The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-06-15
THE DE GoLYER CASE
And How Garfield Come to be Connected
With n.

menus VI Lue Nch 4NA SN' -
General Garfsld's connection with what
q known as the De Golyer paving case in
Washington City some years ago, we
,eTewitR append the following extract
rom the official testimony submitted be-
Tore a House Committee OF Congress, IN
February. 1879. Before this committee,
General Garfield made the following state
rnent Of his connection with the case:
4 day or two before the adjournment oil
the Congress which adjourned in the lat'
Ter part Of May or the first OF June, lSI2'
Richard @, Parsons, who was q practicing
LAWYER In Cleveland, but was then the
Marshal OF the Supreme Court, and an
old acquaintance OF mine, came to my
mouse and said that he was called away
summarily by important business that ne
was retained in case on which ne .h na
spent great deal OF time, and that there
was but one thing remaining TO pc uoIe,
TO make brief Of the relative merits o.
large number OF wooden paVemensi tnAL
The Board OF Public Works had agreed
that they would put down q certain
amount OF wooden pavement IN the Guy,
a certain amount OF concrete, and GER
tain amount of other kinds OF pavement;
mat they had fixed the price at when
thew would put down each OF the diner-
emf kinds, and that the only thing remain
inc was TO determine which was the best
nayement of each OF these several kinds.
He said he should lose his fee unless the
brief on the merits OF these pavementss
was made, and that he was suddenly aud
necessarily called away home; and he
asked me TO prepare the brief. he
brought his paper to my house and
models OF the pavement l told him !
could not look at the case until the end oil
the session.
When Congress adjourned l sat down to
the case in the most open manner, as
would prepare brief for the Supreme
Court, and worked upon this matter.
There we're perhaps forty kinds oil wood
pavement, and several chemical analyses
Of the ingredients OF the different pave:
ments: / went over the whole ground
carefully and thoroughly, and prepared a
brief on the relative claims OF these pave
ments for the consideration OF the ooard.
That was all did. | had nothing to DO
with the terms OF the contract; knew
nothing OF its conditions, and never had
word 10 say about the price oil the pave
ment. knew nothing about it; simply
made brief upon the relative merits oil
the various patent pavements; and 1t no
more occurred to me that the thing was
doing had relation TO a ring, or TO body
Of men connected with any scheme, or in
any way connected with Congress, or re-
lated In any way TO any OF my duties in
connection with the Committee on APP
propriations, than it occurred to me that
Il was interfering with your personal
rights as citizen. l prepared the brief
and went home. Mr.. Parsons subsequent
| " sent me portion OF his own fee..
A wear later, when the affairs OF the
District OF Columbia came to be over
hauled, Congress became satisfied that the
government OF the District had better be
abolished, and this whole matter was very
thoroughly Investigated by committee OF
the two Houses. They went into the ques-
ton Of the merits OF this pavement, some
claiming that 1t was bad, and some claim
ing that the government had paid TOO
much for it. Mr.. Chittenden was called as
witness. I ought TO say here that |
never saw Mr.. Chittenden until about the
time made the brief; | did not and do
not know Mr.. De Golyer and McClelland;
| would not knowtLem on the.street; am
not aware that ever saw Mr.. Nickerson
before; and il anybody in this business
had any scheme relating to me, it was
never mentioned to me in the remotest
way. II never was suggested to me that
that this matter could relate to my duties
as member OF Congress in any way what.
ever. All that l did was done openly.
Everybody who called on me could have
seen what l was doing, and, il there was
any intention or purpose on the part Of
auybody to connect me in any way with
any ring or any dishonorable scheme, II
was seduleusly concealed from me.
AS have said, three years ago joint
committee OF the two houses investigated
this matter thoroughly. Mr.. Parsons was
summoned, was examined, was examined,
and cross.examined; Mr. Chitlenden was
examined; Mr.. Nickerson was examined.
When heard that my name was being
used in the matter, went to the chair.
man on both sides-for It was a joint COM
mittee. Senator Thurman, Of my own
State, was on the committee; Mr.. Jewett,
now president OF the Erie railway, was on
the committee. l said to the chairman
that, il there was anything in connection
with the case which reflected upon me,
and they thought ought 10 answer,
would be Obliged to them il they would
inform me. The chairman on the part OF
the House, Mr.. Wilson, said that he had
looked the matter all over, and that what
/ had done was perfectly proper; but, II
anything should occur TO make any ex-
PLANTATION necessary, should appear be-
fore the committee; he would send me
word. He never did send for me. Very
soon after that, my political campaign in
Ohio opened.
Every man in public life is blessed with
enemies as well as friends; and no SOON
er had my campaign opened than the
New York Sun published thirteen col
umns, believe, containing almost every
form OF public and private assault upon
me, among other things quoting this tes-
timony in such way as to make itappear
that what had done compromised my
position as chairman OF the committee on
appropriations. went before the people
OF my district and discussed this Whole
matter; and In speech which was print.
ed and circulated by thousands every part
and parcel OF this charge was made as
public as anything could be. 1t was re.
vived TO some extent in the campaign last
fall, and all possible new light thrown up.
on II. In the course Of the campaign OF
1874, a gentleman from my district wrote
in regard to 1t to Mr.. Wilson, the chair.
man OF the joint committee on the part OF
the House, and received letter in reply,
which l read:
I. CoSNERsvILLE, IND, Aug l, 1S74.-HoN.
GEO. W. STRELE-Dedr Sir: To the re.
quest for information as to whether or not
the action Of Gen. Garfield, in connection
with the affairs OF the District OF Columbia,
was the subject OF condemnation by the
committee that recently had those affairs
under consideration, answer that It was
not; nor was there, in my opinion, any
evidence that would have warranted any
uniavorable criticism upon his conduct.
: The facts disclosed by the evidence, 80
far as he Is concerned, are briefly these:
The board of pnhlic works was cnnsideF.