Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-08-16

you came here in 1870 and bought the
controlling interest in $500, 900 bank,
and had much real estate besides, you
had received from Iowa lands, as have
shown, 81 ,68O.96, and from your prac-
tice at Washington for the three years
to 1870, $31, AIS. In all $40, 1886. And
yet in 1871 you returned dividends upon
stocks alone, of $10,50O, showing that
you must have had over 100000 in
stocks, if they did not pay you more
than 10 per cent Then you report
So, 300 interest upon mortgages and. 9TH
er securities, showing fully $30yO0 in
this kind of investment. And from the
quantity Of real estate you then owned,
l do not put your assets too high, am
sure, in 1871, in placing it at 1000.
And yet all this, you say, was bought
with total income in all these years of
less than $45 ,0OO-not taking your living
out. Can we 60 to the people on that
explanation?
You say that there was never any
fault found with your administration Of
Indian affairs. That, think, is mis-
take. have recently seen the letter of
Washington correspondent of the Des
Moines Register, published in 1872
That correspondent referred to the close
personal and political relationship exist
ing between yourself and Elijah Sells,
formerly of this state, who left So, 600
authorship in Washington to take a
81 500 Indian superintendency. That
correspondent charged that you allowed
Sells to put his son in partnership with
that notorious Indian swindler, Perry
Fuller, and then gave Sells, for many
months, the privilege of buying goods
in the open market, and to buy of Fuller
and Sells son. How he availed himself
of the privilege, the correspondent shows,
quoting the following purchases:
Oct. LIST, 1865, bought of Perry Full
Ter 4 Co., 400 bushels of wheat at $500
per bushel, $3,22O.20. Oct. 5, 1865, 59S
bushels of wheat at $8.05 per bushel
$4,8139O. Oct. 2, 1900 bushels of corn
at $7.75 per bushel, $17,O5000"
These charges the correspondent de-
nounced as villainous swindle.
1t was charged that you allowed Sells
thus to buy in open market, against law
or against regulation, in order that Sells
might swindle the government, or the
Indians. He and his son, in the year or
two that they were in the Indian service
became very wealthy, and there is hard
ly public man in Iowa, knowing the
close personal and political relationship
between you and Mr.. Sells, who has not
expressed the belief that you must have
known that he was thus getting rich out
of the Indians or the government. 1t is
out of such facts, l suppose, that have
grown the widespread suspicion as to
your own wealth.
Now on this point of Indian purchas-
es in open market, let me notice another
matter that it may be we'll for you to
explain, because if you are nominated
the republicans of this district will
surely have to meet the charge. The
time is so short now until the convention
that at the risk of burdening you too
much, l will state it here instead of de-
ferring it to another letter.
1t is charged that when you sent a
certain agent to New Mexico with In
dian goods, you gave him the privilege,
also, of buying the goods in open market
That he went to certain prominent
mercantile firm in Dubuque, and told
one of the partners that you had sent
him there to buy some Indian goods,
providing that the firm would surren-
der up a note of about 800 which the
firm held against you. That the note
was thereupon surrendered and no
equivalent given for it except the adj
ditional charge upon the goods-the
amount of the note being charged upon
the goods.
l believe this charge to be true for
this reason:
1t reached the ear of myself and two
other gentlemen in this city, and we
went to one of the partners in the mer-
camille house in question, and asked
him concerning 1.-TWO of us going at
the same time. To all three the mer-
chant said that the charge was true as
| have above stated it. He was asked
did yon not 60 to the agent and offer
to deliver up the note if the goods should
be purchased of your frm?" He said
emphatically, mo, never dreamt we
had any goods that an Indian could use
until the agent came and spoke of it
and asked if we had such note of Mr..
Cooley's." Repeated conversations were
had by myself and the other two gentle
men with the merchant, and he never
wavered from the story, though he did
not want his name used unless absolute
ly necessary. You, Mr.. Cooley, can
have the name of the merchant, public
ly or privately, with the sworn affidavit
of the two gentlemen that the charge
was made as l have given it.
Now, Mr. Cooley. please state how the
Republicans, of this district, if you are
nominated, shall explain this charge
that the United StatEs paid 500 of your
own Indebtedness. JACOB Rich.