The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-04-10
FROM WARRINGTON.

The most stirring item OF the week from
Washington relates TO certain suspicious CAS-
upon the conduct of Mr.. Springer OF Illinois
in the Donnely. contested election
case Mr.. Springer Is chairman OF the com
mittee on elections and was supposed by Don
nelly to be in favor of seating him and unseat
| inc Washburn When it came to voting IN
tbe committee, however 1t was found that
while Springer voted to unseat Washburn, lac
was opposed to seating Donnelly but favored
sending both back to the people. 1t seems a
couple of weeks ago an anonymous letter was
sent to Springer stating that fhe voted against
seating Donnely he would be paid $4,000, Rep
resentatlve Manning, Of Miss. member OF
the elections COMMITTEE, who was strongly in
favor OF seating Donnely, heard Of this letter
and told II newspaper reporter about it, intlma
ting a suspicion that Springer had been inilu-
enced by said $4,000 offer The reporter gave
the substance Of the conversation to his jour
nal and thercupon, OF course, there was an en-
poSiOn \ committee of investigation was
first talked about, but the matter was more cas-.
lily aud quite Us satisfactorily disposed OF IN the
way of personal explanations in the house on
Monday morning. Springer admitted that he
had received the alleged anonymous letter, and
stated that he had cast it aside with contempt,
regarding it as an attempt on the part of Don
nelly 10 bulldoze him; and he showed by the
other members Of the committee that his posi-.
ton in regard to not seating Donnclly was well
understood by all of them except, 1t appears,
Mr.. Manning long before said anonymous let
ter was sent to him. The authorship of the
anonymous letter meantime was fastened on
one Finley, striker for Donnelly, though he
denies It, The vndication of Springer
was on all sides admitted to be perfect.
Weaver of Iowa, finally got on Monday his
long sought chance to introduce his unlimited
silver coinage and paper initiation resolutions,
and was allowed half an hour to talk in their
favor. Garfield replied, denouncng them Us
the most glazing proposal in favor Of centrall-
cation and Cesarism ever proposed IN congress.
The motion to suspend the rules to put the res,
olutons on their passage was voted down by
III Against 30
Mr. Townsend Of III. nearly stole another
march on the house on Monday by moving to
suspend the rules to put his bill to remove the
tariff on paper and paper material on its pas,
sage. The motion got ll3 votes in its favor to
80 against it, but lacking the necessary two,
thirds it was lost The vote, however, showed
that there is a good majority in the house in
favor of the measure.
Wallace's elections frauds committee made
a report to the senate on Monday showing that
two years ago the department clerks at Wash
ington were bled to the amount of $93 900 for
electioneering purposes, and the committee
presented bill making the levying of black
mail in that way mIsdemeanor.
The house has been engaged most OF the
week on the army bill, two days having been
spent in the discussion of a question of order
touching the power to offer rider amendments.
The house banking committee has agreed on
a bill to repeal the 2.cent stamp tax on bank
checks