Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-10-20
FREELAND, Pa, OCTOBER 20, 1898.
COLONEL stones TEN THOUSAND.
His Fee Three Times Larger Than the
AMOUNT Recovered--The Accusa-
tion, the Admission, and All
the Details.


the Details.
In the Philadelphia Press of April IS,
1897. was an address delivered by Major
George w. Merrick, of Tioga county,
who was a schoolmate of Colonel w.
A. Stone, the Republican candidate for
governor, in which he said:
Il have undertaken to state from the
stump that Colonel William A. Stone,
now of Allegheny, late of Tioga county,
is the slated candidate for governor;
that his candidacy was agreed upon
by the powers that be some two years
since; that he had served the machine
faithfully, during the whole of his po-
litical life; that he said to me fire.
quently during the past eight years
that his great ambition in politics was
to be governor, but that he could not
be a candidate for office until the old
Man said so, but he would be when he
did say so; that two years ago in the
senatorial campaign, he made the de-
claration that his relations to Mr. Quay
were such that his political fortunes
would rise or fall with those of Mr..
quay. l asserted also that l did not
deem him safe man for governor to
stem the tide of corrupt approach upon
the state treasury, since in private life
he had charged the state $4,000 for
collecting S2,400
"Mr. Stone has undertaken to deny
the last statement. Addressing n
meeting at Royersford, April 13, he
said: 1t has been said that I charged
the state $4,000 for a case which re-
turned S2,4OO. l never made a charge
against the state BY this statement
l understand Colonel Stone to deny the
allegation that he received fee of s1O,-
900 for collecting $1,000. Does he mean
to charge me with accusing him false
ly? l will submit the record, and you
may judge, gentlemen, who is guilty
of duplicity.
I'm Colonel Stones speech last week
In Williamsport he said, alluding to this
charge: L was panied when my old
comrade, Mr.. Merrick, stated here in
the city of Williamsport, not for the
purpose of helping me but to injure
me, that I had charged the state of
Pennsylvania $4,000 for collecting s2,-
400. This is an old story and retold in
the campaign against me in 1890, but
/ never lost vote. l never denied the
facts, and I do not deny them now.
but l never presented a bill or made
any charge. That is IL years ago, and
is known to everybody in Allegheny
county, and now Major Merrick is re-
viving that old tale.'
well, gentlemen, that is a pretty
broad admission of the truth of my
charge against Brother Stone, but Mr..
Stone is mistaken when he charges me
with reviving this old tale. On Dec.
IA, 1897, a clergyman of Wellsboro wrote
him as to the truth of this allegation,
asking for information, saying: In ref
erence to the past record to which you
refer, l would say that for some years
there has been report current here
that once in case in which you col
lected claim for the commonwealth
in the amount of about $4,000 you
charged and received a fee of $40, 900;
the story seems to be well supported.
If it Is true it would suggest some doubt
as to the propriety of placing you in
the high and responsible control In the
office you seek in the affairs of our
commonwealth. 1 shall be pleased to
receive an answer to this question:
I'm reply to this letter Candidate
Stone, in a letter dated Washington,
Dec. 20, 1897, from which 1 now read,
said: The matter of the fee which you
speak of occurred nearly IL years ago.
My fee was not fixed by me, but it was
fixed at the request Of the auditor gen.
eral by attorneys in Pittsburg at $10,-
900, which the state paid me. OF course
1 am aware that my enemies will raise
many objections to my candidacy, which
will appear from time to time in the
newspapers, but it is not my purpose.
nor has it been my practice, to pay at
tention to them.'"
Major Merrick Is a prominent attor-
ney. He is a Republican and a ma
tive of the county where Candidate
Stone was born, and lived many years.
He was stones schoolmate and his
friend in later years. He was every
thing that would have inclined him
to be Stones friend. Charges of so
grave a character, coming from such
a source, would be a serious business,
even without Stones admission of their
truth, as above avowed.