Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-03-02
BRIBERY CHARGED.
Sums of Money as High as $1,000
Offered For Votes, 1t
Is Said.
THE M'OARRELL BILL ONCE MORE
The House Orders an Investigation.
Honest Democrats who stood Firm
Against Representative
Dixon Speaks -



attempted bribery of members of the
legislature have been plentiful around
the capital for weeks. They reached IA
head last Friday when Philadelphia
Republican newspaper openly charged
that efforts had been made to get mem
bers of the house, for cash consdera
tlonS, to vote for II reconsideration of the
postponement of the McCarrell jury bill.
The charges made were that certain
members had been offered sums of money
from $3.50 to 81 900 to vote for the re-
consideration of the vote whereby the
McCarrell jury bill had been postponed
until March u. after the Quay trial.
The newspaper in question, the Phila-
delphia Press. publishes the statements
without giving names, but in an editorial
declared its willingness to furnish names
to Il Legislative Investigating committee.
In at least two of the cases the attempts
at bribery were made upon reputable and
influential members of the Democratic
party, but in both instances the offers
were Indignantly spurned. 1t has been
already stated in these letters that
numerous and powerful Quay lobby was
at work here in Harrisburg. endeavorng
to bribe Democrats to vote for Quay
legislation. These charges of attempted
bribery, apparently, substantiate these
claims.
DEMOCRATS REFUSE BRIBES.
1t is to the honor of the Democratic
party and a high tribute to the character
of its members that these attempts have
been spurned and that the would-be
bribers are about to be brought to JUS
tice. In speaking of the charges Repre-
sentative George r. Dixon. one of the
scholarly and brainy leaders of the De
mocracy in the house. said
"There is no doubt that attempts at
bribery have been made. Valuable con
sidcrations have been offered for votes
for political legislation. We have some
of the best young men in the state in the
Democratic party, but they are in danger
OF heing corrupted by the influences tha;
are surrounding them in Harrisburg |
sincerely trust that the guilty parties.
who have been attempting to seduce and
corrupt Democratic members, will be
speedily brought to Justice"
On Friday last General w. II. Koontz,
of Somerset. one of the anti-Quay Re
publican leaders in the house. offered a
resolution to investigate. In his rcsolu-
tion he named committee for the pur-
pose, which was an eminently fair com
mittee. y Quay man was made chairman
and the Quay faction was given two
members. the Democrats two members
and the anti-Quay Republicans one mem
her. as follows: krcps, of Franklin
lQuay), chairman; fowler, of Forest
QUAY; Fow. of Philadelphia DcmD;
Dixon. of Elk DemD, and Young, OF
Tioga (anti-Quay Rep)
But this did not suit the Quay ma
chine 1t fought the proposition that the
house should name the investigating COM
mttee Captain Skinner. of Fulton
DEM, also opposed the house naming
the committee. and in this he stood alone
among the Democrats. Why he did so is
uncertain-when such stalwart Demo
Gratis as Dixon, of Elk; Greasy. of Co
lumbia: OBrien. of Schuylkill. and Fow.
of Philadelphia, fought to take the ap-
pointment out of the hands of the Quay
speaker, Farr.
AGAINST INVESTIGATE
Voorhees,. of Philadelphia, the Quay
leader in the house. declared that in
vestigating committees were only white
washing affairs and for this reason he
opposed any investigation. He said that
members had been insulted by having
placards hung around all the hotels in
Harrisburg offering S25.OOO reward for
bribery.
At this point General Koontz, OF Som
crsct, demanded of Mr.. Voorhees, to
know who it was that had first offered
| $4,000 reward for evidence of bribery.
| and Voorhees, was compelled to say that
il was Senator Quay himself. Voorhees,
| also offered II substitute for the inveSti-
eating resolution, demanding that not
| only should senatorial bribery cases be
! investigated. but that newspapers and
| newspaper correspond ents he investigated
on the ground that they had been paid
cash to distort news and bias public
opinion.
Representative Coray. OF Iuzelne
speaking in reply said that this PROPOSE
/ tion would only obscure the real nvesti.
CATION and that the result of it would
he the farce of Investigating newspaper
editors and publishers over the state.
thus giving The committee months of
time in which to make their report and in
the end defeating the object of the reso-
luton. Mr. Voorhees, subsequently with
drew his substitute: General Koontz
Withdrew his proposition that the house
nam" the committee and the resolution
to investigate passed. Speaker Farr will
now name the committee.
SOME OF THE CHARGES.
The charges of attempts at bribine
members of the legislature in brief, are
as follows: 1t is alleged that a
member of the legislature, II Democrat,
from the center of the state, was offered
$500 TO vote for IL reconsideration of the
motion by which the McCnrrel bill was
postponed. This took place in the Lochirl
hotel here. He Indignantly refused to ac-
cept the bribe, Several days after a mem
her of the lobby drove 10 miles through
the blizzard to the home of this member
in u central Pennsylvania county. and
again renewed the offer of $500 for his
vote. This was again refused.
On the afternoon of Feb. 10. the last
day on which motion to reconsider
could be made. another Democratic mem
her, n reputable and responsible gentle
man. was offered 81 900 if he would
make n motion to reconsider the vote OF
poNtponement. This was done while the
l.