The Portland daily press., 1882-07-08

Another Letter from Jay Hubbell to Geo.
VIM. Curtis.
WASHINGTON, July 7.-Chairman Hubbell of
| the Republican Congressional campaign COM
mittee has addressed the following to Mr.. Geo.
William Curtis:
HEADQUARTERS REPUBLICAN CONGRESS
sIoNAL COMMITTEE,
No $40 Thirteenth Street, N. W.,
WASHINGTON, d. c., July 6, 1882.
Sir-I have received your letter of the 9th
ult, and that OF your lawyers of the same date.
A few words will make the only reply which l
think they require. You continue to assert that
the circular signed by me- virtually threatens
with dismissal the officers and employees to
whom it is addressed should they not "surren-
der part of their wages" There is no excuse
for such g misrepresentation. The phraseology
of the circular shows an absolute absence of all
language of threat. 1t also affrmatively shows
that the request is for avoIuntary contributions
Your misrepresentation is therefore, without
justification in the language of the circular. 1t
is equally without justification in the purpose
of it. That is proved by the fact that, although
like circulars have been issued biennially for
at least ten years by Republican Congressional
committees, and many persons have refused to
respond to them, there has never been a single
removal from office or employment for that
cause 1t is not in your power, therefore, to
place your finger upon a single fact, either Of
statement or result which justifies your mis-
representation. Besides you have had the ex-
pllcit denial of senators and representatives,
members of that committee, of any purpose Of
threat or coercion. Notwithstanding all these
proofs, you persist in speaking of it "virtu-
al threat" To say that this is deeply discredit-
able to you is Ito use mild language. The
other accusation is that the circular is invi-
tation to the commission of what is made a
crime by sec. 6 of the act of the 10Th of August
1886. As matter of law this is absurd. There
is noditficulty in the point,as your lawyers will
find out in due time if they have not already
The law does not apply to members Of Congress
in any of its TERMS but is confined in all its
parts to executive officers and their employees.
This its language shows, and all the circum-
stances surrounding it prove your construction
involves the absurdity that members of Con-
gress are executive officers, and the further abb
svrdity that it is crime for man holding an
Office freely to contribute of his funds to poll
tical committee. OF course, according to your
notion, simple 'citiZen may contribute of his
funds as right but a citizen becoming an Off
cial, to help the organization whose principles
he may approve, and whose policy he may
deem essential to the prosperity of the people,
cannot do so. In other words, under cover of
protecting the official, you disgrace him. You
ask me to unite with you in starting an expert
mental criminal prosecution against an officer
or employe ins New York for having complied
with my request for aid to the Republican cam
vas will not do this for several reasons. 1t
would be an act of dishonor for me to turn on
any Republican official who thus contributed;
beside, it is needless as a means of testing the
sense of sec. 6. In my Judgment neither the
attorney-general of the United States nor the
district attorney require instructions from you
or myself as to the meaning OF the laws, or
their duties in prosecutions for violation of
them, and therefore decline, you having de-
clined to unite in making a case against me as
being the party equally responsible with any
contributor. AS for myself, Mr.. Curtis, it is
only due to candor to say that, as long as the
records of Congress show throughout all the
gulf States the systematic use of tissue ballots
for purpose of fraud, the systematic throwing
out of ballots cast and the insertion of ballots
not cast, the systematic defeat of the exercise
of the right of suffrage, and every conceivable
violation of law for tho purpose of thwarting
the expression Of the popular will, and, SO long
as it be proven impossible to have a fair cleo
tion and an honest count in any portion Of the
country, propose to help maintain Republi-
can organization which shall be STRONG enough
to prevent these outrages; or, when their COM
mission cannot be prevented to punish the
criminals, and, to that end, / propose to ask
all good citizens, ofice-holders or otherwise, to
necessary means fof seHQaac committee with the
our common liberty to the extent that you 'Efh Efh
the role that you are now playing may sue
ceed in crippling the operations of this commit
tee You will become most efficient ally of
the southern bulldozer and most powerful
promoter of their insidious methods, and there
leave you. Very respectfully, yours, etc.,
JAY HUBBELL,
Chairman Republican Congressional Commit
tee.
To Mr.. Geo. William Curtis, New York city.