Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-11-18
Who is Resronsihle2

| DC IOunu III the history OF American politics.
In their haste to besmircha political opponent,
they first fathered forgery; and now find
that, innecently as they affirm, they have been
paying money to perjurers to bolster up that
forgery. One would imagine that gentlemen
who had made such blunder as that, to the
injury of a man who in less than four months
will be president of the United States. would
hasten, now that the election is over, to make
some amends for the libel they had published
in thousands of papers throughout the land.
This is their apology:
'.In response to the inquiries the National
Democratic Committee make the following
statement In reference to the so-called Mercy
letter:
" First-Neither the committee nor any
| subcommittee thereof have ever taken any
action in reference to that letter.
SecOnd-That it was first called to the at
tcntion of the Chairman of the committee on
the night before its publication in Truth on
| the Goth of October.
T2ard-That the Chairman thereupon re-
| quested Mr.. Smalley, member of the COM
mittee, to examine the letter, but permission
| to do 80 was refused at the Office of Truth.
| F0urM-That no member of the commit
tee ever saw the letter or any copy or portion
| thereof until after its publication, or was In
| anywise concerned therein or gave any advice
| in reference thereto.
Fifth-That Mr.. Hart, the publisher of
| Truth, brought the original letter to head
| quarters, 1873 Fifth avenue, on the afternoon
Of the Goth of October, went 1t was examined
for the first time by any member of the CON-
mittee, and there examined by several men,
bers of the committee and other persons not
members. All of those who were familiar
| with the handwriting of General Garfield
came to the conclusion that the letter was
| genuine.
i" Sizth-That the committee decided to
| purchase a reasonable number of the electro
| type plates of the fac-simile which had al
ready been prepared by Truth.
| SeuenM-No denial having come from
General Garfield of the authenticity of the
letter, notwithstanding the teiegraphed de-
| lnand of the New York Herald and sharp
leader in that paper, the committee decided to
| give out the electrotype plates. which was &C.
| corningly DONE. The propriety of this action
was not doubted by the committee, as the let
ter seemed to be in harmony with General
| Garfeld's views upon the subject covered by
| the letter, gathered from public records of un-
doubted genuineness
| EjQhth-That the first complete denial
was not published until five days after the
original publication in Truth. And to this
denial, unsupported by any other evidence.
| the committee. in view of General Garfeld's
connection with other scandals, attached no
weight.
| "Ninth-That, therefore, when evidence
was offered to show that Morey was a real
| person and not myth, the committee called
| for it's production, as they were bound to do
in order to arrive at the truth.
Tenth-That if tie letter has been forged
or any fraud committed in reference thereto,
or any false evidence been given, it has been
| done without the knowledge, consent or
| privity Of the committee or of any member
| thereof.
Finally, the committee approve of all
| honest measures to prosecute any and all per-
| sons who have committed any violation of
law, and have no interest in the matter but to
| arrive at the very truth of the affair. That
| there should he doubt as to the authenticity
of the letter is largely due to the failure of
| the prosecution to put General Garfield on the
stand.
"By order of the committe.
"W. FL. BARNUM, Chairman.
Frederick o. Prince, Secretary"
1, If the committee never took action on the
Morey letter what do paragraphs and
| mean, which say the committee authorized
the preparation and circulation of the "Death
Warrant" Autograph therein mentioned
| Surely Mr. Baruum has load enough of his
own to carry without bearing all the sins of
his committee likewise.
2, 8, A and 5-These paragraphs would
naturally coalesce into two or three sentences,
but are here spread apart to give an appear
l <Hf
otherwise show anything but careful deliber-
alton.
| z, 8 and "Ffnally" These paragraphs
taken together show an impudent insincerity
tee ordered the forgery as well as its publica-
ton. They would have their readers believe
that if Mr. Garfield's letter of denial had ap-
peafed four days earlier they would never
have published their Autograph fac-slmiles );
that if he had appeared before Judge Davis
and denied the Philip letter under oath, it
would have settled the whole question; and
yet their eighth paragraph, they coolly aver,
in effect, that Mr.. Garfield is not man whose
evidence under oath can be believed Who
can reconcile statements so contradictory? If
Mr. Garfield is nan of truth, his full denial
through Mr.. Jewell is just as convincing as q
letter signed With his name, or as his sworn
testimony. If Mr.. Garfieldis liar, why pre-
tend that any statement of his could have set.
tied this shameful matter2 Moreover, what
sensible man would have expected candidate
for the presidency to come all the way to
New York within three days of the election to
volunteer his testimony in a preliminary
hearing before which conclusive evidence
could he presented without him
10-This paragraph contains all the commit
tee need to have said, providing there is not
candor enough among them to confess that
the Morey letter is fraud and forgery, as
they all plainly believe.
In short the Democratic National Committee
fail either to maintain the charge they have
made against the President-elect. or to. sub
scribe to manly retraction. They plainly
see that they are wrong, and finding them.
selves powerless to inja,e Mr.. Garfield, can.
not refrain from insulting him! Such con-
duct between man and man would at once be
pronounced ungentlemanly, not to say sneak
ing OF Mr. Hewitt we should expect better
things OfWilliam H. Balnum such conduc,
is precisely what We should expect He saw
nothing wrong or improbable in the Chinese
letter. He would have as soon written it AZ
not; as soon have evaded responsibility for it,
If he thought it could not have been proved
against him. Such men ought not to be placed
at the head of committees managing nationa
campaigns. II brings unnecessary degrade
too upon politics.
. Nor is the Democratic press more HONORABLE.
than the Democratic committee. The Hart
ford Weekly Times has the hardihood, thi