Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-01-24
DEMOCRATIC WEAKNESS.
The Role that David Dudley Field Il
Playing as Tiiden's Attorney.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2l.-It is stated
that David Dudley Field came to
Congress as the attorney of Tildcn.
He was elected for two months to fill
the unexpired term of Smith Ely, the
present Mayor of New York. No
man of his immense legal practice
would break into his business merely
for seat in Congress for two months,
and it is said that he became a candi-
date at Tilden's urgent solicitation,
that his legal shrewdncss might be
applied for Tilden's benefit, and it is
being vigorously applied. Field
wrote the resolution authorizing the
Committee on the Powers and Privi-
legcs of the House to examine into
the conduct of the election. Willis
introduced it, and the resolution was
adopted without objection. The next
step was to get Field on the commit
tee which was done by the resolution
authorizing the appointment of two
additional members. Then began a
weak imitation of the investigation
by Mr.. Morton's Senate Committee.
Mr.. Morton had nnearthed the Ore
gon bribery business, and the demo-
Gratis wanted an offset. Their pro-
gress has been noted. Although they
have sat daily for week, not single
iota of evidence has been obtained to
throw discredit on the management
of the republican campaign. On the
contrary. all the newspaper scandals
have been examined and found base
less. Yesterday the investigation
reached its climax. The cashier of
the bank in which the republican
national committee deposited their
funds was examined, and testified
that two drafts, amounting in all to
"a 600, were sent to Gov. Packard, Of
La. That was all. 1t aftcrward came
out through one of Secretary Chan
dler's letters that the money was sent
to pay the expenses of witnesses be-
fore the Returning Board, the witness
es being poor colored people from the
bulldozed districts, who had to be
taken to New Orleans to testify. Then
Secretary Chandeliers private Secre-
tary was called, and the Secrctary's
private correspondence laid before
the committee-great bundles of let
tiers written and received by him dur
ing and since the campaign. The
democrats gloated over them with
hungry eyes, but in the whole mass of
manuscriptthere were only two letters
which Mr.. Field thought he could
make point out of, but the republic
can members wanted all if any of the
letters were put in evidence. To this
the democrats at first objected, but
were finally compelled to yield. The
The committee should now call for
Mr.. Hewitt's campaign correspond
ence. After they had examined Sec
rotary Chambers letters the commit
tee descended to the lowest piece of
mcanness that any congressional COM
mitteee has yet reached. In all the
dirty mud-hauling Of last session il
was not eqnaled. A tramp was put
on the stand, an itincrant telegraph
operator who had worked all over
the south, but had not been able to
get employment since April last. He
was seedy dirty and unshaven
and looked as if he slept
in the station house the night
before. He testified that on the sec
ond night after the election he was
loafing in the telegraph Office in
country town in North Carolina, and
listened to the dispatches passing
over the wires. Among others he
heard one signed Chandler. 1t was
addressed to Keogh, chairman of the
Republican Committee of North Car
olina, and instructed him to "IIold
your State for Hayes if possible"
This was all the eayes-dropper re-
membcred, although Mr.. Field tried
to revive his memory. He was paid
his witness fees and dismissed. Prof.
5eelyc, who is a member of the COM
nittec, remarked that this was the
most humiliating child's play he ever
aw grown men engaged in.