The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-13

Sketch Of the Way the HOUSE Obtainsd its
Pltnters.
UNITED STATES HOTEL.


Neaed some very curious striking and extraordi-
nary facts with reference to the fa "b % the public
printing, how it was obtained &c. &C.. ,nd these
revelations were near enough to the triihto be en-
tremely unpalatable to, and to ia,e created great
excitement among the parties concerned These
parties have had enough to do since the appearance
of the HERALD of Friday the 9Th, in speculating
who the author of the letters contained in that
issue, how the ID the writers thereof could have
obtained their information or what weak sister or
disappointed member Of the modern holy alliance
could have turned traitor and let out the damning
facts Tor the benefit of the world 1t happens,
however that your correspondents, though extraordi
narily well informed the subject, have not
probed it completely to the bottom nor more
than partially exhibited the crooks, turns in
trgues combinations promises and corrupt arrange
ments through which the splendid prize of the
public printing was drawn by Messrs. Steedman and
Banks nor, indeed, the exact relation OF
those gentlemen to each other and to
other parties outside. Fortunately, am able
to supply you with all omissions and, in fact,
to give you complete history of the whole
job, from its inception some time during the months
of September and October last, till the moment
when, having secured the prize for themselves,
nlcSSIS DdIlhs anu fepuulIle
the promises they had previously made, and to disa
VOW the secret partnership which actually existed
between themselves and at least two other parties.
These facts have been in my possession for the last
four weeks.
Some week or more since the Cincinnati Enquirer
contained letter from Washington speaking of the
election of Steedman the triumph of honesty and
virtue over corruption and intrigue, giving Steed-
man himself character only less sanity than that
of Paul the Evangelist and going into general pious
ecstaces the prospect that the contract for the
public printing thus honestly and fairly obtained,
would be executed in the same faithful, honest,
sanity and incorruptble style have the means to
show, on the contrary, that true history of the
election of Steedman Public Printer of the House
of Representatives would expose amount of dark
intriguing, bargaining. corruption and general ras-
cality that completely extnguishes and puts to the
blush all the previous records of Congressional edi
torial and ofioe-seeking venaity whether embraced
in the election OF Wendell or any previous public
printer in the operations OF Greeleys Fort Des
Moines Company, the Patent Jobbers the Forty
Thieves Matteson, Simonton Co., or of any or
every scheme or operation OF that kind which has
taken place since the beginning of the government.
The actual origin and first cause of the scheme
through which James b. Steedman became candi-
cate for public printer, was the financial and gene.
raj debility of the Cincinnati Enquirer. This paper
had been struggling along in feeble and precarious
way in the constant. ardent, but hitherto ungrati'
fed hope of getting the printing of the Post Office
blanks, some job of that sort from government, in
order TO keep the breath ns body at the time
that it growled hercely towards the Union for hold
ing monopoly OF the fat things connected with the
printing. Early last autumn Alexander Walker,
then the filibuster editor OF the Enquire formerly
of New Orleans came to Washington to look about,
make inquiries, &c. Finding good many persons
HaA xutb WaaHail'. agtm aft
be suddenly conceived the idea that the Enquirer
might come in for al least share OF the printing of
the House, changed his plans, went home, and i'm
mediatey set about forming a combination to get
the printing away from Wendell. The result was
written agreement between three persons, forming
a partnership for the object in view, namely Alex.
Walker aforesaid, Wash. Mclean, famous Ohio
politician and general hnancler, and James b.
Steedman-the agreement being that each of the
partners should receive one third Of the spoils, in
case they were successful. There was then no rude
outsider 10 come in and say, " How now We secret.
black and midnight hags: what ist We doW Bat
Mclean was understood 70 have gone away from the
meeting singing. "When shall we three meet again!r
under the influence OF small glass of the excel
lent corn whiskey manufactured in and about
Cincinnati.
They met in Washington. Some ten days or more
before the commencement OF the session OF Congress
thV came on here, with all the friends and helpers
they could bring, and began the contest by
making the most extravagant promises 10 every per-
son supposed to have the slightest influence. COun
try editors, small beer politicians, lobby members,
and not a few newspaper correspondents, were Sc
duced by vague but brilliant suggestions " under
standings were created by indefinite mods aud hints
and the whole pack were in full cry after the spoils
in prospect some days before the democratic Con-
rressional caucus was TO come of at the Capitol.
Among the original blowers and strikers who came
on with Mclean \ Co, were Robinson, ex-Marshal
of the Southern district of Ohio, eXedltor OF the
Enquirer, &c. Cross correspondent Of the same
paper: Burt Churchill (of Tennessee), and. finally,
a Saint named Santineyer. who wanted badly to be
doorkeeper. and 10 that end kept open house and
free liquors at the National Hotel until lac was
got off by Steedman. and induced 10 20 in for
him for printer for and in consideration Of having
his hotel bill amounting 20 some $500 or $500 for
free liquors segars, &c promised TO be paid by him.
the said Steedman. Up 10 this point things went on
swimmingly. Probably there was never before
greater shoal of small fry politicians congregated to-
gether in pursuit Of the same quarry and each one
was Of duly impressed with the fact that his
influence was essential 60 the success OF the cOmbina
ton. Certain influences were also brought to bear
on Senators Douglas and Bright. and the appliances
proved 20 he potent enough to secure the services OF
both these rival houses OF Capulet and Montague.
just In time Me-srs. Steedman, Mclean Co..
discovered that Wendell was too strong for them TO
beat without more aid. He had possession, and
"the inside track" young gentleman from Vir-
rna. A. ID. Banks by name. had q certain support
which II was absolutely necessary 20 have. Cheva-
lier Banks, aided by Chevaler Pryor, had the Nir
s4ns delegation and some few others pledged 10
him and be persisted in standing in the way Of the
kNttpt~ Vuio NoubDldAi'h. ulNil " sttn 10 nc
absolutely necessary for them 10 buy him up. OF sub
nj, 90 lct Wendell walk easily over the track. Ac.
co-dinQly. after some higgng, he was LET into the
arrangement 50 far as 20 receive written engage
nent that he should have half-not Of the whole job
as your correspondent seems TO think, and as the
general impression is. but half of Steedmans share
that H. one-sxth Of the whole. For this cOnsdera-
ton Chevaler Banks traded off his friends TO Steed.
man: and the result was, as you all know, that
Stcedman was eected-the triumph Of virtue,
honesty incorruptibility, &c, &c. Virtue fgW--
you know the rest
Sieedman. finding himself safely in possession Of
the prize. and not liking 50 many partners, immedi-
atcy after his election undertook to repudiate the
claims OF Messrs. Walker. Robinson, Ssntmeyer,
Churchill A Co.; and Messrs. Steedman and Banks
published a card In the Star. denying that any other
persons were interested with them IN the printing
denying that they had made anybody any promises,
DC, &c.--in q style Of high Pecksnifhan morality.
This brewed q storm, Of course, and for few days