Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-04-26
WAsHBURN TO CARPENTER.
Why the State Was Lost in fs7s-A Sharp
Reply.
PLANKTNToN HOUSE,
MILWAUKEE,. April 6, 1877.

morning my attention was called TO
q letter addressed to you by the Hon.
M. FL. Carpenter, and published IN
the Milwaukee Sentinel yesterday.
From the letter extract the follow
ing:
lone thing not up to your usual style of
compliment you say: Mr.. Carpenter is moth
ing, everything and anything for pay or poll
cy.' In connection with this you might have
added Since the firing upon Fort Sumpter he
has always voted the straight Republican tick
et. never bolted A candidate, and has been on
the stump for the Republican party in every
campaign except one, and that was the year
when Gen. G. c. Washburn scorned all assist
ance, put the party in his pocket, and disap~
peared with it,"
bave heard Mr.. Carpenter max
ing a simil4r statement to this on
many occasions during the last three
years. The statement, though en-
tirely erroneous, | have not thought
proper heretofore to notice, but now
that be makes it over bis own sigma
ture, [ am not inclined TO lot it pass
without observation. | seek not
and never have sought personal
controversy with any man. Like
Mr. Carpenter j am now O private
citizen, aud the public has little in
terest 10 any of our affairs. | write
this reluctantly and ouly to vindi-
cate the ruth OF history aud myself
from the unjust asporaion OF having
sacrificed the Republican party in
the state. Before proceeding TO
show the error Of this statement, to
use no harsher term, | wish TO say
that regret that you published any
article ref soting On Nj. Carpenter
in the slightest degree. He IS now
u private citizen, and a practicing
lawyer in the city Of Washington,
and thero is little probability of his
ever coming before the people of
any party in this s'ate for their suf-
frages. At any rate. since his bril-
liant effort before the Electoral
Commission in behalf of Mr.. Tilden
and the "ten thousand White
Lesguers of Louisiana, no one SUPP
poses that he viii ever have the as
surance to ask the support OF the
Republicans Of Wisconsin,.
Mr.. Carpenter says that be has
been on the stump every year until
the year / scorned assistance, peck
eted and disappeared with the party.
The inference TO be drawn from this
statement is, that had be gone Oh
the stump that year the result
would have been victory and not de-
feat Let US sec if the facts justify
such an inference. On Inc 9th day
of August, 1873, in a very large state
convention. | wac unanimously NOM
mated for Governor. The conven-
ton passed the following resolution
Resolved, That we regard with eminent satisfaction
and approval the very able, wise, and judcious man
agement of the Executive Departments of this State
by his Excelency, Governor Washburn, during the
last two years. AS our Governor he has stood fear
essly and constantly the guardian OF the peoples
rights, without regard to consequences Of himself,
and his Administration will bear the closest sGrutiny
From the facts l think that | may
safely assume that | was not defeat
ed because my administration had
been unacceptable to the Republican
party of the state. The cause must
be looked for elsewhere. | not oDly
did not scorn all assistance. but
anxiously wished al the proper aid
[ could obtain from whoever was
able TO render assistance. The
Chairman of the State Central Com
mittee the Hon. e. W. Reyes, man
aged the campaign with all the vigor
that was possible, considering what
obstacles be had 10 encounter, If
Mr.. Carpenter did not go on she
stump that fall, the fault was not
mine. Had the Chairman Of the
State Central Committee thought
wise or prudent to have called on
Mr.. g be 20 doubt would have done
SO. The same Convention that nom
mated me passed tho foil wing reso-
lutions. Many, doubtless, have for
gotten them, but they represent the
unanimous sentiment Of the State at
that time, and every body then knew
that, without calling names, they
were aimed squarely at Senator
Carpenter. The solutions were
as follows:
Res0lued, That the Republican party is responsible
only for such measures it indorses and approves
for honest and faithful administrator of the gov
eminent and cannot be expected to voHch for the in
dividua honesty, in all cases. those they promote
to Office yet when such found unfaithful or
rupt, they should be exposed, dismissed from the
public service and finished We denounce all official
frauds and corrupt legislation. Whether in laLd
grants and subsidies to railroads. in Credit Mobiler
or in the ma nagement of the revenues,
Resolred, That dsapprove and condemn the
recent by which Congress allowed additions
81 compensation to itself for past services, and de-
mand that the provisions OF the act by which Con-
gressionai salaries increased shall be promptly
and Internationally repealed.
With these resolutions staring
him 10 the face how was it possible
for the Chairman Of the State Cen
trail Committee to esk Mr.. G. to 90
upon the stump? But Mr. Reyes
had correspondence with Senator
Howe on the subject, and he, with
Just appreciation of the public senti-
ment at that time, wrote back that
it would be unwise for either himself
or Senator G. to appear in that can
vaes, bat, said he, "the best thing
you can do with Senator Carpenter
ana myself Is 10 put olanket on US,
lead US away into the stable, and let
Us stand until the storm is over"
The cause of this public indignation,
which pervaded all classes, and es-
pecially the mem bers of the Repub-
lican party, was the disclosure of
corrupt practices 10 Congress at the
proceeding session, whereby the
people had been defrauded out
over $4,000 in building the Pacific
Railroad by q Credit Mobilier ring,
and by members voting themselves
increased pay under what il known
as the 'salary grab" Mr.. Csrpen-
ter voted for and advocated the last
named in Congress. as well as de-
Tended the Credit. Mobilier rascality.
When called to an account by bis
cid neighbora in Rock county, BIO
made n aDeeeh al Janesviila ennero