The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-08-02
THE DISCLOSURES OF DORSEY.
How Garfield Secured tho Nomination for
President.
From the .Ncr York Sun, Julyl6

W S"'oc S'ehls tDal nHu lnelr beginning
with the nomination OF Garfield was
ended with the verdict in the recent
Star. route trials. Two OF the defendants
In these trials were so intimately con.
nected with the Republican canvass in
1850, and one Of them, at least, so con.
nectcd because OF his relations with the
Star-route contractors, that the yery re.
markable history Of that canvass has been
really in their power to tell They have
both refrained from doing so, because
they were under fire, and because they
knew that they had the sympathy of
many of the leading Republican politi-
clans, i'oth Brady and Dorsey have
over and over again received assurances
from these managers of sympathy, not
unfrequentiy coupled with the assertion
that no case of ingratitude is known that
compares with that of the Administra.
ton, which was not willing but anxious
to secure all the aid these two defendants
could give during the canvass, ard then,
having obtained that aid, was willing TO
turn around and persecute them. What
ever wrong there may have been in the
Star-route contract system. the Repuhli.
can managers in 1880 either knew or
suspected, and they were then ready to
get such advantages therefrom as were
possible. Z. is not TO bs wondered ut,
therefore, that both Dorsey and Brady
feel to-day anything cut gratitude 10.
ward the party they did 80 much to keep
in power, nor can the defendants in the
recent trials be held as specially unfaith-
fui, if from them some Of the very
remarkable secrets of that most remarka.
BILE canvass are learned. The canvass
was involved from the beginning with
these two men. Dorsey was the brains
of the Republican National Committee.
Brady's knowledge of Indiana politics
was constantly brought into requisition,
and he was begged, pleaded with, and
almost ordered to receive money from
these very Starroute contractors for the
purposes of the campaign. To both,
Gen. Garfield and the party managers
constantly acknowledged their obliga
ton; to both, Gen. Garfield at least had
expressed his opinion that there was
nothing uulawfu. in the Star route bust.
ness; while to both, other Republican
managers, such men as Hubbell, Jewell,
Gen. Arthur and others, has said hat
the Star.route contractors ought to be
required to contribute literally, because
they were getting large sums tor their
work through the favor of the Govern.
ment. To Brady and Dorsey the snbse-
quent course of the Administration
seemed ungratefui. They thought the
party managers were entirely willing to
reap such advantages as could be obtain.
ed from the sotar.route contract system,
and having succeeded in remaining,
they showed themselves also entirely
willing to get further party advantage
by prosecuting men for doing the very
thing that had before been of such value
to the party.
When the Congress ordered an inves-
tigation into the system of letting the
Star-route contracts, Gen. Garfield, at
Gen. Brady's request, made very thor
Ough examination into the whole mat
ter. The result was that he assured
Gen. Brady and Senator Dorsey that he
was satisfied the system could be defend
Ell, and nc promised when the special
appropriation for which Gen. Brady
asked should come before the House
that he would not only vote for it, but
would also defend it upon the door.
Realizing Garfeld's great influence, not
only with the appropriations committee,
but also on the floor, both Brady and
Dorsey were satisfied that the accusations
against them would be satisfactorily
defended. They had received Garfield :
most positive assurance that he would DO
all in his power to set them right, and
they had every reason to believe that he
would keep his word. But when The
matter came up Ga 'eld not only failed
them, but he also allowed his influence
to dwindie to insignifcance by pairing
With member Of the House and leaving
town when the inatter came up. Dorsey
was inclined to forgive him for this; not
Brady. The second assistant postmaster.
general realized that Garfield had discov-
cred that very large SUNS Of money we're
received by the Star-route contractors,
and he was inclined to think that Gar.
field would be disposed to make use of
this knowledge at later day. There.
fore, Brady thought, Garfield did not
care to 60 on record, except sufficiently
to satisfy the men who had asked him to
defend them. All this occurred some
months before the Chicago Convention.
1t was we'll known that Brady favored
the nomination of Blaine, while Dorsey
professed to be earnestly for Grant.
III.
In the winter of 1880 club Of the
"be,ter element" was organized in Phila.
delphia by young man, with political
aspirations, named Wharton Barker.
This club, among other great missions,
undertook to prevent the nomination Of
either Gen. Grant or James G. Blaine.
Mr.. Wayne MacVeagh was a member of
the club. He had profound dislike for
Blaine, having characterized him as the
most dangerous man in American poll
tics. Mr.. Wharton Barker regarded the
threatened nomination of Grant as q
dangerous innovation. The point was
to find the man who cnuld beat both of
these in the Chicago Convention. Many
names were suggested. Sherman, he
would not do, he had NO elements of pop.
ularity; Edmunds, he would not do.
because they would tell about the black
bottle he kept in his committee room (;
Hawley-oh, no; he came from an in.
significant State and WIS something of a
bluslerer, and 80 on. At last one even
ing Mr.. Barker suggested the name of
james A. Garfield. 1t was we'll received
by nearly all the members of the club.
Then thin man, with foxy face and
an icy expression, arose. He was Mr.
Wayne MacVeagh. "The proposition"
he said, sis absurd. Gar6eld's record is
so bad that the party could not afford to
nominate him. The history of the
Credit Mobilier case, of the De Golyer
business, and of other matters that have
not yet been made public, would all
come out. No, gentlemen, We cannot
afford to think of Garfield"
Stephen w. Dorsey heard of this
..aaak aIta<nard and Garfield heard OF