Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-06

nous communications that receive, but in my
absence Mrs. Springer always acts as my prl-
vate secretary. On this occasion, having
opened the letter she did not regard it for a
moment as an offer to bribe me coming from
| Washburn's friends but Indignantly received
it as deliberate attempt on the part of Don
nelly and his friends to insult me and bulldoze
me- because they learned l was not going to
vote to seat him. 1t was for this reason she
started to see him and stated that an insulting
attempt had been made towards herself and
her husband which he ought to know, and that
he and his friends were responsible for it. You
can imagine the indignation of sensitive
woman whose
HONOR AND HUSBANDS HONOR
| are both impeached in this manner. She IS
not to blame for an instant for Indignantly re-
senting it. Mr.. Julian, of Indiana, being a
friend of our family, at the same time counsel
for Mr.. Donnelly, asked permission that Don
nelly might be called. For what purpose?
That he might exculpate himself from the
charge that was made against him of attempt
ing to insult me. 1t was for that reason that
Julian asked the privilege that he might come
and excuIpate himself. He was permitted to
do so on the express understanding that the
matter should go no further than himself and
Julian until my return to the city. This agree
because on my return found the news in the
mouths of more than dozen of my
colleagues here. Accompanying this anony-
nous letter, was letter which reached me at
the same time on my return home. desire to
call the attention of the House to this letter.
1t is not anonymous, but is signed by one of
Donnelly's friends. This ether letter and the
anonymous letter were placed in my hands at
the same time, on my return home on the 10th
of March. Mr. Finley's letter arrived In the
morning and the anonymous letter In the after
noon.
FINLEY BRAZEN EFFRONTERY
MIR. Springer then sent to the clerks desk
and had read the following letter.
WASHINGTON, D. c., 10l7 Seventeenth street.
(Contidential.) My Dear Mr.. Springer have
heard with good deal of chagrin that you have
some doubts as the exediency of adopting the
report of the subcommittee to seat Donnelly.
Not to do this will, l know; leave
you open toEthe severest criticism and give col
or Of truth to reports which Was hburn's
friends have most unguardedly set afoat. The
Importance of the matter as it may develop IN
regard to the next election of President, makes
every Democrat anxious to see the State secur-
ed, now that we can legally and properly do it,
to the Democracy. The whole case is before
our friends in New York, and upon assurances
which gathered from what you said to me, l
ed and DonnellY would be seated at once. 1
can not believe that you will now fail to make
this good. Among hundreds of letters which
come to me, there is not one in which the mat
ter has not been urged to completion when
there has been any mention of it, and it is as
much a matter of general political interest as
any of which they write to me.
| am convinced that neither you
nor the Democratic Congress can afford
to disappOint our friends in this mater. l am
presumed to know and do know how much
weight ought to be given to paid Democratic
detractors of Donnelly, and to mercenary quasi
Democratic defenders of Washburn's bribery.
l. is not enough that Washburn should be de-
prived of his seat but that the wishes of the
voters as legally expressed should be regarded
and vindicated, and they demand their chosen
representative should be seated. To send the
matter back to the people now would be only
to invite the investment of large sums of redi-
cal money to be expended there and this would
be done without stint. The worst element of
the party would be put to work then apd the
result would be disaster to us. The high char
acter of the members of the sub committee
too, would seem to be impugued should the
report fail of unanimous adoption by the Dem
ocrats, and trust that such is not the case.
Pardon what may seem like int rferenee in the
matter. / still hold the closest and most conf
Dental relations to those who are perhaps,
personally, most to be affected by your decision
in this matter, and / speak in that
capacity when write this and urge upon you
prompt and decisive action in the vital matter,
and may add that it reaches further even
than have intimated and will both immedi-
ately and remotely affect rs all beyond which
can be apparent to you. l beg here to add
that it still seems incredible Ito me that any
one should doubt your interest to carry out the
wishes of our friends in she matter.
81, ,1xr
(Signed), HENRY II. FINLEY.
Washington, March 6.
Mr.. Finley is a supporter and friend of
Donneliy, who claims residence in the State
of Minnesota. He is Democrat in politics
and we'll known to some of the gentlemen on
this floor. This gentiema called on Mrs.
Springer on the morning on which l returned
and stated that he had called to suggest the
impropriety of making public any reference
to the anonymous letter. l stated to him that
it was unnecessary for him to give me or my
family any advice on that matter; that if the
matter was made public is would come from
Donnelly and his friends, and l should hold
them responsible for it. He saw that | was
not well pleased with the letter, and he left.
That day, the 10th of March, Donnelly called
at my committee room and stated that he de-
sired an interview with me in regard to this
anonymous letter. agreed to hear what he
had to say.
He said, Whom do you suspect of having
written this letter."
l said suspect nobody but Finley, your
friend. No one else could have written it but
him. If you examine the hand writing in the
anonymous letter and compare it with the
writing III Fiuleys letter you will see that it is
very similar, and he gentlemen to whom l
have shown it agree with me as to its simi-
larity.
Donnelly stated to me in the committee
room that he did not think his friead could
have done such a thing, and attributed it to
some of Washburn's friends.
any such suspicion tha any of Washburn's
friends could have approached me this way,
and that l had received another letter which
showed that
FINLEY HAD PREPARED THE WAY
for the anonymous letter by stating in his let
ter that if did not vote to seat Donnelly 1
would give color to charges which Washburn's
friends had set afloat 1 said that these charges
could only be that Washburn's friends had u n
guardedly dropped suggestions that they were
there to buy my vote, and the anonymous letter
was thlnly disguished effort to conceal the
motive behind this movement and also to divert
my attention from the facts cf the case. I said
to Donnelly this letter purports to
SPEAK IN BEHALF OF TILDEN,
and by his authority to vote to seat you. l
do not believe Finley has any authority to
speak for Tilden, but if he insists that
ha has aufboritv want him 70