands. Comment
is unnecessary. unless it be in the courts.
The public will hardly know whether to
be more amazed at the audaclty OF tne
avowal of the transaction than amused Dy
the apparent innocence of conscious wrong
motive. While corrupt intention Is posi-
lively denied, Mr.. Dunn naively admits
having knowledge of Baidwin's financial
needs early in the campaign, when he So
licited aid from Wanamaker's friends. but
does not seem to notice the singular CO.
incidence that he did not give him any as
sistance until the date OF Wanamaker =
visit to Connellsville: or that he had Bald
% "a n vDtp for wanna
maker, signed in the presence or menu
Der of the Wanamaker party; and this SO
late in the campaign as one week before
election. when the need of funds might he
supposed to be nearly past. All this ap-
pears by Mr.. Dunn's own statement, be-
fore the other side had been heard to any
extent. The public VIII reprObate SUCH
methods in the interest OF any candndate,
and if there were any possibility of a ma
jority of the legislature being secured by
such means it may be assumed the United
States senate would. upon petition, throw
out any one so selected, and that the man.
ner of election would be taken into the
courts for judicial investigation.
The only comment we care to add to
the foregoing at this time is that II
Wanamaker money was used for cor
rupt purposes in Fayette county, it was
also thus used in other counties much
nearer Scranton. If only tenth part
of the reports which one hears among
well-informed politicians relative to the
use of money made within the past six
months by emissaries of John Wana-
maker be true, that man Is certainly
unfit to ask for support on moral
grounds Is it not singular illustra- :
ton of human faulty that the numer-
Gus good people who swallow readily
the evil reports which pass current in
Quay and those who are his friends
maintain faith in Mr. Wanamaker even
in the face of strong presumptive proof
that he is far from being the exceeding
ly good man that he pretends to be-?