Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-06-07

RemsrkabIe disclosures.
Importsnt az Trae.


Quite a furry has been created in yNious
circles In Washington BY what purpOrts 70 ba
important disclosures Published In the New
York Pos Of yesterday IN regard 20 the opera
tons OF the Cuban bond lobby with members OF
Congress, Newspaper men, &c. The Washing
ton correspondent Of the Pe~s sAys th4t Ier
lafion that the Cuban sders. inorder 20 sec,ars
the recognition Of the Cuban republic as a
beliigerent power by the United States, hava
expended large Sums of money with the LOBBY
and newspaper correspondents here.
These statements have been met with prompt
denisis by the friends OF Cubs. VINO claimed thst
they were put in circulation by those hostile IN
But these rumors came from such sources as
TO entitle them 30 more weight than il generally
establish their truthfalnes OF fslsity, q sab-Ja-
uiclsry Committee, with Gen Butler az its
nesa, va given the necessary authority ta
This committee examined . large number or
witnesses, and concluded its labOrs some TIM,
ago, hut has not made any report % Congress
on the subject. Although ten. Butler dectues
20 make public tie nature OF the evidence oS-
tanned by his investigation, your correspondent
has come into possession Of facts OF an Official
character bearing upon and relating direc1y
60 the subject, and these establish beyond doa6s
that there has been q large and powerful lobby
az work for the purpose OF innnenclng Senator'S
and me nbers, and 10 induce the President AMI
bis Cabinet 70 recognise the belligerency Of ths
Cuban republic
IL appears that as early September last,
Mr.. Ruiz, the financial agent of Cuba in WASH
ington, entered into q written agreement with
\ b. Taylor, an ex-army contractor, through
his attorney, eH-rebel Genera Picket of this
city, by which for the sum of one million dollars
An Cuban bonds. which were deposited with q
certain foreign minister here, Taylor Was 20 OBJ
tain The recognition Of belligerent rights for
Cuba by the government OF the United States
The sum was % be used by Taylor I'm the best
possible manner to accomplish this end withins
specified time.
started out West 20 secure the services of q s..
son-whose name Is withheld for the pre-, L.
and who Was supposed TO have great innueRs
the White House-and 20 induce him TO com
Washington and urge President Grant 20 rec.
nize the Cubans rs beligerents
This gentleman, however, emphatiesliy -
although he was offered one hundred thoass1.
dollars for his influence.
Being unsuccessful, Taylor returned 20 Wash
ington TO bring other influence 20 bear upon tha
President, and soon entered into a Contract viii
3 Mr.. P, who was on intimate terms with
ex-senator Wade, In the sum OF $40 900 ta
secure the influence OF Mr.. Wade and Western
Senator. The agreement was acknowledged
before David X. Smith, justice OF the peace of
the city Of W sshingtoD At this time ex-senator
wade was not In the city, but he was sent for,
About the end of November Mr.. P report
ed that proclamation recognni zing the CabanS
as beligerents had been drawn up, which had
been taken tothe President TO sign. The Pres
ident had, however, declined 10 sign it, as 10 WAS
sntsgonistic to the policy which the administra-
ton expected 10 follow.
IL was about this time that the Cubans caused
% be published a positive announcement that the
President would recognize them as belligeT-
ents, which was based no doubt upon the sup
position that he would follow the advice OF Mr.,
Wade and others.
Previous 20 these movements, however, Mr..
Taylor had deemed it necessary to secure thu
aid Of certain correspondence to create pablii
opinion, and 20 in October had had a talk with a
Mr.. Latham, who was mixed up in the Alaska
investigation with the correspondent ofthe New
York Sun and Philadelphia Eaq9irer, and wh1
is also law partner OF Colonel Pickett, Mr.. Tay-
lor's own attorney. Mr.. Taylor told Mr.. Lathsnp
to promise Cuban bonds, inside Of fifty thousand
dollars in all, TO va ious newspaper correspon-
dents in Washington, is they would write 20 the
Cuban cause and advocate the early recOgui-
ton of the Republic OF Cuba
Mr.. Latham told Mr.. Taylor afterwards that
he had promised certain of these bonds, but that
il would be much better TO pay actual money tI
the correspondents, or, il this could not ba
done. 10 obtain from Ruiz the release OF sOma
bonds, and give them directly and unconditiOn-
ally 10 the correspondents. As soon As Congress
assembled In December, Mr. kulz 50 FAR mOdi-
lied his contract with Mr. Taylor as to agree Tn
furnish hin with from thirty TO forty thOusanf
dollars In money, 10 be used Immediately with
the members of Congress.
Mr.. TAYLOR then went 10 work TO induce mem-
bers of Congress 70 vote for recognition, az that
question should be brought before the House,
and to work in a general way for the CabAu
republic in all matters which might come up-
snoTS otSaTny many ,Rpem6ers for this PurPose an
Tennessee, Deweese OF North Carolina. Fitc,,
OF Nevada, and Mccormick OF Missouri, but IL
is not known positively who accepted bribes
and who did not. II is conclusive, however,
that bribes were rendered.
Towards the close of December Mr.. Tayl0r
became dissatisfied with has contract, and went
10 see MIR. Ruiz, with whom he insisted that both
bonds and money should be given 20 hun direct
~ to use with Congressmen, and not be kept iu
the hands of a third person, until the recogni-
ton OF Cuba was accomplished. This Mr. Rais
mr. SssaAf tod .ln l.Frsv,f fraWn 1iafn
About the end of January Mr.. TAYLOR wrote ~
MIR. Ruiz, declining 20 have anything further IA
do with the matter, assigning as reason that
no money on bonds, as promised, had been FUR
nished him.
Before this period. however, Mr.. Lemus. thg
envoy from the Cuban republic, had madi
another contract with Dr. ID. w. Bliss, of WASH
ington. This contract provided that two mill
ions of dollars Of Cuban bonds should be depOsi-
ted with some bank or depository by Mr.. Lemuss
and which should be paid over 10 DR.. Bliss X
Congress should pass the resolution recognizing
the beliigerent rights Of Cuba, or any OtheE
resolution which should modify the neutrality
laws OF the United States 20 as 10 practically
give TO Cuba belligerent rights.
The consideration OF this agreement on tha
part Of DIR. Bliss was, that he should use all tho
means in his power TO accomplish the desired
result. The two million dollars was deposited
with the Safe Deposit Company of Washington,
10y Mr.. Fessar, the treasurer OF the Cuban jun
"a in New York, DIR. Bliss signing with him on
the register book, in order TO prevent the with
drawal of the bonds by one party without tbs
consent OF the other.
DIR. Bliss then made arrangements with sew
eral well known lobby lists 90 assist him i'm getting
Congress TO pass the desired resolution, and
among those employed were Luther q. Wilson.
Wells j. Babcock, George II. Pennheld ant
Isaac l.. Gibbs, whom johnson, when President,
appointed Governor of Idaho Territory. These
persons went TO work industriously among tha
members 70 secure the success OF the measure
In which they were greatly interested.
bin was introduced In the Senate modify
ing the neutrality laws, but when il was re-
ported back to the Senate for action from tho
Committee on Foreign Relations, 10 which a.
had been referred, II was modified 20 such a de-
gree as to be scarcely recognizable.
In the House several resolutions 10 aid tha
Cuban cause were introduced, but votes upop
them were never obtained, and the lobby founf
the opposition much stronger than anticipated
Stli they did not despair or abandon theic
WORK. large quantity OF pamphlets were dis
uibuted over the country fayoring the speedy
recognition of the Cneans, in which were en-
closed blank petitions 70 be signed and sent tn
Congress, asking that body by sppropriata
legislation TO render the Cubans this important
service.
This the parties who had had this contingent
interest in the Cuban bonds. by the aid of a Few