Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-02-27

for this inability, trust / will be mar
d0ned for stating that I was ct th
time taxed to my utmost capability
day and night, with the business Of Iii
Interior Department, as, / think til,
most perplexing position connecte,
with the Government, ilAmediately
following the close OF the war. whci
we were resuming our relations will
one-third Of the States OF. the Unio,
and the great Indian tribes Of th,
Southwest involved in the rebellion
So that was unable TO give muel
thought TO what then seemed to me L
be SO small a matter as the choice of /
United States Senator, believing tha
II not elected, / could remain III the
Cabinet, the President at that time be.
ing in harmony with the Republican
party, and no necessity for my resig.
nation At the time being apparent.
HOW MONEY 10 USED IN IOWA Politics
In further reply to the question pro-
pounded by the committee, through
Mr.. Stockton, aFor what purpose wal
the money subscribed what did they
do with the money in the election Of
Senators In Iowap / will explain
that my knowledge was chiefly deriv-
cd from friends until year since las |
winter But from representation !
made to me by personal and political
friends during the contest III Iowa,
preceding senatorial elections, / have
harmed that the friends of Republican
candidates for the Senate, exert them-
selves, hrst to carry the State, and par
ticuiarly the State Legislature, for the
Republican against the Democratic
candidates; secondly to secure the
nomination and election Of friends OF
their choice for the United States SEN.
atos thirdly, after the date Of the elec-
tion Of tho members Of the Legislature
they endeavor 10 ascertain how I ma.
jortty Of their political friends among
the elected stand ~ regards their favor
ite. This sometimes involves In q
State % large as Iowa, and - inacces-
siblo as = great part Off was III 1855,
BY railroad or other public conveyance
very considerable expense for travel.
This was 90, - was informed BY
my friends, In 1866, l having said to
them that did mot wish my name
used before the Legislature unless it's
use In that connection was fosnd to be
In harmony with the unbiased wish of
at least . majority Of the Republican
members elect. Some of the friends
who undertook to ascertain these facts,
paid their own bills aud would not ac-
cept any return some were unable to
do so, and very properly permitted
others to pay these bills. And further
very considerable expenses are very
often incurred by friends of the rival
candidates on the way to, at, and re-
turning from the capital, during the
carly part of the session and preceding
the election of United States Senator,
that have been considered in Iowa,
and, suppose, elsewhere, perfectly le-
gitimate. Friends Of the candidates
in different counties rush to the capi-
tai, generally uninvited, but sometimes
in pursuance of requests, "to keep their
members right" as they call it, II sup
posed to be right, or ifinclined to vote
for candidate distasteful to them
selves or the people Ofthis locality TO
persuade them ITO get right" Their
presence induces the friends of oppos-
ing candidates to hasten to the scene
Of action to rescne. by. their presence
aud iufluence the impe-iicd oauec Of
their respective favorites for United
States S0Rtor. Thus the capital city
is filled with prominent and iufluen-
tial citizcns from all parts Of the State,
amounting to many hundreds and
sometimes many more. These visit.
ing friends often find the expense of
travel to and from the capital and of
living during their stay much greater
than they anticipated, get out of means
and are supplied by other friends who
happen to have o surplus, or from
common fund, contributed i'm advance,
If any such exists. And others come
expecting to have their bills paid and
to have good tune generally. The
committee will perceive that two or
three hundred dollars apiece for such
expenses for score or two Of persons.
or q few dollars apiece for expenses of
several hundred persons, would neces.
sarily absorb several thousand dollars.
1t was to meet these expenses incurred
in the winter of 1866 by my friends
at Des Moines that . considerable part
of the money derived from the Du-
rant checks, as well as other funds, as
/ am informed, was applied, Some of
these bills were paid, or the parties re-
imbursed, after the Senatorial election
was over.
DIFFICULTY OF TRACING THE FUNDS.
I trust the committee will be able to
understand, from the foregoing state
ments, the difficulty, if not impossible
ty, of tracing the application of funds
used under such circumstances by my
friends so many years afterward.
desire to aid the committee to the
extent of my ability in the per-
formance of their duty by disclosing
fully all know about each subject Of
legitimate inquiry. But as some of
the questions propoundcd during the
latter part Of my examination, on yes
terday, seemed to me to imply a purpose
to inquire into my conduct In relation
to matters which appear, to my mind,
as outside Of what / had supposed to
be the legitimate purview Of the orig
inal inquiry, and leading to an exam
ination Of my conduct in another off,
cial position, as stated by the members
of this committee propounding some
of these questions, / think / ought not
to be interrogated further as to these
points until I have an opportunity to
know what the supposed offenses arc,
and to be confronted with the witness
es by whom it is expected to support
them; all of which, embraced within
any legitimate inquiry on the part of the
Senate, I shall expect to meet prompt
ly and fully with overwhelming re-
butting testimony, to the entire satis-
faction Of every Senator and every
fair-minded citizen of the country.
Senator Harlan was asked, Were
you ever threatened in any way by a
presentation Of the checks?
Ans. I do not think anything ol
that kind ever occurred.
General Boynton, correspondent
of the press, was called and asked
whether he had any personal knowl.
edge as to whether the checks or stubs
or copies of them were shown to Mr.
Harlan to influence his action.
The witness replied he had publish.
ed the statement, but had no absolute
personal knowledge of the prcsenta.
i Al 4.