Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-05-13
SPENCER.
The Infamous Radical Senator speUcer
Being Unmasked-A Chapter Of
URmRsked ViIIainy,

MONTGOMERY, ALA, May y. The
legislative committee to investigate the
means whereby Spencer secured his
election to the United States senate
took a recess to-day. Over three hun
dred pages of manuscript testimony by
Republican witnesses prove the follow
ing facts: Before the election Spencer
went to Louisville to see General Lucas
and urge him to send troops to Alabama,
his purpose being to use the troops as q
political machine, and to intimidate
Democratic voters. After the election a
separate courtroom legislature was or
ganiZed, because il was feared that if
both parties met together the Democrats
would control the organization and de-
feat Spencer. The Republicans who OF
posed Spencer were bought over with
money and promises OF appointments
to office. In order to get a quorum for
the courtroom legislature men were sent
for and paid to come and represent coun-
ties not only without certificates of elec-
ton, but without any pretense Of eIec-
ton. In order to defeat a quorum in
the capitol legislature one member was
briOed by HiDds, and another was
drugged to insensibility. The money
used in cOrrupting members was gov
nment funds, borrowed for the pur-
pose from the pOstoffice aud revenue
officials. When fually q comprO-
mise was proposed by Attorney
General Williams it was found
that unless one Democratic senator
could be unsested and a Republican
placed in his stead, the record would
show that the courtroom legisla-
ture had no quorum in the senate, and
hot - ao1n 4
upon one Glass, the Republican senator
for Macon county, was paid from three
hundred to five hundred dollars to pair
off with a Democratic senator in what
was known as the Miller and Martin
contest, and violate his pledge. The
iieutenant-gOvernOr, McKinsley, was to
rule, and the Republican senators were
to sustain his rulings, so as to settle the
contest before notice OF treachery could
be conveyed to the absent Democratic
senators. The testimony of Robert
Barber, Clerk OF the courtroom
lower house, ana also clerk Of the same
house after the consolidation, is a sam
pie Of the whole mass. Barber being
sworn testified as follows: I WAS clerk
of the lower house Of the courtroom
legislature, and also clerk OF the
consolidated legislature. The object OF
the courtroom legislature was to
secure an organization and elect Spencer
to the United States senate. We did
not think that this could be done il We
met at the capitol. After describing
the means employed by Spencer to
shelf Ex-Governor Parsons and Alex
8nuer White, who, he had heard, would
be rival candidates for the senate, the
witness proceeded: l have letters from
Spencer relative to the use OF troops, but
Is they are confidential l do not propose
To introduce them. The committee in
sisted on seeing the letters, and Mr..
Barber, after consulting his counsel, iG-
trOduced them, Letter number two is
dated at Decatur, and after stating
what troops had been ordered to Ala
bams, and where stationed, proceeded
thus:
81 wish Randolph, deputy United
States marshal, would use the cOmpanyat
Opelika in making arrests in Tallahassee,
Randolph and ClebOurne counties. /
wish you would 90 to Talledega and
block the game. / must not, however,
be known in the matter. In haste.
Truly yours, GEO. L. SPENCER
Witness further testified that during
the pending campaign Internal Revenue
Assessor Low h. Maybe, wrote him a
detailed plan Of the campaign with
troops, which he communicated to
Spencer, and which was finally adopted.
The troops were to be sent wherever
needed, ostensibly for the purpose OF
protecting the revenue officers and
breaking up illicit distilleTies, but really
for ponucal uses and purposes.