The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-26
SUPPORT LEES STORY.

If Daniel j. Kelley is deeply concerned for justice
in Missouri let him come back where he may be cross
examined. From the far heights of Canada he can
hardly impose retrbution sinners Mssouris gates
are ajar for the suesque and talented lover of jus
ce who his friend and victim says boasts of debauch
ing the legislatures of half the imperial common
wealtllS of America
John A. Lee came back to take his medicine Daniel
j. Kelley jumped the St. Lawrence. Secure beyond the
clutch of law, he sends back epistolary fire
He is Strengthening Lees coming testimony in court.
If the letters true they show him to be all that he
charges Lee with being and more They prove Kelley S
profisate abandoned and remorseess crimnality; by
their publication Kelley makes voluntary exhibition
of baseness sending broadcast the world adms-
sion of treasonke turpitude and designing crime and
all for purpose whatever except to disparage Mis-
souris efforts TO convict indicted And, further
more-before coming to the essential and important
effect of the letersthe motive and method of their
preservation and publication disclose spiderke pro-
pensity TO entrap and ruin.
But the main the big and cogent point is that the
letters offered for the purpose of dscreditng Lees
testimony. do instead corroborae Lee; they show alb
solutely and beyond the shadow of doubt the exist
ence in the Senate of the very state Of facts which
Lee describes The object of Kelley is to show that
Lees character weakens the value of his testimony
that Farrs and others We're not members of lobby
combine alum crowd; that Lee lies when he
says members of the Senate bought with money
from his and other hands.
But the letters show that Lee was doing business
with gang Kelley's behalf that Lee appoint
ing subscrvicnt committee members acceptable to KEEL
ley: charmen of committees appointed to do the trusts
bidding for consideration to be paid by Lee for Kel
ley; and the letters mention E" and others.
Kelley paid large sums of money to Lee. Why did
Kelley keep Lee in his pay as he says and rs
tiers indicate? Would Kelley have paid Lee such
merely for Lees goodwill and in consideration of
Lees appointing uncorrupt and incorruptihle men:
What would Lees appontve powers have been worth
to Kelley if there had been corrupt men and no
combine Of corrupt carry out the purpose Lee
able to deliver the goods and for this he paid
The letters offered by Kelley many admissions
of the fact that corrupt combine being placed
where it could act probably that Lee paymaster
at times and that he looked to Kelley for the necessary
funds; indeed that he demanded them. Kelley admits
that funds forthcoming He makes public long
list Of amounts Kelley scarcely claim, in view of
the letters that he paying something for moth
ing.
If Lee was giving something for the money, then he
must have had corps Of Senators standing behind
him with ready votes and extended palms; he must
have had committeeman eager for Doodle and devoid
of honor Who these men? The letters afford
some indication.
Lee whose statement duplicates Senators is the
same Lee whom Kelley exploits us the letterwriter.
and is the who will be called to testify for the
State. The letters square perfectly with the statement
they tell the story; and the testimony will
doubtless be but repetition.
Facts are facts. it matters not from what source
they come Even Kelley might have credence if there
supporting facts to bear him out conclusivey. If
Kelley should take the stand corroborated by the John
A. Lee letters Kelley himself would be valuable wit
for the State at Jefferson City to the exist
Of combine and the guilt of combine John
A. Lee. supported by the letters coming out of Keeys
hands unsolicited by Lee, but the contrary at the
suggestion behes of the defense should be thrice
valuable and thrice believed.