The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-06-30


One of the charges against Gen. Garfield is
that he got $4,000 as counsel fee in connec-
tion with the De Golyer pavement for Wash
ton, the insinuation being that he did nothing
to earn the fee but that it was paid for his
influence and favor as member of Congress.
In the proceedings on the subject General
Garfield himself told the whole story as fol-
| lows
day or two before the adjournment of the
Congress which adjourned in the latter part
of May or the first part of June, 1872, Rich
ard @. Parsons, who was practicing lawyer
in Cleveland, but was then the marshal of
the Supreme Court, and an old acquaintance
! of mine, came to my house, and said that he
was called away summary by important
business that he was retained in case on
which he had spent great deal of time, and
that there was but one thing remaining to be
done, to make brief of the relative merits
of a large number of wooden pavements !;
that the Board of Public Works had agreed
that they would put down certain amount
of concrete and certain amount of other
kinds of pavement they had fixed the price
at which they would put down each of the
different kinds, and that the only thing re-
naming was to determine which was the best
pavement of each of these several kinds. He
said he should lose his fee unless the brief on
the merits Of these pavements was made, aud
that he was suddenly and necessarily called
away home, and he asked me to prepare the
brief. He brought his papers to my house
and models of the pavement. l told him /
could not look at the case until the end of
the session. When Congress adjourned sat
down to the case, in the most open manner,
as would prepare brief for the Supreme
Court, and worked upon this matter. There
were, perhaps, forty kinds of wood pavement
and several chemical analyses of the ingredi-
ents of the different pavements. | went over
the whole ground carefully and thoroughly,
and prepared brief on the relative claims of
these pavements for the consideration of the
board. That was all did. had nothing to
do with the terms of the contract knew
nothing of its conditions and | never had a
word to say about the price of the pavement.
knew nothing about it simply made
brief upon the relative merits of the various
patent pavements, and 1t had no more occur
red TO nc, THAT the thing wssidoine had re-
lation to ring, or to a body OF men connect
ed with any scheme, or in any way connected
with Congress, or related in any way to any
of my duties in connection with the Commit
tee on Appropriations, than it occurred to me
that / was interfering with your personal
rights as citizen. prepared the brief and
went home. Mr.. Parsons subsequently sent
me portion of his own fee. A year later,
when the affairs of the District of Columbia
came to be overhauled, Congress became
satisfied that the government of the District
had better be abolished, and this whole mat
ter was very thoroughly investigated by a
committee of the two Houses. They went
into the question of the merits of this pave
ment, some claiming that it was bad, and
| some claiming that the Government had paid
too much for it. Mr.. Crittenden was called
as witness. ought to say here that new
er saw Mr.. Crittenden until about the time
made the brief l did not and do not know
De Golyer and Mcclellan | would not know
them OIL the street am not aware that l
ever saw Mr.. Nickerson before and if any
body in this business had any scheme relat-
| ing to me, 1t was never mentioned to mo in
the remotest way. 1t never was suggested to
me that this matter could relate to my duties
as member of Congress in any way what
ever All that did was done openly. Ev-
erybody who called on me could have seen
what was doing, and, if there was any in
tention Of purpose on the part of anybody to
connect me in any way with any ring or any
dishonorable scheme, it, was sedulously con-
cealed from me. AS / have said, three years
ago joint committee of the two Houses in
vestigated this matter thoroughly. Mr.. Par
sons was summoned, was examined and cross
examined f; Mr.. Crittenden was examined
! Mr., Nickerson was examined When heard
that my name was being used in the matter,
l went to the chairman on both sides for it
was joint committee. Senator Thurman of
my own State was on the committee Mr..
Jewett, now president of the Erie Railway,
was on the committee. i said to the chair
men that If there was anything in connection
with the case which reflected upon me- and
that they thought ought to answer would
be obliged to them if they would inform me.
The chairman on the part of the House, Mr..
| Wilson, sa id that he had looked the matter
all over, and that what had done was per-
fectly proper but if anything should occur
to make any explanation necessary, or /
should appear before 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 en-.
emies as we'll as friends, and no sooner had
my campaign opened than the New York Sun
published thirteen columns, believe, con.
tanning almost every form OF public and pri-
vate assault upon me, among other things
quoting this testimony in such way as tc
make it appear that what had done COM
promised my position as chairman of the
Committee on Appropriations. went before
the people of my district and discussed this
whole matter and in speech that wa.
printed and circulated by thousands every
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