The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-15
SENATOR GORE
MAKES FINAL TALK
SAYS HE is NOT SURPRISED TO
HEAR KISSES OF SERPENTS
DITURBED.

one who makes such disclosure
He who digs up "a nest of serpentS
need not be surprised if he hears
the serpents hiss, or If he feel;
the serpents sting" declared enatol
Gore today in closing his speech
on the bribery charges made by
him on the floor of the senate last
year, and which have since been
made the object of a searching con
that his examinations had saved the
| Indians of oklahoma between $1,000
600 and $5,0OO,OOO, and that this
! having more than compensated him
for all the calumny which has come
upon him in the past and that may
come upon him in the future.
Il simply did my duty as | saw
it," he said, and shall abide in the
facts that the truth will triumph" "
eSnator Cores remarks, in part,
are as follows:
81 have but fe~ words to say
| shall neither analyze the evidence
nor answer the arguments of coun-
sci ! shall engage in no crimna-
ton or recrimination. | need not re-
mind the committee that these
charges stand upon the uncorrobo-
rated word of single witness who
was driven by the most powerful
motive to malign, and to misrepre-
sent. Mine has been the common
fate of every one who makes such
disclosure. He who digs up a
nest of serpents need not be sur
prised if he hears the serpent's hiss,
or if he feels the serpent's sting.
Other instances are not wanting in
our history.
Theirs has been the common
refuge of all those against all whom
such disclosures are made. They an
swer with charges and counter
charges, and, like to the cuttlefish,
darken the water and seek to es.
cape in the darkness of their own
making. | knew that those who
would undertake to debauch would
not hesitate to defame | knew that
all that malice and all that money
could do would be done to discredit
me. Senator LaFollette foresaw
those consequences and discussed
the evntuality 1t was an ordeal of
fire which any man would prefer
to escape; any one would seek to
shun such sensation and to avoid
the notoriety it entailed. |, therefore
exhausted every resource. | tried
every eXpedient, but there was no
alternative left. | had no choice. |
went to the last ditch. placed my
back to the wall
Silence Criminal.
1T came to pass that silence
would have been criminal. There
may be those who will think that
my silence even would have been
golden, but it might have cost the
Indians millions of dollars.
While | know that the vials of
Wrath will be poured out upon me,
there has been a measure of malign-
ity that | dreamed not OF, but if | |
ha dknown in advance that the as
saults would have been thousand |
lines worse than they have been,
still would not have been deterr-
ID from my duty. l saw | had no
light TO calculate upon consequences,
or political to myself.
MY experience in this affair has
demonstrated how much easier it is
o remain silent, rather than to war
lpon wrongdoing and wrongdoers of
certain description, especially if
hey chance to be both powerful and
enal. My experience in this affair
las been a terrible example and
terrible warning TO others TO pur-
hase security at the price of ST
ence and neglected duty. There are
hose, it seems, who would have sue
umbed to the terrors of that ex.
mple and to terrors OF that warn {
ng; would have this committee
lace the finger OF silence upon its I
Ips and signify to all others that
hey would be safe, must be still
nd speak not, lest the accused |
hould have the power, as he will l
ave the disposition. to wreck ruin {
us vengeance upon the accuser
While the bitter cup has been