Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-10-12
UntruthfuIneSS of
SteffenS' Charges
{ Milwaukee Sentinel)

islature of 1885, which elected John c..
Spooner to the United States senate,
agree with members out in the state
with one accord, who Indignantly re-
sent the imputatlon that money was
used in that campaign, as was charged
by Lincoln Steffens in his notorious
article on Wisconsin. Republicans
Fairchild, and supporters Of Senator
Spooner, unanimously declare that the
charge is infamous, and that there is
absolutely no foundation for the state
ment that the campaign which gave
Mr. Spooner his seat was other than a
clean one. Members of that legislature
who still reside in Milwaukee have
been seen by reporters of the Sentinel
and all agree that there was never a
cleaner senatorial campaign conducted
than that one.
The unwarranted attack which
Lincoln Steffens has made on Senator
Spooner and on members of the legis-
lature which elected him is an outrage
Gus falsehood," Indignantly declared
Jacob E. Friend who was one of the
leaders of the Fairchild supporters in
that campaign. Il supported Fair
child, but the younger element. espec-
tally those from the north wanted
Senator Spooner and they won. There
was no money used, for [ know that |
would have been among the first to
hear of it, had there been any"
1T was the cleanest election ever
held; there was not even a breath of
suspicion that monev had been used in
it, said Julius Wechselberg, who rep
resented the Fourth senatorial district
of Milwaukee county in that legisla-
ture.
4 was on the democratic side in
that campaign" said Hugh Ryan,
member of the assembly, ''but if any
money had been used in that election
| know that [ would have heard Of it
in the form of gossip, even if did not
take part in the caucus. | am conf
dent that no money was used"
ITO the best of my knowledge and
belief the statements in the Steffens
article, SO far as they relate to the
election of John c. Spooner are false, :"
said r. w, Pierce, a member of the
assembly from 1883 to 1886. Il do
not believe that any money was used
and will do all can to let the people
know of my belief"
"Lircoln Steffens' statement in his
recent article in McClure's Magazine.
to the effect that foul means were used
in securing the election of John G..
Spooner is lie, pure and simple, )"
said Charles Elkert. another member
of the assembly. "There was ne bri-
berry at that election to my knowledge
and can say that no money was han
died. | never heard any rumors to
that effect until | heard about the ar
ticle in McClure's. [ can state that it
was as fair an election as there was
ever held in the state of Wisconsin,"
''It's an Internal .lie,'' exclaimed
George Poppert, of the George Poppert
Manufacturing Company. Il was a
member of that legislature, and being
a democrat, voted for General Bragg,
the choice of our party at the time. ]
was in position to know if any rumors
of the use of money by republicans
were afioat as some hint of such prac-
tices would most assuredly have come
over to our side of the house. AS [ rec
ollect Senator Spooner of that time, he
was pure, simple, unassuming young
lawyer, just breaking into public life.
There never was anything heard oil
the use of money in that campaign, and
/ know that Mr.. Spooner was elected
honestly =