St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-07-14
Jay HubbeII's Reply 10 Curtis.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
WASHINGTON JulV q 1880

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, }
WASHINGTON, July 6, 1882.
Sir: / have received your letter of
the Oath ult. and that of your lawyers
of the same date. A few words will
make the only reply which | think
they require. You continue to assert
that the circular signed by me "virtu-
ally threatens" with dismissal the off
GERS and employees to whom it is add
dressed, should they not surrender
part of their wages. There is no ex-
cuse for such Misrepresentation. The
phraseolOgy of the circular shows an
absolute absence of all language of
threat. 1t also affirmatively shows
that the request is for a voluntary CON
tributiOn. Your Misrepresentation is
therefore without justification of the
circular. 1t is equally without iustifi-
cation in the purpose of it. That is
proved by the fact that although like
circulars have been issued bi-annually
for at least Is years by republican CON
gresslonal committees, and many per-
sons have refused to respond to them,
there has never been a single removal
from Office or employment for that
cause. 1t is not i'll your power, there
fore to put your finger upon IA single
fact, either of statement or result,
which justities your representations.
Besides, you have the explicit denial
of senators and representatives, mem
bers of that committee, of any purpose
of threat or coercion. Notwithstand-
ing these proofs you persist in speak
ing of it as virtual threat" To say
that it is deeply discreditable to you is
to use mild language. The other ac-
cusatiOn is that the circular is an invi-
tatlOn to the commission of what is
made crime by section 6 of the act
of August Is, 1876. AS a matter of
law this is absurd. There is no diff
Guilty in this point, as your lawyers will
find out i'll due time if they have not
already. The law does not apply to
members of Congress in any of its
terms, but it is confined in all its parts
to executive officers and employees.
| This its language shows, and all the
circumstances surrounding it prove
your construction involves the absurd
| ity that members of Congress are ex-
ecutive officers, and the further absurd
| ity that it is Il crime for man holding
/ an OlliNO llCClN W Vi Ills
funds to a political committee. OF
course, according to your notion, a
simple citizen may so contribute of his
funds, as of right, but a citizen becom-
ing an official loses the right to help the
organization whose principle he may
approve, and whose policy he may
deem essential to the prosperity of the
people. In other words, under cover
of protecting the official, you degrade
him; you ask me to unite with you il
starting an experimental criminal pros
ecutiOn against an officer or employee
in New York for having complied with
my request for aid for the republican
canvass. | will not do this for several
reasons. 1t would be an act of dishon-
or III me to turn upon any republican
official who thus contributed besides
1t Is needless as means of testing the
sense of said section q. In my opinion
neither the attorney general of the
United States nor the district attorney
require instruction either from you Oh
myself as to the meaning of laws OF
their duties i'll prosecutions for viola
ton of them, and | therefore leave the
subject with them, you having declined
to unite i'll making case against mt
as being the party equally response
BILE with any contributor. As fol-
myself, Mr.. Curtis, tits only due t.
candOr to say that as long as tn,
records of Congress show through
ont all the Gulf states the system
attic use of tissue ballots for tn,
purposes of fraud, the systemati,
throwing out of the ballots cast anC
the insertion of ballots not cast. tn,
systematic defeat of the exercise o
the right of suffrage, and every con
ceivable violation of law for the pur
pose of thwarting the expression o
popular will, and so long as it be PROVED
impossible to have a fair election ant
an honest count i'll any portion of this
country, | propose to help maintain ;
republican organization which shall bt
strong enough to prevent these out
RACES, or, when their commission cannO
be prevented, to punish the criminals
and to that end ! propose to ask al
good citizens, office-holders or other
wise, to supply the congressional com
mittee with the necessary means TO
shifting this crime against our common
liberty. To the extent that you in til,
role you are now playing may succee,
in Gripping the operation of this com
mittee, you will become "A most efficien
ally of the southern bulldozer and ;
most powerful promoter of their invid
iOus and destructive methods, and Their
leave you. Very respectfully,
JAY A. HUBBELL.