The morning times., 1897-02-06
THE CR0SBY-PITNEY CHARGES
REFUTED.

day last, during a discussion of the Dis
trict electric light contention, Mr.. Pitney
of New Jersery, discharged himself of
considerable amount Of information and
rancor.
With that part of his speech which deals
with one of the electric lighting com
panies-the United States-we have moth
ing particularly TO do, although We are
assured by one of its officers, that many
of Mr. Pitney's statements We're mac
curate-not to use a harsher term With
the part which refers to the newspapers Of
the District, and especially this paper, The
Times. we have considerable to do, which
we trust Mr.. Pitney will do us the honor
OF considering
A couple OF weeks ago we stated quite
prominently that whatever might have
been tie relations of The Times under
its former proprietors With one Of the
electric light companies, there We're, under
its new ownership, no entangienents OF
any nature Mr- Pitney, while making
ted in answer 10 a pointed question. that
tie paper had passed into other hands,
Qualifying this statement OF an undeniabie
fact, by the declaration that the present
proprietor mellifluouSy says he is not
concerned in the quarrels Of the former
management" Mr.. Pitney intended, quite
evidently. by this remark To throw some
doubt upon tie sincerity OF our statement,
as there is TO better ground TO characterize
a plain declaration as ''mcIlifluousH t. al
tier. is for US To say that Mr.. Pitrey's
speech was eloquent or fair He was striv-
ing simply for effect. He wanted to make
the United States Company appear a cor
rupt and corTupting concern, and, there
fore, after repeating the charge that it had
paid 81 600 to Tie Times newspaper for
publishing articles in its defense, he en-
deavored to convey the Impression that
il was probably pursuing the same policy,
and consequently unequivocal disavowal
was mellifIuous.
We have met this class Of Congressmen
before they put themselves in priv
neged place with government stenog-
rapher close at hand to convert their
rancor and assaults into type, and then
turn on the tap. The side they oppose
is all wrong; the side they support is
Rll right.
The offense Of this paper. rs at present
conducted, is that it has advised the Dis
trict to build and own all Of the electric
conduits that may be laid down in the
future. and that the well paved avenues
OF the city should not he wantonly torn
up to accommodate any private corpora
ton.
We have neither invented OF printed SEN
sationaT' reports, ''criticiSed the Comnis-
si0ners,'' nor charged them with wanton
violations Of the law As a matter Of
fact, we have refrained from saying many
things that. in all honesty, could have
been said; and we will say now that if it
were our fight we are quite sure we could
convict Mr.. Pitney, who arrogates to him
self such freightage Of honesty, Of twenty
misstatements, some OF them serious, and
OF a thorough distortion of the real ques-
tions in controversy.
And now for the charge that The Times.
under ITS former pTopmctcrs. was paid
81 : 900 by the United States Electric
Company When this charge was first
seemed utterly improbable As soon there
after as we could find the time we had
the books examined and found nothing To
sustain the accusation. and, since Mr.. Pit
ney's Endorsement of it. we have asked the
bookkeeper of the company for a statement,
which he has made as follows:
To the Editor of The Times:
1 am the principal bookkeeper of The
Washington Times and have full charge
of its accounts. The only money paid us
by the United States Electric Lighting
Company for the last year. or, to be ex-
act, since April /, 1896, was S2245 so for
ten months publication OF their regular
card, a the rate of S22. 40 per month.
K r. Ciarkson
Mr. S. NJ Goldsmith, the business manager
OF the paper at the time referred TO, has
also sent Hs the following letter, with
request that it be published:
Washington, Feb. 4, 1897.
To the Editor of The Times:
Now that the letter of Mr.. Crosby, which
was published liz The Star of January 23,
1897, purportIng to have been addressed
TO Senator Mcmillan, in which / was
charged with having offered, as the man
ager OF The Times, to sell the influence
OF that paper and the use OF its columns
to the Potomac Electric Light Company,
OF which Mr.. Crosby is president, has
been indorsed publicly by Hon NJ Pitney,
member Of Congress from New Jersey, in
speech delivered by him on the I'd day
of February, 1897, it is proper that /
should be heard from and allowed to make
my declaration.
Ii is true that I called to see one of
the Officers Of the Potomac Light Company
On an invitation which. am told, came