Daily globe., 1880-04-05
Especial Telegram to the Globe.l

the com nittee on elections In thei Donnelly-
Washburn case. This is so in accord with
what has been proven against Washburn that
the general belief is that the offer to Springer
was prompted and authorized by Washburn In
person. The Washington Post to-day says:
At the next regular meeting of the house
election committee on Tuesday of the coming
week, Mr.. Manning will make certain charges
against AIr. Springer, the chairman of the COM
mittee and demand an investigation to sustain
his allegations against Mr.. Springer in the
matter of the Donnelly- -Washburn contested
election case.
Mr. Manning will adduse three points, which
he claims to have evidence documentary and
otherwise to substantiate. When Washburn' s
case was first referred to the subcommittee,
composed of Manning Beltzhoover, Armfeld.
Kiefer and Weaver, and after sufficient evl-
dence had beea taken to prove the frauds of
of which Mr.. Washburn is now known to be
guilty, an informal meeting of the Democratic
members of the full committee was
held at the house of Mr.. Springer, at which
those present unanimously agreed to support
the subcommittee on any action it might
take. Upon this the subcommittee went ahead,
heard witnesses and arguments on both sides,
and when the case was closed submitted re-
port, recommending the unseating of Wash
burn and the seating of Donnelly. With this
result MIR. Springer professed himself to be in
sympathy. His actions lately have shown that
he has experienced a change of heart. 1t is
the alleged facts which have led to this, that
Mr.. Manning is anxious shall be known.
Mr.. Manning charges in substance
that MIR. Springer has acted with the greatest
duplcity throughout; that he has deceived his
Democratic associates in the committee,
with regard to his position, and that his con-
duct has been based upon corrupt grounds.
MIR. Manning presents the following evidence
of this. On the Sth day of March, MIR. Springer
being then in New York, letter was received
at his house addressed to him, which his wife
opened. 1t was in substance as follows:
WASHINGTON. March ITO Hon. VIM. M.
Springer. Dear sr-I earnestly advise that you
do all in your power to prevent the House from
unseating Washburn, of Minnesota, and put
ting Donnelly in his place. If you succeed in
this, 1 am authorized to say that present of
$5, 600 will be made to your wife.
Very respectfully,
(Signed) REPUBLICAN.
Mrs. Springer, upon reading this, became
very indignant, and Immediately sent for the
Hon. George w. Julian, of Indiana, Don
nelly's counsel, and showed the letter to
him. He sent for Mr.. DOnnelly, and the
three read it and commented upon it together.
Donnelly upon leaving went to Messrs. Sawyer
and COlerick of the committee and told them
of the contents of the letter. As he was talk
ing to them he received message from Mrs.
Springer requesting him to call Immediately.
He did so and she informed him that she had
doubts as to the propriety of her action in
showing the letter in the absence of Mr.
Springer, and requested that both he and Mr.
Julian say nothing about it until her hus-
bands return. This Mr.. Donnelly promised,
and visited Sawyer and Colerick and made
the same request of them. Mr..
Springer returned on the 9th and Mr.. Donnelly
Immediately waited upon him, and after men
tioning the fact of his having the letter re-
ferred to, he told Springer that he would be
happy to aid him, AS far as possible, to discover
the author He thought it was either Charlie
johnson, MIR. Washburn's private secretary or
the notorious Bill King, of Minnesota. Mr..
Springer requested Donnelly to oblige him by
saying nothing about the letter at all, and said,
81 would not for $4,000 have it known that
have read such letter"
'But Julien knows il" urged DOnnelly.
"Well, then," added Springer, tell Julien
that 1 shall hold him responsible if it
gets into print. He will be to blame and 1 will
tgke care to pay him for it.
This last remark being repeated to Julian,
he became indignant and went to Springer and
demanded an explanation, whereupon Springer
denied that he bad made any such statement.
MIR. Manning, in due time, heard of the let
ter and daily expected that Mr.. Springer would
bring the matter to the attention of the COM
mittee, but this he did not do and has not
done.
Mr.. Manning now charges that nothing but
a corrupt construction can be placed upon such
conduct.
In addition, he alleges that the fact of the
letter being anonymous and its general tenor
show that Mr.. Springer was not entirely
unaware of the identity Of its author, in short
that the letter was sent in pursuance of an
agreement. These and other facts are alleged
by MIR. Manning, who considers that they war
rant an investigation, and he addressed let
formulated charges as above stated, and an
nounced to him the course he proposed to take.
Mr.. Manning being called upon, substanti-
ated all of the foregoing. If an investigation
into Mr.. Springers conduct is ordered by the
committee or the house, it is expected that
some startling revelations of attempts by
Washburn's friends to bribe other members OF
the house will be brought out.
MIR. Springer stated that the article in the
New York Tribune, yesterday, purporting to be
a description of the scene in the elections COM
mittee, on Thursday, in which Mr Manning
violently denounced him, was entirely IN,
founded.
To the Western Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, April 3.-The Donnelly- Wash
burn case is leading to new and unexpected
complications. MIR. Springer, chairman of the
House committee on elections, having received
n letter fromR Representative Manning, stating
that he proposed to prefer charges against hin
(Springer), affecting the motives which actu
ated his course and determined his vote in the
case. will, Monday, call the attention of
the House to the matter and ask for an inves
tigation.
Mr.. Springer states that at the proper tlm'
he shall show his colleagues and the countr,
that his vote was strictly in accordance witt
his convictions, and that not shadow o
foundation exists for any charge or insinua
ton of corrupt motives or improper infu
ences.
Lake Navigation Opened.
CHICAGO, April 3.-Four sail vessels, the frs