The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-12

{! year tlSsi) was over, and when he came to
wbch % he WI. was them the oc chaigmam. % he found
! that the committee was about $1,000 short
+: Of funds necessary to close the accounts;
with Colonel Phelps or in his hearing. and
that he offered to contribute the amount
| needed by the committee to enable 1t TO
| settle these unpaid obligations. incurred in
! the conduct OF the campaign. and to. that
! end gave his personal check for 5000. 1t
] appears from Mr.. Cooks testimony. as pub
,shed that he entered this aoIen IN
| lions and expenditures. prepared by the
| committee under the law. as money coll
lected by Cook. without siving, the name
| Phelps's contribution was entered In that
! form-that is. without giving the name OF
the contri6uto:.he replied that it sss vas done
A day or two after this testimony Of Mr.
Cook was published Ex-Governor stephens
stated in an Interview printed in The Re-
stood that had suggested the form Of this
entry instead OF Mr.. Orear. and in his
deposition, given at Independence on satur.
he said in his interview. He did not state.
either in his interview or deposition. the
on which he based his statement. although
he did say he had never even heard OF the
Phelps contribution until more than two
wears after 1t was made.
Mr.. E. 7. Orear in his deposition given on
Saturday says. In substance. that his I'M
preston or remembrance is that ! sug-
gssted that Colonel =; hP'he1sa h'a c'ntr''ot'oh
Now. taking the statements OF these three
witnesses it Is perfectly clear-hrst, that
Governor Stephens had no personal knowl-
edge Of the matter. for he says he did not
even know of the contribution until Janu.
ary 1899 more than two years after IL
was made. and. therefore his r Information. .,or.
it came. was purely hearsay- He could 9nly
speak Of what he understood from whom I'm
laa"S EneM. secondly. % It ' is equally clear that
Cook and Orear do not agree. Mr.. Cook
swore that Mr. Orear made the suggestion
that the entry should be made In the torn
in which it was made. while Mr.. Orear
saws he thinks I made that suggestion.
Here is conflict between Cook and 0rsar'
or difference OF memory aa sanc,se an1 op'naTd and
Sefinise. orear says that hi. recollection is
that the suggestion originated with me. bnt
as reported in The Republic: i suggested
Ito Cook that could see no impropriety IN
its being credited to some one else, pro-
yiied Phelps made no ob1ectlon
On cross-examination the following ques-
tions and answers were made:
O.: You fIst esrssd Of s,,s this sons,nusioa ars h
after the election when the accounts were DC
ing made up for publication
O.: ..It was ycu that made the suggestion that
after Phelps would consent. you saw no reason
why the = 40 might not be shown in the name
A: YES. I don't remember the exact words.
g., And It vas vi on your suSses''on ''as "''
I a.: wen: x that at led 70 it saia tina. Cook hay-
ter ter for ihH him to e see Phsips'
As between Cooks recollection and
Orear's recollection, l am content to leave
Will be seen that Cooks statement Is In
all things practically corroborated by
Orear. So much for that.
HIS Connection.
Nnw I n ke 81 statement
my own account as to my connection with
this matter. Sometime during the latter
part Of November or the first part of De-
cember. 1896. was requested by Governor
stephens. then just elected, to attend the
meeting Of the State Committee, or OF its
executive officers. then soon to be held at
st. Louis for the purpose of preparing
public statement OF campaign receipts and
expenditures. At that time Governor Ste
phens was at Hot Springs. Ark. I'm
not now clear as to just how the request
Tor me to attend this meeting came to me.
but 1t came either in the form OF letter
from Governor stephens to me, or 1t came
from him through Nr. Orear. / have not
examined my n'es to sec il 1 received sucn
a letter. bur whether the request came in
one form or another it came.As 1 recall tie
matter, there was at that time some loose
talk in some Republican newspapers cf
Mr.. Lewis, who was Governor Stephens's
opponent. contesting his election on the
pended more money on his campaign than
the law permitted; and 1t was also true tnat
at that time the relations between Govern
or Stephens and Chairman Cook. - per-
haps other members OF the committee, were
not cordial. Because Of these things It
was desired that should attend the meet
vas done. inadvertently or otherwise, to
the possible detriment Of Governor Ste
phens. Although I regarded the talk of a
had absolute confidence in Mr. Cook and
the whole committee, yet because Of the
wish of Governor Stephens that should
Of Caution. ~ Vent from JEFFERSON citS se
st. Louis to the meeting In question. Ex-
cept for what have said I .wou'.' not
I1seticaIiy nothing @ sss aSeut the "a. financial 1neE
fairs OF the committee. not being a member
Of 1t. and hence. except for the circum-
stances stated. could have had no possible
en- the occasion referred to. met several
gentlemen at the Planters Hotel, and was
EIesent e part of the time. and only part
While there. however, I learned in some
TSay' Sy' and for the first time; that Mr.. Phelps
contributed 5000 TO the committee to as
sist the committee in closing its unsettled
Until then was not aware that he had
whatever to do with either collecting or
Il and haS notnE to ansc sc nh nSnE
There was some talk at the time about the
contribution. the details Of which do not
now recall. but I vii! say that the sus-
counted for in the way it was accounted FOR
did not come from me. made no such |
suggestion: Mr.. Orear's recollection is at
taoit do not remember that I even
beard the conversation between Messrs. |
CURED. and II I did hear It I have entirely |
forgotten It It IS more than probable that !
did rot hear that conversation, for Mr.
Orear is reported as s4ying that this talk |
with Mr.. Cook was at the Southern Hotel, |
whereas the talk heard was at the plan.
tiers.
/. Mr.. Orear says that Mr.. Cook invited him
to meet him in St. Louis. and that he did |
meet him at the Southern. That is not |
me to meet him. nor did see him at the |
Southern. My connection with the matter
Is as have stated it.
do not wish to be understood as saying
that MT Orear has designedly misstated |
the fact as to the matter In question Moth |
ing OF that kind Is meant. 1 mean merely |
to say that he Is mistaken In his recollec- |
tion Of the fact.
To Create Dissension.
And now. Mr.. Editor. all this have said. |
not because 1 consider the matter under |
consideration of special Importance. but |
while few people. who claim to be DEM
ocfats. are striving, for what consideration |
can only conjecture. to aid the Repub- |
licans In this State. it is well to keep the |
record as nearly straight as possible. This |
particular thing of which have been writ |
Ing. In and OF itself. is of little consequence,
but the motive behind those who are instb- |
eating and conducting this attack is of con- |
% sequence: The contention has gone far
stand Its animus. and I think it safe to /
say, II can judge by the numerous ex- |
presslons daily hear, that It Is generally