The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-12-19
A LETTER THAT HAS A SECRET
HISTORY.
The Document Addressed by Gen.
Garfield to "My Dear Hubbcll."
WAsnIsaroN. D. c.. Dao IL. 1882
Tint Hnhthell Latter

That Hubbell Letter.
"aEsToR. ONO. August 33, 1880.
"MV DEAR HUBBsLL. Yours o. the
18th inst. receivsd. Please say to B.aiy
| ho2e he will give n, all the ass STANG
poa-ihle Ethink he can help effectively,
Please tel mc how the departments
are going. AS ever, yours,
j.. GARFIELD
This letter, the original OF which is
In this city, has lseci ct history beve'
before explained. One dav Jay Hub
bell, wao now las national reputation
as a tax-gatherer OF blood money, cal
led on Gensral. Tenn Brady, In his Of
flee in tHe Pos office Department, in
a state bordering on desperation. H.
explained that the Congressional Com
mit'ee had raised all the money it was
possible 10 get out of the clerks IN the
Executive Departments that !hey were
$50 600 short, and unless 1t was raised
Garfield would be defeated.
To this Brady replied: II have moth
i-x 20 do with that. My candidate at
CNicas was Blaine He was defeated
| ~aa among large number of Repuh-
lieuns who felt sorely disappointed he
csuse Blaine was not nominated, and
Garfield was. WHY do you come 10 me
with your troublesf" nt
Thereupon Hubhell sat down and 10
bored with Brady. He dwelt With EN-.
phasia upon tie great probability that il
the money needed was not rsised tho
Democrats would certainly elect Han.
cock. Il have exhausted every other
res 1urce," said he, land nov come 10
you."
"Ani you want mo 10 raise 1000 ?"
said Brady, With that peculiar noncha-
lance characteristic Of the man.
"Yes, and as soon ss possible" said
Hubbell, nervously.-
"Wsll," said Brady, ri can raise this
money. l will raise it II you will sg'ee
to my sarms. .Ynu, OF course, know
from whom l shall raise il. Before l
do anything in the matter, however,
want q letter from General Garfield
which will convey TO me the assured fact
that be knows I am to raise IL. Garfield
knows did not favor his. nomination" "
Hubbell then aud there declared. he
would write The letter requested to Gen,
Garfield, and on the same day be did
address letter which called forth the
reply, at the beginning Of this dispatch
In substance. Hubbell told General Gar
feld that Brady acted With some cold
ness .oSard his canvass. because be was
not bis choice for the Domiuation; that
tuas in Brsdys power to raise the
amount o. mooey then needed. and with.
out which the Republican canyass would
ish. In closing he besought Garfield 10
write at once to Brs'ly and give him
such assurance as best he saw fit. T., the
eDd that Brady's active Cooperation
might be enlisted.
On the da7 that Hubhell's letter reach
ed Mentor. Sief hen W. Dorsey. Ex-
Senator from Arkansas. also arrived
there, He sat with General Garfield as
be opened his mail When Hubbell 3
letter vas reached he banded II to Dor
sey. who also read it The aest impulse
Of the General wss to answer Is 1t ouoe
Indeed, he wss abcu, to proceed 10 do
80. when Dorsey said:
Are you going to answer this let
ter ?"
YES" said Garfield, was just about
to do it,"
swell. il I wero you" said Dorsey,
81 would not write to b. ady, as Hubhell
suggests, hut write to Hubbell instead.
General Garfield did as Dorsey sug-
gested and penned the "My Dear Hub
bell" letter
The motive Dorsey had in constrain-
ing the subsequently elected President
not 10 write TO Brady was because Of
his own personal hatred to Brady. Dur
ing the entire Presidential campaign
Dorsey and Brady did not speak TO- each
other. and when thrown together scarce
ly tolerated recognition Dorsey. did
not want General Garfield to write to
Brady, because he wanted Brady to re-
main under the impression that he was
to he over-shadowed In case OF Gar
fields election. Until the Star Route
prosecutions hegan they did not resume
taeir friendly relations.
Upon the receipt OF The "Ny Deaf
Huhhcli" letter. 1t vas taken at once to
Brady. Az first he was not disposed to
do anv thing, because the letter bad not
been directed to him in person. A con-
dition of action on his part was that be
should retain the letter This was com.
piled wi,h. and Brady now has il.
Touching the s50.Oe0 Brady did raise
the money from Star Route contractors
and turned 1t over TO Jay Huhhell. A,
Garfield was elected. this $4,000 nc
doubt contributed largely 10 q Republi'
can victory.