The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-05
Tito ms and THE OUTS.
Important Revelations Before the Sena-
torial Custom HeuSe Committee.
+--- -~>~~~~>>>>~>~>->>>-~
GREELEY EXAMINED FOR THREE HOURS.
What He Knows of SubsOil
Politics.
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Cartons Exposures Of Leet's Connection with
the General Order Business.
How He Threatened Collector
Grinnell.
Where Is Grants Letter of Re
commentator
A Great Deal of Dirty Linen
How He Threatened Collect tor
Grinnell.
Where Is Grants Letter of Re-
commentator


Yhe Senatorial Custom House Committee resumed
Aneir iabors yesterday ana held session OF over
Elk hours In length. Much Of the Time how
ever, was frttered away, twenty minutes at
single stroke being wasted over the question which
Senator 1t was who proposed that the investigation
should be public
Mr. Greeley was the principal witness, and his
examination lasted nearly three hours. As soon as
he mad been sworn he was invited to make
statement, ana briefly described the Fcnton.
Donkling troubles He then came down TO the last
republican convention and the recent election for
Speaker OF the Legislature. lie sald:-l know seve-
raj Custom House Offlce.holders who travelled
through the state to influence the delegates TO the
Convention; among others were Mr. jeremiah Drew,
MIR. Cornell and Mir. Lalin; the Custom House party
~ strong IN every county, ct Albany, last Monday,
saw sixty Custom House officers taking control Of
tho organization OF the State Legislature; the means
by which they governed the Legislature was both
by threats Of removal ana by promises Of onicesl
will give you, as case IN point, General Kctchum;
by these means a man was nomipated-Henry
bmith-contrary 10 the wishes of the party.
Q. Who do YOU say would have been nominated
hut FOR these innuences9 A. Mr.. Alvord.
z. What rs MIR. Smith politically A. Republican.
@. What is Mr. Alv0rd2 A. Republican.
Q, Were you at Albany YOURSELF A. Yes sir
worked against the nomination OF Mr.. Smith.
sut9 A. wel we usually think II advantageous to
our interests to have friends succeed once IN u
while.
Q. You have interfered before in this way A.
Yes, sir.
@, DO you know Of any men holding once IN the
6tate OF New ork who are FentOn men2 A.
DO not know OF one Fen ton man holding federal
once; two years ago knew several.
q. Do you know of any Fenton men holding State
NAo Az
nierre ana Mr.. Henry Smith, Police Commissioners.
q, wero any municipal or county officers at
Albany ana taking part in this struggep A. can
not remember.
@ How many New York representatives to the
House OF Representatives do you count as republi-
bsns A. Fifteen.
q, How many among them 40 you count as Fen.
ton mem A. Some OF them are FentOn men, but
would rather not say who they ore.
@. DO you mean that they are concealIng the
fact OF then political leaning TO FcntonY A. / do
not say that, but do not feel free 70 proclaim their
names; Ithnk II they themselves proclaim it you
need not ask me- and II they do not / ought not
10 answer; WIN name one Mr.. Goodrich; this Is
his nrst term; he IL the only one ! ON willing TO
name.
q, WIN You name any IN the last Congress2 A.
Nr. Bennett, Mr.. sheldon and Mr.. Mccarthy.
Q. Do you know whether there were any Fenton
A.
ere some whom knew rs Fenton men, but they
have had to CHANGE or seem to change: great
many became Conkling men; Mir. James M. Foun-
tain IL one Of those who put in as Fent0n man,
ls now q supporter Of C0nkling.
q. What was the fate OF the postmasters In tile
Districts OF Messrs Bennett and Sheldon after these
Changesi A. know some Of them were turned
out Mr.. Fisher, for instance, superseded by Mr..
Wakeman; most Of these changes have taken place
between six and ten months ago; they have been
maje since the Atm OF March; the present Repre-.
eengatves TO Congress In those districts claim to be
Conklipg mon; the Postmaster at Albany, too has
been changed.
z. Do you know whether Mr. Grinnell was a Fen.
ION mann A. 10 not know that he was; do not
think he was removed because he was Fenton
man but In order to make place for Mr.. Murphy,
who was Conkling man, and who was known as
very bitter opponent Of Mr. Fenlon.
Q. But how do you know he was appointed be-
cause ne was Uonkllng manf A. Judge II by the
work he began doing as sooh as he became Collec-
Tor, he at once removed Fenton men ana replaced
ihem with Conkllng men, Mr.. Palmer, appraiser,
was turned out; General Merritt. the Naval Onicer,
was removed to make place for MI. Grinne; and
then they removed Mr.. Lanln; Mr.. Cornell the Sur
veyOr, has always been Conkllng man.
O. Would not you think nasmuch rs Mr.. Grin.
nell was made Naval Ofllcer on being removed from
The Collectorshp, that he was not removed on &C
count OF his not being Conkling MANI A. He was
not; ! should say that Mr.. Grinnel was half and
hall.
q Then you have mixed blood here9 A. Yes,
cir; but they now profess TO be ConKing men-most
Of them.
@ These changes were made by the President and
confirmed by the SenaIeS A. Yes, sir.
q. How many changes 90 you know to have been
made OF subordnates by these new heads OF bu
yeausi A. could not cay exactly, but know that
D least hundred have been made by the Collector
g: How many changes have been made by Mr..
lsninY A. /, About 40 n. a Dozen. ...n
Q. How many appointments are there under his
control', A.. Thirty OF forty;
q. You have long been q resident In New
10 the republican party mere for patronage TO Oe
psed BY one faction against another this d vision
into factions really existed before FentOn or Conk
hing were known, but am quite confident that no.
thing has ever been known In this state such as the
The recent sy.e@ EN- ' shen differs from that of
Poltlcians iormeriyi a We had an ardent can
Ten monss oass
which TIE Custom House nnuenco was never felt.
Convention IONA, A. ina: cannot cay. at the
equally nee nom Custom n House influence;
shat ! do not remember that there was
any special candidate against him; In 1868
the candidate was MIR. Grswold: there were several
men against him; J think was one OF them, but
was Dot present At the Convention; In 1870 the
custom House innuence was first felt strongly.
q IL Is your opinion then, that the presence OF
these Custom House oi1cers at Albany changed the
suit would have been different; they controlled
about hfteen members.
O. Are you prepared to give the names OF the
members so changed2 A. Twin give some of them
M Beckwitn and Harrington, from Oneida, were
20 changed ana so were Eastman and Gorlng
~ what is the special influence that you suppose
Nas exerted upon Mr., Bcckwth and Mr.. Harrlng-
ton a. MINK custom House offlccrs from Oneida
e0uny were present ana used their influence 10
Cnapge the preference Of tbe members from shat