The evening times., 1896-09-19
. JIM YOUNG IN CONGRESS
Returns After Having Been
MaliciOusly Dismissed
FROM SENATE CLERKSHIP
Was Accused by Senator'S Sherman
and Hale of Revealing Secret SEES
sions of the Senate-NOw, In Spite
of False Charges, He win Be
Ful-Fledged Congressman.

James Rankin Young's re-entrance to
the halls OF Congress for Ills nomination
has insured his election-means more than
NEST folks imagine.
After many years Of faithful service as
executive clerk OF the United States Sen
ate, through the political righteousness OF
Senator Sherman of Ohio, and Senator Hale,
orMaine, lie was renovedf from thatposition
on theopen charge thathe had betrayed the
secrets Of secret sessions of the highest
lawnakmg body In the North A merican re-
public. These who brought this accusation
knew that it was IA lie; but they wis he'd 70
punish the faithful clerk for the harsh
but just criticism OF the brother.
The leading Washington correspondents
of the country protested; but the ail-pow-
erful influence of the icicle from Ohio and
the man from Maine, whom tile New York
Times once described as "a walking mun-
unent To the charity of newspaper men,"
proved potential. and jim Young was dis
missed from the service of the government
which he had served so faithfully. A
| Washington correspondent never dreamed
| OF going to him to obtain knowledge Of
what had been done in executive sessions;
l
that Senator never failed him. Yet not
| one OF these master statesmen OF oars
| had the courage to arise and-say that he
was the derelict, and not the faithful
| clerk
TO BE A CONGRESSMAN
Mark the result. Jim Young will go
| back to Washington full-fiedged Con-
| gresham. and he can enter the halls OF the
| national legislature without asking per
| mi itfron those who spontaneously attempted
toput stain upon him.
THIS brings other things to mind. Jim
Young did give circulation to govern
mental leaks prior 10 his employment as
executive clerk OF the Senate, but that
was in Ills capacity OF a newspaper writer,
and gave demonstration Of his ability
While testimony was being taken secretly
by the United States Senate to warrant
tteimpeachmentof OF President A ndrew John
son, Young was the head OF the New York
TrlbuDc's Washington bureau. His assistant
was John T. Foley. His brother. John Rus
sell Young was managing editor of the
paper.
Jim Young was not married ana settled
down, and so ii happened that he was
N his office after n certain Saturday
midnight when Oscar Harris entered.
That individual was a Washington news
paper man who acted as intermediary
agent for the dispose. of more big official
documents than any other person living
or dead. Through an assistant foreman
in the Government Printing Office he had
secured copy of the impeachment testa-
moDy.
HE DEMANDED 81 900.
He told Young THAT the Tribune, reputa-
ton for penuriousuess was such that ne
did not suppose they could make .lcsl,
but he had taken a ersoDal liking to i,Dn,
and therefore PLACID the ne ws at his disposal
first. The sum that he demanded for il
was 81 900 Young demurred at the prie..
and wanted to telegraph for Instructions
Harris would not listen to this, and de-
manded an immediate answer sa ying that
unless he obtained it at his price he would
go at once to the Herald bureau Young
dill not care to buy pig in a poke, and
suggested the more business-like method
of paying SO much per column for rs much
OF the matter as was used. This was final
ly agreed to, and the price was fixed upon
as Sl1o per column-probably the great
est sum ever paid for news matter. The
testimony ad to be copied, as the purloined
proofs had to be returned, and Harris
would not permit any one to engage in this
task except persons OF whom he approved
1t was finally agreed that this should be
done by James r. Young, John p. Foley
and John Russell Young, who happened tc
be in Washington.
Nearly all of the next tday-Sunday-was
occupied in the work. Only the most im-
portant testimony was used, the evidence
OF Gen. Grant, Secretary Stanton and Chief
Justice Chase being taken in full. This
abstract made five columns of the Tribune
In order 10 lessen the expense of the pro
duction, Young, as was his right, after
having made tire purchase, duplicated the
matter for the late George W. Adams. 70
the Cincinnati Commercial. the Chicago
Times and the st. Louis Republican, and
the cost was thus divided among four
newspapers.
j. WILKES BOOTHS DIARY.
Harris. when he learned this, claimed
that Young was obliged to pay him S175
per column for each paper in which the
testimony was published. He actually
Brought suit against Young for that amount.
but the court decided against him.
Another interesting newspaper scoop, |
although it was not q leak. was the publ |
cation of j. Wilkes Booths diary. John |
A. Bingham. member of Congress and |
afterward United States minister to ia
pan. was judge advocate OF the military |
tribunal that tried Mrs. Surratt and the |
Lincoln assassination conspirators AS |
You all know, great doubt has always
existed as to the guilt of Mrs Surratt
III subsequent debates in Congress Gen. |
Benjamin F. Butler frequently held this |
fact over the head of Mr. Bingham,
and in a certain memorable debate lie |
boldly proclaimed that if the contents If |
diary which had been found on The dead |
body of j. Wilkes Booth were ever made |
public. it would disclose the fact that it |
contained the proof of Mrs. Surratt's .n- |
nooence, which proof had been UNANIMOUSLY |
suppressed by the government.
When Bingham made a movement as |
though to repel such an accusation. Gen.
Butler dramatically drew u memorandum, |
book from the breast pocket of his overcoat /
and held it aloft, but did not utter word. |
Bingham instantly sank back in his seat. |
He naturally supposed that Butler md |
obtained copy of diary such as he had |
spoken OF. AS matter OF fact. the niem- |
oranduIn book contained nothing but blank |
leaves. Willy Ben was playing what q |