Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-30

WASHINGTON, April 29.-The select commit
tee charged with the investigation of the alleged
attempt to corruptly influence Representative
Springer's vote. resumed consideration of the
subject to-day. Representative Springer was
first examined, and reviewed at length the cir
cumstances connected with the anonymous let
ter and the reasons which induced him to
state in the course of his late personal explana-
tion in the House, his belief that the letter was
inspired by Donnelly and Finley. The COM
mittee decided to have photographs made OF
the ANONYMOUS letter and the Finley letter, for
the purpose of submitting them to the scrutl-
nv of adopts. The examination of Springer
being concluded, Mr.. Finley began his state
ment
FINLEY's EVIDENCE.
Finley, upon being sworn, said: The first l
ever heard of the anonymous letter was when
Donnelly told me about it, think on the 9tn
of March. 1 never saw it until in this commit
tee room. I never wrote it, never indited or
suggested such letter and had nothing to do
with creating it. In my long letter to MIR.
Springer, dated March 6, when 1 spoke of
those personally most interested in settle
ment of the case, I referred to Donnelly's
emoluments. lived in Minnesota seven years.
I still claim that my residence is there, al
L
1878. with the exception of occasional visits to
Minnesota. The letter of the 9th was written
on Sunday. misdated it. BY my intima-
tien in that letter that change of front on
Springer's part would lead to grave accusations,
referred to the fact that up to certain time 1t
seemed to be conceded that Donnelly would DC
seated Then came turn, and the Republl-
cans claimed the Democrats had not the nerve
| to seat Donnelly. That is what meant. On
the morning of March s met Donnelly little
| before 10 o'clock in the corridor of the House,
and he told me Springer was paired with Re-
publican and was in favor OF seating him
| (Donnelly)
Finley was asked whether or not Springer
did not tell him about the time of the anony-
nous letter that he was in favor of going on
and seating Donnelly, and replied: Il 30 un-
derstood him, that he was ready to vote to seat
| Donnelly / had had conversations with
Springer whenever had chance to get him.
l met him once in the corridor near the hall
of the House. 1t was a few days before
the 9Th of March. He said, ''As long as we are
to seat Donnelly, think it is better to 60
ahead and do it at orce." The legal questions
were never discussed between us. In my let
ter I referred to expediency. ( never believed
| that Springer doubted the right of Donnelly
to his seat on the law and facts. but simply as
| to the political expediencY of seating him.
The conversation refer to was, tnlnk DeIore
the 4th of March.
Question-What do you mean by expediency?
l referred to the time when Donnelly was to
be seated and other matters. BY friends IN
New York did not refer to Tilden. Mr.. Sprln-
ger had ten opportunities to communicate with
Tilden where had one. had no correspond
ence with Tiiden. 1t was repo-fed that Iliden
was working against Donnelly and wrote to
Mr.. Hewitt enclosing slip from the Star of
this city to that effect.
Finley's letter to Hewitt and the reply of the
letter were offered in evidence, but after some
discussion ruled out. The Hewitt letter en-
phatically denied that Tildeu had in any way
interested himself in the Donnelly- -Washburn
case.
Finley continued: Tilden never expressed
any wish to me in the Donnelly- -Washburn case.
have been Informed that he took no part in
the contest by expression of feeling. l last
saw Tilden in January or December last.
Question-Were there any rumors at that
time, 4th of March, in circulation that WASH
burn was ready to use money to influence the
committee?
Answer-There were such rumo1s. The air
was full of them. I met William 8. King and
conversed with him on the Donnelly- -Washburn
case I told him Donnelly would be seated.
He said if money was any object
Washburn would not hesitate to use
it. That was the substance
of the conversation. The term "our friends
had had conversations with representative men.
Whenever saw one from New York talked
with them. I mentioned New York especially
because l had conversation with Mr.. Springer
as to the change in the mode of chosing
New York electors, and that was one
reason why referred to New York. When saw
Springer on the morning of the 10th of March
at his house, he treated me very politely, asked
me to take off my coat. He exhibited no heat
or anger and we talked over the anonymous
letter and Springer did not intimate that
wrote the letter.
Mr.. Springer here interrupted and confirmed
the truth of the latter statement.
He said, however, that if the let
ter was made public he should
hold Julian or Donnelly responsible for pub
fishing it, as they alone knewsof it, then went
to the capitol, and two or three hours after
wards Donnelly told me he had had an inter-
view with Springer and that he, Springer, was
angry with me for writing the long letter of
March 6th in considering it attempt to
bulldoze him. lat once wrote him the letter of
March 10Th. Adjourned.