The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-04-10


grand jury.
In an interview given out a week
ago at Washington you appear as
having said about me: "After adver-
Using widely that he returned clear
from California to give full Informal
ton to the grand jury, the papers
state that he refused to answer the
very questions the jury desired to
know about his actions"
l did not so advertise, neither by
letter, telegram or word of mouth. /
notified Prosecuting Attorney Foster
that ] would be present at Mason to
testify. and l came, not to give q
detailed statement of my political con.
nections, but to defend myself against
your infamous charge and the rumors
on which it was based. l answered
every question asked me by the prose.
cutting attorney relating to every mem.
Der OF the legislature. and relating TO
every man who acted for me, in con:
nectior with the management Of my
campaign. There was not single
evasion. But when / was asked who
the people were through the staSe
with whom l was acting in close po-
litical alliance-my political friends,
not legislators declined to furnish
the names: First, on the ground that
the relation was personal ana conf.
Dental. Second, on the ground that
to single me out from others with SIM
liar political connections and compel
me only to disclose what mine were,
seemed unfair. / said, however, in
effect, that if the law required it, /
would not shield myself behind any
legal privilege, but would furnish the
information. / had in mind that if
so compelled that there were others
who would be made to submit to the
same catechism. After a recess 20
consult Judge West, this last line of
questioning was no longer pursued.
Near the close of my testimony, the
prosecuting attorney read from a
pamphlet copy of speech by Hon.
Benton Hanchett, during the senator
ial campaign in my behalf, in which
he referred to these rumors, and asked.
me If | knew what the rumors were
on which Governor Warner based his
charge 1 told him l did not, nor 10
l now. l gather, however, from your
public interviews and from the press
notices of the jury proceedings, that
your so-called "rumors" rested upon
the fact that l contributed money used
in procuring the election of members
of the state legislature, just as I con-
tributed money used in procuring your
election in the same campaign. There
was no mystery about this, for the
facts had been openly avowed days
before your letter to the legislature.
1t was in an interview that this was
done, given to one of the leading De-
troit papers. | was asked whether !
had given financial assistance to any
OF the members of the next legisla-
ture, and / quote my reply as printed:
Il will state (said Mr.. Hill) that
like the other senatorial candidates
Republican state committee fund, and
in few cases assisted county COM
mittees where the contest was close.
AS to the legislative nominees, | did
what each of the other candidates did,
directly or through their friends, that
is, | gave to them such support as I
thought necessary and proper. even
did this where the district was close
as between Republican and Democrat,
where the nominee was known to re
pledged to another candidate"
These acts by me were legal and
customary, and you were the chief
factor in forcing upon me this line Of
campaign.
In speech delivered at the Blair
banquet in Big Rapids, March 18th,
1906, you were the first speaker, and
when my turn came I pronounced for
the election Of the United States sen
ator by the people. I asked the chair
man this question: (Which would you
trust to elect United States senators
to represent the people and the peo-
pies interest Washington, a man
chosen by the people and borne TO
Washington on their shoulders, as It
were, or man chosen by the legis-
lature a legislature which you know
in senatorial year with a sharp con-
test is most fearfully and wonderfully
made"
You know well the efforts / made
to secure the nomination Of a United
States senator by the state conven.
ton consisting Of over one thousand
delegates with large majority elect
ed under the primary reform system,
and how you opposed and defeated my
plans; on the ground as stated when
you came to see me at Saginaw, that
the money and the efforts of the can
didates for the senatorship were nee.
essary to give strength and spirit 20
the state campaign.
In your Washington interview. as
published, you intimate that because
paid the election expenses of candi-
dates in other districts than my own
was guilty of some "offense,' as
though | might not properly seek the
cunnort mr. tba ooOd will ~ N oo,,l;