Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-07-02
THE WEEKLY HERALD
THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1870.
THE LIFE INsU RANCE POLICY
FOB GENERAL GRANT.

being "bled"' for the purpose Of
procuring the sum OF S27 900,
with which to buy a paid.up life
policy for General GrS& Never
such a howl Of denial and iHdigna.
ton went up from Radical parti,
sans as upon this occasion. 1t
thus became necessary that those
who had put the report in circula,
ton should establish its truth
The result Of the matter is simply
this, as clearly shown by investi.
CATION.
The scheme was first started by
General Horace Porter, one OF
the military Secretaries at the
White House, and Mr.. James
Wheeler, his brother-in-law.-
Wheeler, it seems, is employed as
an agent to do business for the
Equitable Life Company, and, as
such, receives a handsome CON-
mission for every policy that is
ssued upon his solicitation. A
paid.up life policy of $4,000,
which would cost 1927, 900 in cash,
would give Mr.. Wheeler about
$1,000 as commission. Accord
ing Gen. Porter wrote and put into
Wheeler's hands a letter calling
upon the friends of the President
to subscribe the sum of s27, 900
for this purpose; and with this
letter Mr.. Wheeler went about
among some prominent Republi-
can politicians and oilceholders,
endeavoriDg to obtain their sub.
scriptions. In New York city, he
succeeded in procuring subscrip
tons to the amouat Of $4,000;
and, as the Evening Post states,
he had also realized $4,000 from
oficeholders and Others in Phila-
delphia. Among the subscribers
In New York city, the Hon. Moses
H. Grinnell. Collector of the Port,
was down for the liberal contribu-
tiQn of$l,0O0, Mr. Henry Clews,
banker of Wall street, was also
down for $1,000, and some other
officials and politicians Of various
rank had signed the subscrip.
ton paper. The Hon. Thomas
Murphy, however. though he
had been applied to, had not
signed it, General Jones, the
Postmaster, was mentioned in o
memorandum in the hands OF
Wheeler, and the subject was
about to be urged upon his atten-
ton when the publication oil the
scheme by the Independent press
arrested its further progress. II
was expected hat Gen. Jones
would furnish at least $1,000. Mr.,
Cornell. the Surveyor OF the Port,
Gen. Merritt, the Naval Officer
and Judge Folgcr, the Sub. Treas,
urer, had neither Of them shown
any willingness TO contribute,
though we dare say they had been
applied to. Some contributions
had also been promised by subor.
dinate officials, and there is no
doubt that the whole sum OF
$4,000 would have been made ~
ere this and the policy put into the
hands of Gen. Grant, but for the
untimely noise made about til,
matter by the meddlesome news
papers.
The question necessarily arises
whether General Grant had him.
self given encouragement to this
precious operation of his secre
tary and sccretary's brother in
law. On this point the only posi-
tive evidence is afforded by q cor
respondent of the New York Sun
who stated in a letter, dated tn
Goth inst, that when Genera
Porter lately passed through New
York City, he personally assure,
some of the gentlemen concerned
that the President not only tool
an interest in the subject, but tina
he was disturbed at the slOwnnes
with which the subscription wa
made up. In regard to this point
however, no other testimony tina
this allegation Of the Sun CORE
spondent; but it is somewhat con
flrmed by the fact that the sub
scription was started on tn
strength of letter by Gen. Porte
commencing the undertaking T.
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