New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-31
Elr. Greeley as q Lobbyist.

The Poughkeepsie Eagle has not been
frightened by the buster of the Tribune out
of its allegations in regard to Mr.. Greeley S
attempt to bride a member of the Printing
Committee of the Thirty-Fourth Congress.
Mr.. Greeley's recent course Of scurrilous
SANDER upon people of unques toned in
tegrity, and his refusal to take account of
the specific denials of his charges made by
such men as Vice President Colfax, Senator
Wilson, and Speaker Blaine, combine to
render his testimony on his own behalf ex-
trcmely liable to suspicion. His credibility
will not be improved by the following letter,
which appears in to-day issue of the Pough-
keepse Eagle. The writer of the letter is, in
the words of the Eagle, "Ion. Il. L. Flag
Ter, formerly member of Congress from
Niagara county, in this State, the President
of the Holly Manufacturing Company, and
one of the first men of Western New York,
whose vcracity no man will venture to ques-
ton: -
LockPoRT, n. Y, Oct. -, 1872.
JOHN !. Plat, Esq:
DEAR SIR: have received yours Of -,
with printed slip inclOsed. = The facts
in brief are: l was one of the Joint Commit
tee on Printing Of the Thirty Fourth Congress.
That committee had the oversight of the
binding. Cornelius Wendell had been elected
Public Printer, and was also DESTROYS of re-
cciving the binding. Pending the proposal
of the binding by contract, Horace Greeley
came to my room at Wizards Hotel, and
proposed that it should be given to Wendell
who, he said, would give twelve thousand
dollars for it, which, he added, would be use
full for election purposes. Twas amazed that
he should come to me with such propo-
sition, and indignant that he should suppose
l would favor it. l am not aware that he
preached the subject to my associates on the
cOmmittec-Messrs. Nichols, of Ohio, and
Cragin, of Massachusetts. / related the Cir
cumstance Immediately thereafter to some OF
my Congressional associates, and denounced
Mr.. Greeley for thus becoming the agent Of
Wendell, who was an active Democrat and
notorious lobbyist, and especially in his being
the bearer of proposition to pay money fol
the binding contract. Among those to whom
l mentioned the circumstance at the time,
recOllect Messrs. T.. B. Morgan, of this State
and Washbumc, of Maine, who, l have nc
doubt, remember how emplIaticaly the,
joined in condemning Mr.. Greeley for the
act. You are aware that 1 referred to the
circumstance in private conversation at the
residence of Il mutual friend as among the
things which went to form my estimate Of
MI. NGcelcy cnlfitClcr. w ME regret inc
publicity, 1 stand to the truth of the state.
mcnt as | now relate it.
Your, truly, L. Il. FLAGLER.
This, as will be observed, is direct con.
tradictiOn Of the authorized" denial made
in the Tribune of Monday, in regard to the
original charge. Mr.. Greeley was not a
member Of the Thirty-Fourth Congress, but
he seems to have had somewhat of passion
for lobbying about that time. 1t was during
the second session QS56) of this same Con.
gress, that he received from Mr.. John Stry-
ker, of Rome, N. Y, one thousand dollars
to influence the passage of a resolution in
the interest Of the Dcs Moines Navigation
Company. In his sworn evidence before a
Congressional Committee, Mr.. Stryker said
that he believed Mr.. Greeley had misapplcd
this money. From that time to this the
destination of that one thousand dollars has
never been explained, and from what is
above stated in regard to the binding con.
tract business, it seems tous that Mr.. Gree.
ley's connection with it will be as difficult to
explain away as his partnership with Tweed
or his disposal of the Des Moines bribery
fInd.-N. y. Times.