Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-03-11
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.

knap Disgrace-Pollical-7he Bus
mess of The Weck-Ihe Labor Market
Hon he Rich Anase Themselres-LeM,
THE LAST OF THE BEEcHER MATTER.
Tho last development in the
Beecher scandal case il the state
ment of Bowen. Driven into q cor.
ner by the denials of Beecher of the
truth of his assertions, Bowen has
made u very explicit statement to
the committee. He asserts solemn
ly that a lady confessed to him, long
before the Tilton scandal was made
public, that Beccher had committed
adultery with her Mt various times
and places, the lecture room OF the
church, or rather the study back of
it, being the most familiar place.
He offered to give names and dates
to select committee, under pledge
of secrecy. He insisted upon the
pledge of secrecy, because he did
not wish that the lady's name
should become public property.
This Mr.. Beecher declined, where
upon Bowen makes this statement.
1t is not to be supposed that Beech
en- and his friends will let this pass.
They cannot. The statement is eX-
plicit and circumstantial, and it will
have to be met, consequently Brook.
lyn is in state of mind. There is
hurrying to and fro, there is trouble
on both sides. Will Bowen, if
Beecher sues him, give the name OF
that lady? Will he face the music,
or will he back down when the time
comes that he is brought to the
test ? And will he be brought to the
test at all II These are questions
that time alone will solve. l pre-
diet that nothing will come of it.
There are skeletons in TOO many
closets in Brooklyn, and the drag
ging of one out from its conceal
ment, exposes great many others,
The women of Brooklyn are, at this
time, great deal more anxious to
know the name of that lady than
thew are to know whether he was
guilty with Mrs. Tilton. The Ill
ton matter is little stale, but this
is fresh and piquant.
THE BELKNAP DISGRACE.
The Bell,nap scandal created a
profound sensation, for the prosecn-
ting witness is a prominent man
here, and Mrs. Belknap is as well
known in society here as she is in
Washington. This is a clear case
of feminine extravaganza. The
present Mrs. Belknap was the sister.
of the secretary's first wife. She
was a Tomlinson, of Harrodsburg,
KY, and was highfyer of the
highest flying kind. She was wont
to come TO New York, and make the
most extravag giant purchases, for her
principal ambition was to Outshine
every woman in Washington, native
or foreign. And she did it. Her
dresses were the most gorgeous,
her equipages were the most costly,
and she was surrounded with serv
ants of the most expensive nature.
1t was given out in Washington
that she did not depend on the sec
retary's salary-he had no means
beyond that-but that she had III.
herited wealth, the income of which
was sufficient to justify all this ex'
travagance. AT her home the story
was that the secretary had made
some lucky speculations before he
went into the cabinet, which account
ed for it all where the Inheritance
story would not 60 down. All this
time they were selling traderships,
and spending the proceeds in this
foolish way. There can be no doubt
that the woman had the man COM
pletely unGer her thumb-that so
infatuated was he with her that he
would have stolen ten times the
amount, had she desired it. The
man was doubtless honest, originally
but oh, how weak The merchants
of New York suffer severely by this
exposure. 1t is rumored that Mrs.
Belknap owes vast sums of money
to the fashionable dry goods men
and jewelers. here, which, as the
Belknaps have spent all their steal
IngS, they VIII lose.
POLITICAL.
The local politicians Of New York
are making a stir for Conklings
for the presidency, but
it does not make much Roadway.
There are many excellent men in the
city who would be glad to see Con-
king in the Presidential chair, and
there are great many who would
not. But there are a thousand or
more political bummers, who would
anybody whose friends will
"put up," and this class are unfor-
tunately all for Conkling, he being
the first New Yorker mentioned for
he place. They are organizing
'Conkling clubs,' all over the city,
and are making a great deal of