Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1913-10-24
SULzER DENOUNCES
TR|ALAS A LYNCH|NG
Declares Murphy Was Judge,
Jury and Bailiff.
ASSERTS HE WROTE VERDICT
"Had | Served the Boss With Half
the Zeal Did the State William
Sulzer Would Never Have
Been lmpeached."

Albany, N. Y.-William Sulzer,
served with the notice of his removal
from office, gave to the public a state
ment in which he denounced his trial
as lynching and declared that
Charles F. Murphy was Judge, jury
and bailiff and had written the verdict
of the court.
Keynote of Statement.
Had l but served the boss with
half the zeal l did the state William
Sulzer would never have been i'm.
peached," was the keynote of the
statement Sulzer asserted:
1. That Murphy began war on him
when he refused to call off the inves.
tigation of graft by which the state
had lost millions of dollars.
2. That he never speculated in
stocks.
3. That he did not appropriate
campaign contributions to his own use.
4. That he paid to campaign COM
mittees all of the money he collected.
5. That he is poorer today than he
ever was in his life.
6. That he was in debt $4,000
when he became candidate for gov
ernor.
Z. That Duncan w. Peck and Allen
A. Ryan falsely testified against him.
8. That the proceedings of the
court were held in secret.
9. That he was lynched by an as
sembly and a senate controlled by
Charles F. Murphy, whom he charged
with writing the ultimate verdict.
The former governor also declares
his purpose to go on the lecture plat
form.
Says Trial Was a Farce.
Concerning the impeachment court,
Mr.. Sulzer, in his statement, says:
MY trial from beginning to end as far
as the TammanyiZed part of the court was
concerned, was farce. a political lynch
ing, the consummation of a deep laid po-
littcal conspiracy to oust me from office.
l am glad it is all over. I am tired OF
being illuminated, tired of being hunted
and bounded, tired of trying to do my
duty and being traduced. The court ruled
in everything against me and ruled out
everything In my favor. The well settled
rules of evidence We're thrown to the
winds. A horse thief in frontier days
would have received a squarer deal. Mr.
Murphy controlled the assembly and or
dered the impeachment. He controlled
most of the members of the court and die
tated its procedure and wrote the judg-
ment He was the judge and the jury
the prosecutor and the bailif. The meet
ings of the court were in secret and be-
hind closed doors. 1t was star chamber
proceeding where the enemies of the state
could work for my conviction undiscov-
cred. They called 1t a high court of i'm
peachment, but history will call 1t Mur-
phys high court Of infamy.' The trial
was a human shambles, a libel on law, n
fragrant abuse of constitutional rights, a
disgrace to our civilization and the ver-
diet overturned the safeguards of liberty
and the precedents of three centuries.
The Judgment will not stand the test of
time. The future historian will do me
justice and posterity will reverse the find
ings of the court"
Higher Court Than Murphy's."
There is a higher court than Murphy's
the court of public opinion. 1 appeal
from Murphy's court of political passion
TO the calmer judgment of the future and
the sober reflection of public opinion.
THE people now know that the power
to nominate public officials is the power
to control these public officials, and that
we capTJt have honest government In the
state III New York until the voters nomi-
nate and control all public officials
''As the governor / have been honest
and faithful to my trust No influence
could control me in the performance of
my duty but the dictates of my con-
science. l have lost my office, but have
kept ny self-respect. / would rather lose
the gcpernorship than lose my soul, and
no go:~'cn can serve God and mammon,
the state and the special interests, the
people and the boss, the visible and the in
visible government.
Let US indulge the hope that my loss
of the governorship viii be the people 8
gain. Misfortunes are often blessings in
Disguise