National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-06
The Garfield.Rubbem Letter,

rather incOherent attempt to defend the
President against some charge which
somebody assumed to read between the
lines of our inquiry. The Press corre-
spondent said:
People unacquainted with the circumstances
would not know what it meant, and it has at
tracted much attention among the Presidents
friends to-day. The fact IS General Brady has a
letter from Garfield, written before the election but
| the letter does not advise that sta,-route con-
tractors be asked for subscriptions to help elect
him (Garfeldl President
From the above it was fair to infer that
the writer had conversed with somebody
not unacquainted with the circum-
stances" and that he had been told the
exact truth in regard to the letter from
Garfield"
Following is the account given by him,
with an appearance of authority, which
makes it of special interest at this time: &:
A short time before the Indiana election, when
the Republican campaign fund was low and the
betting two to one in favor of Hancock the
general impression being that he would be elected
Brady wrote quite long letter 10 Garfield at Men
tor. The contents of this letter to the general
effect that if he (Garield) would give the writer
written authority he could subscriptions of
| twenty thousand dollars from mail contract
! ors with whom he was thrown in contact The
| inference clearly was that the contractors would
| come down handsomely if they had assurances in
| advance of Garfeld's interest and good will
| Hence, General Brady wanted an autograph letter
! from Garfield, with which he would so among the
contractors and raise the sum of money named.
| General Garfield was somewhat surprised By the
receipt of this letter. but he did not at first glance
catch the full import of it, which was plan for
the contractors TO make themselves solid with the
/ incoming administration. This letter General
| Garfield showed to a few confidential
| friends, and the matter was talked over
| quietly. 1t was true that the need of
money was great, for daily advices from Indiana
! and New York was to that effect but General Gar
| field did not want it on the terms proposed. In
talking it over with his friends he said that the
! Republican party had better be defeated than to
win success by the use of campaign money con-
tributed by mail contractors. He wrote to General
Brady to this effect, at least declining to write
the letter suggested by Brady and there the matter
ended. And this is undoubtedly what THE REPUB-
LICAN referred to in the ingenious paragraph
| quoted above.
The reader will Judge for himself
/ whether the Press correspondent invented
| the above, or whether he had his infor-
nation from some one able to state the
contents of letters received by General
Garfield, and of those written by him in
reply. We assert positively that there
was no letter written by General Brady
to General Garfield, nor by the latter to
the former, on the subject. The reader
will observe the almost painful particu-
1oritv 1I-i+I, which tho D.ooo u-rifar accartc
that General Garfield was informed that
Brady wanted letter from him to exhibit
to mail-contractors to spur them up to lib
eral contributions. The writer then gives
uswhat he claims to have learned were the
processes of the Generals mind on the
subject. Then how he conferred with
confidential friends. who would be able
to aid in forming correct Judgment as
to whether it would be consistent with
good morals to cause the contractors to
stand and deliver. He is represented as
having told these friends that the Re-
publican party had better be defeated
than to win success by the use of cam
paign money contributed by mail con-
tractors. He wrote to General Brady
to this efect-or at least declining to
write the letter suggested by Brady-and /
there the matter ended" That is, he
wrote, not to Brady, but to Hon. Jay A.
Hubbcil the following iuat'
MENTOR. OHIO -Arc'th"'
My DEAR HUBBEIL: Yc'feloiss Wfgust 23 1850.
receivo-~- uoor+--sat thurs of the 18th instant
= . III anu .u..scllts noted Please say to Brady
i hope he will give all the assistance possible.
1 think he can help effectively. Please tell me
how the Departments generally are doing. As
ever, yours, ]. A. GARFIELD.
Hon J. a. HUBBELL, Washington, D. C.
The date shows that this was written
not a short time before the Indiana
election" which did not take place until
October but was written before the de-
pressing result in Maine. The letter ap-
pears to show entire confdencein in Brady's
character and Judgment.
The New York Times Washington cor
respondent, in seeking information con-
cerning this letter, learns that
Hubbeli applied to Brady for funds TO help
along the campaign; that Brady told him he
would try to raise some money, provided Garfield
thought it necessary; that Hubbell then wrote to
Garfield some sort of a lettcr-it does not appear
what-to get an expression from him which could
be used to support his application to Brady, and
that Garfield responded with the letter which has
been published, containing about as little could
be said, if anything was to be said, and which
does not necessarily have any relation to star
route contractors unless Hubbelrs letter contained
something Of the sort.
1t will occur to the casual reader that
while General Garfelds letter "does not
necessarily have any relation to star-route
contractors, unless Hubbelrs letter con-
tained something of the Sort" neither
does it necessarily convey any warming
on the subject. The papers agree in the
statement that
The Presidents attention having been called to
the letter. he stated there was not line in it that
he would have the slightest objection to giving to
the public that the Star-route contracts were
neither mentioned nor thought of; that it was
simply ;he expression of hope that Brady, cti-
zen of Indiana, who was reputcd to have made an
immense fortune in " Bell telephone stock" would
respond from his ample means in aid of his party
il the life and death struggle then going on in his
own State.
1t is to be presumed that this final state
ment is intended to take the place of all
previous ones inconsistent Herewith, by
whomsoever made. Candidate Garfield
had received letter from Mr.. Hubbell,
and had noted its contents. OF course,