Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-10-20
Rank and File of Republicans
Resent Slander.
THEY REMEMBER GARFIELD.
Governor Hastings Sounds the Key
note Of the Campaign.
The Governor Goes Through All tho
Libelous and Scandalous Charges of
the Enemies of the Republican Party
and Exposes Their Weakness.
Especial Correspondence.)

can meeting at the Academy OF MUSIC
at which Governor Daniel II. Hastings
was the principal speaker was the
event of last week. 1t marked the re-
rival of stalwartism The sort of Re-
publicans who stood by Grant in ~,
who had stood by Lincoln, and who
stood by Blaine, We're brought to re-
alize that the same old agencies were
making another endeavor to bring tri-
umph to the Democratic party by
vicious and unscrupulous personal as
saults on Senator Quay and those who
are known to be his friends.
When Governor Hastings appeared
he was greeted with an ovation, and
spoke in part as follows:
"One of the candidates for governor
IN February last year charged in a
religious newspaper, of which he was
editor, that new metal furnishings
have been paid for by the state. but
old ones in use by the state carried into
the state house cellar. cleaned and re-
turned, were made 10 personate the
new ones paid for
That in the purchase of material and
labor for making additions, alterations,
repairs and furnishings. the capitol
buildings, and cellars and grounds, also
for the executive mansion and now for
Grace church. the state has lost many
thousands of dollars as the result of an
unfair system of competitive bidding.
In other words. that the cost TO the
state has been two, three. four, as high
as eight times, in some instances, as
much as il should have been, and that
not all of this money went TO the per-
sons furnishing the materials and Ia
Dor, and further that at least some of
the board of public grounds and build
i,,gre
of this excessive cost These charges
If true. should have made it impossible
for me to appear before this audience
or to hold the office of governor for an
other day.
Let me tell you what followed the
publication which | have just read to
you. It's author was Immediately ar
rested on the charge of criminal libel.
He was taken into the criminal court.
He was tried y a jury of his peers
and was convicted. The verdict of the
jury was guilty He applied for a new
trial. 1t was refused, and the trial
judge, in his opinion refusing a new
trial, inter ALA, said: The Indictment
alleged that these paragraphs (the
quotations just read) were published of
and concerning the members and su-
perintendent of the board of public
meaning OF the paragraphs was to
charge them with knowingly and
corruptly and frauduently cheating
and defrauding the commonwealth, and
with fraudulently and corruptly mis-
using and misappropriating to them
selves and to others the public moneys
of the commonwealth
Defendant admitted the publication,
but denied that he intended it to refer
to the board or its members, or that
it in fact charges them with the Of
fenses alleged in the Indictment
THE burden was OF course on the
commonwealth to prove that these
paragraphs would be understood by the
public to charge the members and su-
perintendent of the board or some of
them, as alleged in the indictment. and
the jury was instructed that if the
commonwealth failed in this proof de-
PENDANT could not be convicted In
view of the verdict we must assume
the jury found with the commonwealth
on these points.
TO establish the defense that the
publication had not been maliciously or
Indignantly made. defendant testified
at length, giving in detail all the facts
claimed to be within his own knowl-
edge, and all the information that he
had received which led him to make
The publication: and nothing of this
kind. however remote, was excluded.
Since then the convicted editor has
mercilessly abused the trial judge, the
jury, the opposing lawyers and the
state. reiterating the same charges, par
ticularly about Grace church. Who
would not commend at least his misdi-
rected energy? His defense must have
been well prepared. He was indefat-
iSable. He left no stone unturned. He
was several times at my stable cross
examining my hostler and the cook in
our kitchen to find out something in
the garbage or the manure pile to in
jure me or my family.
II. Again this candidate in the same
paper charged That articles have been
furnished for the soldiers orphans
schools that cost the state eight fold
more than reliable bidders were will
ing to furnish the same articles for
THE soldiers orphans schools COM
mission Immediately held a meeting in
the executive chamber its members
consisting of General Goblin, Senator
Mitchell. Captain William f. Stewart,
Hon. Ira II. Mansfield. Hon. Robert NJ.
Foster, Colonel Ezra II. Ripple and
Captain George w. Skinner. The MEM
bers of the commission at once resolved
TO arrest him and the warrant was
served. When he faced the jury his
principal defense was that there was no
malice intended. This was he first
case tried, and the jury leniently found
him not guilty, but pay the costs 1t
was in effect notice to him that we will
let you off this time. but pay the casts
and don't do it again
II am sure you will admire his mod
esty when L tell YOU that he shortly
afterward wrote me a letter--here 1T is,
] hold it in my hands-asking me to
donate him some money to help paw
these very costs. This is the letter:
Harrisburg, Pa, Nov. 16. 1897.
Governor Daniel H. Hastings:
My Dear Sir: The suit against me
ON the charge of having libeled the
commission Of soldiers orphans schools,