New-York tribune., 1880-09-28
GETTING At TIE BOTTOM FACTS.

GETTING At TIE BOTTOM FACTS.
THE HEADQUARTERS AND TIE MEMBERSHIP Oh HE
BAeNUM-JEROME COMBINATION CLUB.
II was one Of the peculiarties of Mr.. IldcnS sys-
iem of managing a campaign to have adluncts IN
the shape of Observation-Disclosures Clubs" or
Independent Republican Clubs" These were
always said TO be formed Of men who were we'll
.novnD Republicans but who could not support
he Repnblican candidate for Governor OF President
or some other Office for reasons which were i"r-
lished and printed by Mr.. Tlden and circulated aV
ma expeuse by the so-callcd Republican clubs.
There were taree objects which Mr.. Ihden
old bis friends he had III forming these
cubs One was for placing campaign documents ID
the hands Of Republicans, whose suspicious wou't
0e aroused were they to receive them directly Iohi
.profcssedly Democratic organization. lhe secoh''
as to use them in connection with his Literary Bu-
eau, by means of winch lie sent frequent accounts
% be printed in Democratic and " Independent
newspapers throughout the country OF the opera
ions of these scll-styled Republican organizations
The third and most important purpose was TO use
Them in getting into the hands OF Republican voters
On elect ION day counterfeit Republican ballots.
William II. Barnum, as is well known, was Mr..
Tilden's chief aid in doing this work. lie
was an apt student Of Mir. 1ildens methods, and as
.harman OF the Democratic National Committee
Ills year lie is following ont the old ways. lie hr8t
attempted to establish In this city Hancock veteran
Clubs, which 1t given out were to ba composed
If soldiers most of whom Lad heretofore voted the
Republican ticket. Accounts of these organizations
were sent TO all parts of the country, but the organ
zations themselves could not and cannot be found.
There is orc which occasionally meets in small
room IN the Westminster Hotel, but it is composed
prncipally of men who arc well-known Tammany
Democrats.
Mr. Blrnum then turned his attention to carry
ing out the old trick of forming clubs of " lnde-
pendent Republicans" who could not support the
Republicans ticket this year because OF alleged un-
fitness II was necessary 10 find man who at some
time had been q well-known Republican to take
the presidency of the club. Ont Of the $1,000 he
publcans IN this city it is usually not difficult to
find some disappointed who will agree 10 dis
burse a certain amount of campaign funds for the
Democrats. This year, however, Mr.. Barnum and
his agents had long and frutless search, and they
finally concluded to accept for president OF
th, club man whose name was familiar to the
nublic in other ways than as a Republican; hence
Leonard W. Jerome became the victim OF Mt.
Barnum's wiles.
As seon as a president had been secured the names
of a few men of doubtful political relations were
thrown in to form the complement of officers, and
abatement was prepared and sent out from tho
National Democratic Headquarters and printed
extensively in the Democratic newspapers IN the
country. containing account of the formation III
this cjty OF "RepuOlican Hancock and English
Clubv with A membership of 5000. aud with
Leonard w. Jerome as president. The headquarters
were said TO be equal to those of tho National
democratic Committee, and other like representa-
tions were made in regard to the ciuo
PlucKING IHE HUBBLE.
roooctar of THE IRlDJNE recently to
fn the headoaarters of this great organization, and
after making inquiries at number of places hc was
told that the club could be found IN board ng-
house on Tweniy-fourth-st AS no sign OF any Han
cock and English club, Republican" or otherwise.
could be fonnd that street, inquiries were made
from door TO door in the quarter where 1T was SAID
TO he until the Information was obtained that there
WAS d" some sort of a club III the next house" KING
ing the bell at the next house the inquirer asked II
there was Hancock and English cluo there.
..No such club here, sir" was the reply,
md the reuorter was about giving up III despair
when he ventured to ask Isn't there kind OF
= clnb here % "Oh, yes" was the reply, as though
the attendant bad half forgotten about it; 81 be-
l;eve there is" and opening the plror door, he
oaded Il think YOU will find hem i'll there"
Tno narlor and the room back of it were ordinary
boor1inO-house rooms with large table in the
centre. on which lay some writing paper ana two
campa,en documents. One of the documents was q
nrintad letter about the life of Hancock, and the
n.,er was the platform adopted by the National
Cceenbock-Labor Convention at Chicago" The
,r.t,no paper had the following heading stamped
,n,u II. .The Association Of Conservative Repub-
lcaus and Indcpendent voters OF the Unitep states
Tuo or three men talking together IN the
rear ROOM IL easy American fashion, they had theii
Coo, unor n small table. One of them came forward
rtprSa al &
to make some inquiries IN regard to the ciub and
;ts work Tins gentleman ther introduced Colonel
lIo,rr a Uadlev who he SAID was secretary O
,he clrh Mr. Hadley is n large, pleasant-faceo
80, eop,ewIat resembling General Hancock, but
b;s mu.tache is black. lie said lie was quite will
i,o "a mpart any information he could III regard tt
tho club.
e. TIc Cincinnati Enqairer states that you have
o nnO members. Is that true ~ inquired the re-
porcer.
"We,I that 10. in the whole United States we
bavev replied tue Colonel. -" We don't. OF course
clam TO have any sach number In New York. .,
Then this is sort OF United states Club, is 1t 7
W. y. W. diIn,t at first intend to open any Natona
.nuarfersn y continued Mr.. Hadley. as the WORK
in other states was much more advanced than u Il
here but afterw ward on consultation We opeheq tu'
as ti,o National headquarters .,
Then you have otber heacquai'eiS 'h 'ho o''y
"Yes, branches: ,..,
"Whcrc can hnd tnem ,, A,
oh around in the wards-rnost anywhere In tho
cty.' .,,,,.r uonooo, o,f
E,oisI cInbs p the reporter further inquired. hop
,n hsvc one designated, that he could find Out
how @ many socalsd RspabIoans were IN it, it, Dana
o,S n,,d We don't have anything to do with them
We r don't mt believe in them any more than TIE lRlp
UNE does" .o.... a.,
reporter. TO u.noook =
isn't any part of this clubs business to get votes fo
Hancock. We are Republicans who don't believe IL
Garfield and Arthur and believe they ought
he defeated. l believe about the South pretty
much AZ you do, but don't think Garfield Is Il