New-York tribune., 1910-01-19
BRIBERY CHARGE
AGAINST ALLDS
MADE BY SENATOR
BENN CONGER.
Senate Leader Vigorously De-
mes Allegations of Repub-
hcdn Insurgent.

A charge of bribery made by Senator
Benn Conger. OF Tompkins County.
against Senator lothian P Aids. OF
Chenango County. the newly elected
leader of the State Senate, appeared yes
terday in The Evening Post" The
charge was first made ar a meeting OF
seven insurgents on January 4 in the
Hotel Ten Eyck. Albany. 70 protest
against the elevation of Senator Aids
to the post made vacant by the death OF
Senator Raines. II recites. in effect. that
the Senate leader. when Republican
leader OF the Assembly. accepted bribe
for killing" certain legislation
The legislation N question was a bill
TO amend the highway law. introduced in
the Assembly first in 1900. and again in
1901. II placed certain restrictions about
the letting OF contracts for bridge repair
or construction by local authorities and
was 10 this extent inimicaI 10 the extern
sive bridge business in which Conser
was interested Conger called il a hold
UP bill and said at the time that II would
destroy 90 per cent OF his business an
estimate that was proved accurate II ia
declared. after the passage or a bill al
most identical in its provisions in 1895.
In 1900 Senator Conger was a member
Of the Assembly and on its COMMITTEES
on Internal Affairs. TO which the high
way bill was referred The bill was
not reported out that year In 1901.
however. il was reintroduced. and the
threat was made, Conger says. that II
would pass unless bribery was resorted
TO. Senator Conger and his associates
gave up he declares. and one OF the
legislators who took money for his op-
position 10 the bill was Aids, so the
Senator insists. The others he refuses
TO name
ALLDS MAKES DENIAL
Senator Aids mas issued an emphatic
denial of the accusation in a letter TO
President Willard OF the New York
Evening Post Company. which was
printed in The Evening Post yester-
day in the next column TO a reiteratiOn
OF the bribery charge by Senator Con-
ger The letter Of denial follows
0. G. Willard. president OF the New York
Evening Post Company
My Dear Sir. / have the honor 10
acknowledge the receipt OF your favor un-
D q,
the ciub where live last evening at mid
night. and 1 desire 10 avail myself OF the
suggestion that you would be happy TO
receive from me by 10 clock any state
ment which / desire TO make
Likewise. referring To our personal con-
versation on Saturday morning last beg
you would personally be IN Albany on
Monday and would either call yourself or
have your representative call on me IN my
office in the Capitol
was in the once from 10 o'clock in the
morning until 10 O'Clock last evening. eX-
Cept only during the dinner hOur, from
$50 until 8. and during the time or the
session. from $50 until 9I5. when was,
" course. in the Senate Cham Der
I understood distinctly that before you
would give any CredenCe 10 what you your
self regard as a serious charge, and which
| pointed out TO YOU must have oeen a
hasty angry remark on the part or sen
atOr Conger, you would be very happy 20
have a full statement b0th or my record
on bridge and highway legislation by an
examination OF the journal and. likewise.
an examination or tne rsCp[u p @ o SSiIa 49,, ~
Conger as bearing upon what must nave
been his motive in making any statement
which you advise me ne made
You not having shown me the statement
which YOU advise me in the letter YOU pro-
nose 10 publish. I cannot OF course repiy
AZ This rIOment to the same; but can as
sure YOU that speaking for myself. any
statement implying either the ouer OF or
the acceptance OF money 70 inT1Gence ny
action at the time when | was leader N
rhe Assembly is absolutely untrue, that
whoever Utters the same IS, IN iesal Ian-
IIIaGe. a SlaDd6Ter- ana certainty u HoutA
be MbellOuS to publish II
WILL ASK INVESTIGATION
II anv such statement which has been
made TO YOU, such as YOU convey IN your
letter is true II is evident that there are
1Uo Senator's now serving in the Senate
Me Of their districts If any publication OF
that sort is made shall embrace the 1rSI
opportunity when the senate Is IN IoI
legislative session to take prompt steps 20
determine what are the actual Iacts. %
cause he being at that time an Assembly
man as was IL will occur TO any think
tre- man thai each was guilty II there -
any foundation for the allegation
I am at present engaged m PREPARING
taken during my entire legislative career
on highway mates. and I am also en-
SENATOR both while he has been In public
life and also the record OF hIfnSell alsu
his companies in the state and three ad-
Therefore. beg TO suggest that before
any publication is made Such coiIeIshce cIt
and examination. either oS youLsS.L o. -
your once would be had should t3Ae
place and that pending such exanlInsIl92n
and II would strike me as being unwiss and
NOT in accordance with the general poiics
of the paper or which you a'aSs .,st.o ne "''l0i
10 be controlling owner and eGltor
should YOU after reading this letter. sc-
cent the suggestion that we ought 70 carry
ouf the agreement we made the other cav
20 sareS,Ii examination. please consider
this letter strictly confidential anu PEI
sOraI n however you are determines 20
Follow the line indicated IN your note or
last evening YOU may print TINS N .
oaraIieI column with Whatever statetiel-
yI,ou have in mind and later you VIII nave
~, NoDnortunirv to print nv definite rsliy-
Yours very truly. LOTHIAN = AA>A-N
..The Evening Post said editoriaity
that senator Aids was IN error IN as
snninr that any extensive conference
with him was suggested at the meeting
in this city 10 which he refers
Both Aids and COnger are orSaniZa-
,ion Republicans. and have opposed much
or the legislation advocated by GoN-
ernor Hughes Senator AlHis. who IS a
graduate of Colgate. was sent 20 the As
semhIy in 1896 after having practised
law for several years in the little town
~ Norwich where he still lives He has
been in the Legislature ever since, be-
coming a senator in 1902
CONGER BEAT OWEN CASSIDY
Senator Conger is member OF tne
Conger IA iIy which is said 70 own"
Groton. Tompkins County. and has
borne a prominent part IN the industrial
development OF the west central part OF
the state He was sent 20 the Assembly
first In 1899 and served in the sessions
or 1900 ana 1901. In 1905 he was noni-
mated for the Senate in the 41st Senate