The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-03-24

each case, was judicial farce, q trav-
esty on justice a political persecution
On September 10, 1873, my wife and
I came to Abilene. This has been our
home ever since. We came as strangers
into strange land. We had 10 friends,
and only q very few acquaintance.
( We had practicaliysn0 money or prop
erty, no relatives or friends anywhere
10 whom We could look for help. We
were alone We have lived IN Kansas
/ for more than tWenty-eight years. They
have been for me years Of activity and
struggle. I have met with success and
failure. ! know the taste OF victory and
| Of defeat.
Il have often been bitterly assaiIed.
But there are two charges which have
never been made against me. No one
! ever accused me Of being lazy; and no
| one ever accused me Of being a hypo-
critic
"In the panic Of 1893, and the long,
hard years that followed. my fortune
was all swept away, and 7 was bur
dened with heavy obligations, besides.
never denied ar obligation. i paid
every debt. Ny. creditors then are my
best friends now. I had paid every debt
/ but one when I was elected TO the
I United States Senate, and that one was
| secured. / had laid well the fOuuda-
( lions for a second competency, when,
i three years ago, I was struck down by
/ an assassin, from safe ambush. In
/ hghl ug for my honor and my good
! name, and for the honor and good name
! Of the State. in trying 10 repel that
/ cOwardIy assault, what / had saved, on
/ which TO build a second competency,
Fhas all been spent. Financially. 1 am
/ where I was twenty-eight years ago.
Never Was a CRATER.
During my political career, aside
/ from local entertainment. which was
/ sometimes provided, ] paid all my ex-
| penses in all my campaigns for the past.
/ twenty-five years No human being
! ever gave me one cent. Of money in
/ politics. with ore exception. When
was making my race for Congress in /
/ 1892 the late Senator Russell A. Algerl
made trip through the district, and
| after returning 10 his home IN DetrOir
[ ne wrote me very kind letter, inclOs-
ing a check for 500. and insisted that L
| accept fl. 10 help me in the very uneqUau
| struggle in which I was then engaged.
] began my campaign work IN Indiana.
/ Iu 1876 was in every campaign fr0ms
that time down 10 and including 1902
| This is the only money that any0uei
[ evsT gave me in all my political cam
/ Yaigns- 7 include the whole human5
| family IN my statement, and challenger
4 any man In this world 10 dispute what
! I have said
| ! served nearly three years as Al
( United States Senator before I was in
/ dicted. No person ever paid me any.
money or property for any official ser-l
I vice or 10 influence in any way my
[ official action. / never was approached
/ for any such purpose but once. and then,
/ it was under the CURSE Of pretendeB
/ friendship and with voIu5le prOtestas
| tons that no wrong was intended. Z
/ shall relate the circumstance leaving
I out the names In the month Of June
/ 1901, while ! was stopping az the Mid
| land Hotel, in Kansas City. an old man
/ Of large wealth, whose home is in
| Kansas. called on me and earnestly re-
/ quested the appointment OF 2 friend OF
/ his 10 q certain responsible position.
At the same time he said 70 me sub
| sta1ualIy:
| " Senator, 7 know you have been at
| very great expense in your campaign
/ and l want 10 make q contribution Of
! $1,00O to your campaign fund. You
must not couple Jhis offer with the in
/ dorserHent I have made for nay friend
as yOu know I am able 10 make you
such donation and I should like you
TO ACCEPT It with the assurance that
your action respecting this appoint
ment is not TO be Influenced in any.
way by this contribution
I declined this gift and accepted his.
pT0testati0ns with some mental reserva-
ton, promising however, 10 give due.
consideration to the Endorsement Of hlz
friend.
No Railroad Pawn.
ct mention this only for the purpose OF
asserting that in my whole official life,
this is the only instance in which any
body ever attempted 10 influence my Of
lc1aI action. by bribery Instead of re-
Ceiving any money for my services, or
expenses. I contributed 10 the local, and
often 10 other committees, in every
campaign, from 1850 10 1892. In my race
for Congress, in 1892, 7 spent a little
over 5000
1T has been charged that my seat
in the Senate was bought for me, by
the corrupt use of money, in the hands
Of boodIers and grafters. And that the
money for this purpose was contributed
by the railroads. I have been held up
10 the world as a man who would COR
ruptly use his onIciaI position to make
money. These charges are false. NY
mouth has been closed for three years.
Many who knew that these charges
were not true. and desired 10 speak in
my defense. have refrained from doing
| so. for various reasons. that / shall not
| now discuss. But IL is now my time 10
talk.
Il assert that no railway company
nor other corporation, nor firm, nor
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