New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-13
PERRY BELMONT7S DISTRICT.
CARD FROM MR.. COVERT.
TO the Editor Of The Trfoune'

| SIR: NV attention has just been called to the
| communication of your special correspondent at
| BabvIon. under date of the LIST inst, relative to
political affairs in this Congressional district
Let me say briefly, that the expenses
connected with my reelection to Congress
did not aggregate more than one-half
the amount estimated in YOUR correspondents let
| ter and that l. personally, paid every dol
| lar Of these expenses Mr.. Belmont gave to my
canvass his active personal support and spoke with
me and for me at various points in the district /;
but he did not, so far as my knowledge goes, pay
one single dollar toward the expenses of the CAM
pa,gn. Had he done So l. as interested person.
| would think, have known the fact.
In the summer of 1880, Mr.. Belmont
was strongly urged by his friends for
the Congressional nomination The claim
was made by Suffolk County Democrats that had
been on three occasions the nominee of the party
for Congress and that had for four years consecu-
lively represented the district at Washington
Ours is district where the rotation rule has been
observed for very many years, and do not recall
an instance where one county in the district has
furnished member of Congress for longer than two
terms consecutvely.
Your correspondent is right in say
| ing that during my absence IN
Congress nv law practice had been sari 'usly af-
fected and | felt the necessity for return to it.
| These considerations induced IN =, much as | might
/ otherwise have wished to 90 back to Congress, to
| pnbsh letter IN August, 1880, declining the
| denomination which some of my friends had asked
| me TO seek. Your correspondent says that l, " at
| the proper time. turned over my strength TO Mr.
| Belmont and thus secured the latter's nomi
| nation" Had this been the int'nt, | would
| scarcely have declined denomination so early
as August when nominating convention did
| not sit until the middle of the following October
| Within week after the publication OF this let
ter accepted an invitation from the State Com
mittee TO address meetings in Central and North
| ern New-York and barely returned to my district
before the meeting of our Congressional Conven-
ton, to which meanwhile had been elected dele
| gate | felt some delicacy in sitting in a
convention which TO nominate my sue
| cessor and an alternate acted in my place. The
names of a number of gentlemen were submitted to
| the convention and did not enter that body al all
| until after Mr.. Belmont had been nominated and
until was called upon to address the convention IN
support of his nomination. This is the extent 10
| which /, lat the proper time, turned over my
| strength to Mr. Belmont"
| After Mr.. Belmont was nominated and up to the
time he was elected, l gave to our Congressional
nominee support lest.as vigorous and as loyal
| as il was in my power to give. This conceived 10
be only nv duty ana nave never rcSIettcu NY az
ton in that regard The facts in connection with the
senatorial canvass in the district last fall are mat
tiers of too recent local history TO need recital here
| On our side we had supposed our Republican
friends would find little comfort IN reylv-
| ing memories of that canvass; but II they
| choose to refer to it, the truth OF his
| tory should be indicated. 1 had M
| money to buy votes corrupt voters ana none
| were bought or corrupted In nv interest Mr. BEL
| mont was In the convention which placed me III
| nomination for the Senate, and advocated my nom
NATION. If he contributed anything to the commit
tees funds for campaign purposes, was never toi
of the fact and the carefully guarded statement oil
| yonr correspondent that the banking house again
served good purpose if the reports Tying about al
the time TO be trusted is the very hIet lhti,
nation have had of the occurrence oil anything OF
| that character Thoughtful people Will incline 10
the belief that such reports are not TO De trusted
| any more than the statements based upon them ,
have taken the earliest possible moment 10 make
this statement, without opportunity to consult or
| communicate with MIR. Belmont as 10 us acuon oi
| wishes III the matter.
| | have thought it due 10 him, to the Democracy
of the district and to myself that the suggestions oil
your correspondent, loose aud vague as they are,
! should receive this measure of attention.
Your correspondent Is quite nght IN saying lnat
| ay hearty support, much or little as that may
benefit him Here, IN our district, we say Let
| the CALLED Jade VINCE" / think i but voice he
! sentiment of the DemOcra &c and conservat We
| voters of the district when l say that thelf
| Representative, by his record upon matters
| Of the largest National Importance and by
| MS patient, prompt aud thoughtful attention
TO the detail affairs of his district has richly
| merited the compliment and reward of a renonlna-
'0n anu 'ee'''''"' "'''''J JAMES ". COVERT
Flushing N. T., July 10, 1852.