Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-02-21
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DURANT'S 10000.
Mr.. Harlan on the Stand,

that body with the Credit Mobilier
matter summoned Mr.. Harlan be-
fore them on Thursday of last week
to answer concerning the $4,000
contributed, to aid his election, by
Durant. Mr.. Harlan's statement on
the first day of his examination was
confined to the particulars of his rel
ceiving the draft from Durant, not
essentially different from the testi-
mony of the latter, and the positive
assertion of Mr.. Harlan, backed by
Il letter produced from Durant, that
the money was not from the Pacific
Railroad but the personal contribu-
ton of Durant.
Mr.. Harlan was before the Com
mit,ee on the following day, and his
testimony is thus summarized:
Senator Harlan, being recalled,
read lengthy statement to the eff
feet that DR.. Durant's contribution
towards the expenses Of the Iowa
election was voluntary on his part,
not the result of any intimation from
any one at the instance of the wit
ness. 1t was not made in consider
alton of any service performed or to
he performed, personally or official
ly, by the witness for him or any
other person or company; that there
was no such understanding express
ed or implied. He believed DR.. Du-
rant made the contribution solely
out of personal regard for witness
as friend, and from the conscious
belief on his part that It would be q
benefit to the State, where he (Du-
rant) held a large property interest,
and for the Nation that the witness
should be returned to the Senate
| This contribution was received in
good faith for the purpose named
by the doner, and he believed was
applied in the same way as con
trlbu'lon from any other personal
friend. Its reception and use had
no reference whatever to the doncr's
connection with any public or pri-
vate enterprise. 1t was received
and applied with the same motive
which has led the witness at the
suggestion of friends on various oc-
casions to collect and apply what
would amount in the aggregate to
large sums for the benefit of other
candidates for Office, State or Ma
tional; just as he aided, less than
year since, to collect considerable
sums to be forwarded to North Car
olina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana
and Nebraska, for detraying the ex-
pcnses of election of members of
the Legislature, which would be re-
quired to elect United States Sena-
tors, the desire to secure the rc-elcc-
ton OF certain eminent United States
Senators being no small part of the
motive influencing donations. AS
to the dates of the drafts, although
the witness WAS unable to give def
mite information, it is his belief that
they were received after the date of
the Iowa October election. They
were both received ut the same time.
Neither OF them wac cashed imme-
diately after its receipt. One of
them was probably deposited, and
checked out afterwards. The cash
ing OF one OF them was probably de-
terred until late in the autumn, pos
sibly in the winter. One of the
checks was possibly cashed in the
autumn or winter following the Oc-
tobcr election of 1865. As to whom
these funds were sent to for use, the
witness had no data to make com
plete exhibit. The funds passed into
the hands of friends from time to
time, and were applied by them Ell
Their to reimburse expenses previ-
ously incurred or to pay current de-
mands for which no account was
ever required. The amounts hand
ed to friends for expenses would cx-
coed the amount of both checks
Funds were sent to B. S. Noble, of
Iowa, as before stated. Funds were
entrusted to Mr.. Gurley, at one time
United States Attorney for the Dis
trict of Iowa. Something was hand
ed to Col. William Penn Clark, now
of this city; to Col. Il. II. Stanton,
United States Army, to reimburse
expenditures made by them. Three
hundred dollars were sent to II. S.
Woolson, member of the State SEN
ate, at Mount Pleasant, the place of
residence of witness, with instruc-
tons to use as much as was neces
sary to pay hotel bill, carriage hire
and services of messengers during
the contest, over 5000 of which,
however, he afterwards returned,
stating that he needed but little
The witness has an impression that
part of these funds went into the
possession of Elijah Sells, through
the hands of other parties, without
Sells knowing the source from which
it came, but he (witness) had not
been able to trace it. There were
others whose bills were paid, who
disbursed funds to detray expenses,
whom the witness is unable to par
ticularize. The witness was then
taxed to his utmost capacity with
the business of the Interior Depart
ment. He was unable to give much
thought to what then seemed to be
so small Il matter as his election as
Senator, believing that if not elect
ed, he could remain in the Cabinet.
Mr.. Stocklon-For what purpose
was this money subscribed. What
did they do with the money in the
election of Senators in Iowa?
A-By the manner in which Sen
atorial elections are carried on, the
contest being first on the candidates
for the Legislature, large expense
is involved, especially in travelling
through the State. The Senator de-
tailed at considerable length, the
manner in which the friends of the
candidates are put to expense in at
tending at the Capital abodt the
time of election by the Legislature.
1t was to meet this expense that
Durant's checks were applied. The
difficulty Of tracing the application