The Portland daily press., 1881-05-05
HANCOCK'S NOMINATION.
Star Route Contractors Said to Have
Furnished'the Sinews of War.
lSpecial Qispatch to the Boston Herald

Star Route Contractors Said to Have
Furnished'the Sinews Of War.
Special Dispatch to the Boston Herald.]
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 3.-The discussion
of star route matters is bringing to light
number of curious things. 1t is reported now,
Ola authority that should be good that Gen.
Hancock owed his nomination at Cincinnati to
the star route ring. This does not imply any
knowledge of the frauds on his part, not even
any imitation of the source of certain support
that proved potent at the convention. 1t will
be remembered that the Democratic House
committee reported against the increase of ap-
preparation asked by Gen. Brady. This was
in accord with the sentiments entertained by
Speaker Randall. The attorney for Messrs
Salisbury, Patrick, Price and others of the
ring was an active Democrat A mutual
friend presented the case to Senator Wallace,
to the effect that the passage of the appropria-
ton was political necessity. 1t was election
year. If the Democratic Congress refused the
appropriation there would be such indignation
in the West that the party would meet certain
defeat in the fall. When the bill came to the
Senate it was referred to subcommittee, of
which Mr.. Wallace was chairman. The ring
paid a certain man connected with a Washing
ton paper $1,000 to arrange meeting between
Mr.. Salisbury and the Senator, and prepared
statement of the contractors side of the case.
Messrs. Wallace and Salisbury had an inter-
view, at which the arguments for the appro-
priation were presented in long written
statement The mutual friend arranged that
Mr.. Salisbury should appear before the Senate
committee, it having been decided TO have an
other investigation by this committee indie
pendent of that made by the House. Mr.
Salisbury appeared. The same friend furnish
ed Mr.. Wallace, it is said, with questions
which must be asked the witness in order to
elicit the desired answers. The result of it all
was, that the Senate committee reported in
favor of the appropriation, and when Senator
Wallace made speech on the floor, he adopted
the language of Mr.. Saulsbury's statement,
which had been prepared by the newspaper
man alluded to. The result was, the measure
went through. 1t is not alleged that Mr.. Wal
lace and any idea-of a swindle in the opera
tons of the ring, but took the course he did en-
tirely ffrom political motives. He, as is well
known, was the determined enemy of Mr..
Sam Randall, and, as part of the transaction,
secured the aid of the contractors to defeat
him in his own state. The ring, in carrying
out this part of the programme, furnished
$4,000 to be used in Pennsylvania to send an
anti-R andall delegation to Cincinnati. To sup
pleme mt this the McKibbers and others went
10 Cincinnati with the sinews of war and
spent $4,000 more. This was the secret of
the Hancock boom, aside from a few southern
states which sent instructed delegations, and
the fact seems to be indisputable that the sud-
den and easy nominations of Gen. Hancock
was due to his $4,000 judiciously expended in
mis- hehalf