The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-03-24
Misrslianenus.
CAPITAL GOSSIP.

II
the most ridiculous blundering that was
ever the privilege of the politician to
witness. The large majority of the
Democrats. which amounts to sixty-seven
on strict party vote, not including the
so-called Independents" and Liberals, y
numbering eight or nine, has permitted
the minority of Republicans to walk
completely over them and discomfit
them at every point. The Democrats
have used their political eudgels so awk-
wardly as to permit the Republicans to
wrest them out of their hands and be-
labor them till they actually cried for
quarter. Sagacious politicians like Ran
dali, utterly helpless among the undisci-
piined nondescripts that make up the
following, have observed with dismay
the course of inexperienced, thoughtless,
leaders like Clymer and Blackburn, who
prick their own hands dreadfully by the
handling of Republican thistles
Imagine a spectacle. Hester Clymer,
rumored partner in wickedness, at
tempts to expose to the world one branch
of that wickedness, assisted by Black
burn, party bully, and Robbins self
confessed bribe taker. Scarcely had
Clymer's words fallen from the lips with
which he pronounced the crime of Bel
knap unparalleled i'll history, when it
became generally known that he, Cly-
mer, had knowledge of, if not interest
in. equally disreputable Transactions
These reports could not we'll go without
publication, and were forced upon the
attention of the House. Mr.. Clymer,
with a great show of injured innocence
and standard virtues, at once insists up
on an investigation of them-and pro
ceeds to make that investigation himself
81 will not stop with a denial, says ely
mer, ''but insist upon an investigation"
Clymer summons his own witnesses, and
examines them himself, beginning with
a newspaper correspondent from whom
he demands to know the authoity for
the scandal. Before Clymer gets through
with this investigation he will find him
self a man without reputation, even if
nothing is proven to connect him with.
fraud. He makes a target of himself
by his course in investigating himself,
and the sensitiveness that he shows may
be characteristic of an innocent, but not
of a courageous man.
The other day in the committee room,
when Nordcff was to be examined as to
the statement in the New York Herald,
there were present nearly all the news
paper men in the capital. Clymer look
ed around nervously, before proceeding
to question his witness, and remarked:
Gentlemen of the press you are here
by the courtesy of the Committee, and
the Committee must reserve the right to
say what part of its proceedings shall be
published, and what part shall not be
pnblished ~
The only response to Mr.. Clymer's sug-
gestion was foud outlaw from the spec
tators.
The true story of the Belknap expos
ure has never been told 1t was con-
Quoted secretly, and was exposed so
suddenly and Unexpectedly that the real
origin was concealed. as Mr.. Clymer
meant it should be, and various parties
have laid claim to the honor of having
destroyed Belknap. But the truth was
this: Hester Clymer was appointed to
the Chairmanship of the Committee on
Expenditures in the War Department,
much to the surprise of every one. He
was prominent man, and that was
an inferior committee. IL was expected
that he was to be chairman of the COM
mittee on Railroads or Public Lands. He
insisted on having the committee on
Expenditures in the War Department,
and Kerr finally assigned him there,
although at first his name was put down
at the head of the Public Lands Com
mittee 1t was said that he told Kerr,
as a reason why lie wanted an inferior
committee, that he was familiar with the
War Department. Democrats, who
knew Clymer's professed friendship for
Secretary of War. But Clymer proved
aJudas. 1t seems that Clymer knew all
about these Marsh Belknap transactions;
that he was intimate with both parties;
and it is said that Mrs. Marsh in order
to revenge herself on Mrs. Belknap, sug-
gested to Clymer the plan of calling
Marsh as a witness, and made out a
schedule of questions for CIymer to ask
Marsh. When the come to Washington
his wife came with him, and it is said
that she forced him here when he tried
to escape.
To go back a little: The Marshes and
Tomlinsons had been intimate for long
time, and when Miss. Tomlinson's hus-
band, Mr.. Bowers, died, Mr. Marsh be-
came the executor of the estate. He in
vested the money advantageously, and
Mrs. Bowers and her sister, Mrs. Belknap
were very grateful to him. Once when
the two ladies were i'll at Mr. Marsh's
house they arranged plan to procure
Marsh a profitable appointment under
Secretary Belknap. The Secretary,
when the plan was proposed to him, said
that the Senators claimed the patronage
of his office and would make trouble if
they discovered an appointment had
been made without Senatoial indorse-
ment. So Marsh got two Senators, whose
names are not known, to indorse his ap-
plication as matter of form, and he
was given the leadership. He sold the
place to Evans, and paid Mrs. Bowers
half of the proceeds transaction the
Secretary knew nothing of until after
his marriage with Mrs. Bowers. Then
the facts were disclosed to him gradually
and he accepted a share in the contract
When Marsh came here, and went to
warn the Belknaps of the investigation,
he wanted to leave the country, but the
Secretary insisted on his staying and tell
ing the true story to the committee, re-
living upon Blackburn to shield his old
pIaymates-the women in the case. 1t
was supposed that Blackburn would al
l.