The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-05-13
The President and the Star.ROu
Ring.

The star-route" ring has been throw
ing out mysterious hints from Washing
ton during the past few days that there
is in existence letter written by Presi-
dent Garfield to Brady during the late
campaign, which, when made public,
would furnish conclusive evidence that
Gen. Garfield was aware of the existence
of a. corrupt ring of contractors and
postoffice officials, and that he knowing
ly awaited himself of their assistance to
promote his election. The Democratic
papers have naturally shown unwonted
enterprise in their efforts to seciire such
a letter, and one of them has obtained a
copy of the alleged letter-not to Brady
--but to Mr.. Hubbell, a Michigan mem
Der of Congress, which is alleged to be
the "damning evidence" against Gar
field. The following is reproduction
of the document as printed
Private
MENTOR, ONO, Aug. %, 1889.
The Hon. j. A, Hubbel Washington, D. G.
Ny DEAR HUBBELL: Yours of the 18th inst
received and contents noted. Please say to
Brady that hope he will give us all the assist
ance possible. / think he. can help effectively.
Please tell me how the departments generally
are doing. AS ever yours,
IA. GARFIELD.
1t will be very evident, upon a fair
scrutiny of the conditions, that this let.
ter, whether bogus or genuine, does not
furnish the proof of Garfeld's connec-
ton with the " star-route" ring which
was promised, and that it will not create
half as much sensation as the dark and
pregnant insinuations which the ring.
sters have been industriously circulat-
ing.
The attention of Gen. Garfield having
been called to the above letter in an East
ern paper yesterday morning, he said:
There was not line in the letter that he
would have the slightest objection to giving to
the public; that the star-route contractors were
neither mentioned nor Thought of; that it was
simply an expression of hope that Brady, q
citizen of Indiana, who was reported to have
made an immense fortune in telephone stock,
would respond froro his ample means in aid of
his party in the lfe-and-death struggle in his
own State.
If it be admitted that the letter was
written~in the precise language quoted
above. there is nothing in the circum
stance to convict Gen. Garfield of any
knowledge of star-Toute" ring, or Of
any purpose to avail himself of any fund
that had been corruptly obtained from
the Government. The letter from Hub
bell to which this was an answer and
it was entirely natural that candidate
should be In constant communication with
the Chairman of National Campaign
Committee-may explain the whole mat
ter. Atall events. the very worst construc'
ton that can be put upon the letter, as
it stands, is that Gen. Garfield, as can.
didate, assented to an ancient prac.
tice, inaugurated originally by the
Democrats, and transmitted by them tc
the Republican party, of soliciting cam
paign contributions from Government
offceholders and employees.
Any one who supposes that the late
campaign, OF any campaign since the
days of Gen. Jackson, has been free
from the practice which the above letter
seems to admit certainly enjoys an ex-
ceptional condition of verdancy. The
time has not yet come when private in.
dividuals, animated solely by motives
of patriotism or party loyalty, will put
their hands in their pockets and furnish
all the money necessary for Presidential
campaign purposes, and leave the off
cial classes exempt from any such de-
mand upon them. When that time shall
come around, if ever, it will be contem-
poraneous with the political millennium,
and no longer so much as a suspicion
shall attach to any officeholder, from the
highest to the lowest.-ChicGgo ITjb-