Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-08-23
Gangs sofRepeaters Sent to the HOOsier
State From the East.
Facts SwOn tO by a Republican Official
Who Assisted Dorsey in
the Work.

VINO Assisted Dorsey III
the Work.
The New York SIN of the 10th prints
the following:
"I was Republican office-holder at
the East in 1880. A fortnight before the
October election in Indiana | received
an urgent request or command to go to
Indianapolis. The summons was in
writing 1t was signed by Senator Dor
sey. / took This letter to my official SUI
perior, and was told by him to go.
When reached Indianapolis reported
to Senator Dorsey, and until three or
four days before the election worked
under his directions. During the can
vas I was daily in..contact with Dorsey
and the other Republican managers at
their headquarters in the New Denison
House. Dorsey was every thing in that
campaign. He thought ofevery thing,
cared for every thing, supervised every
thing, was obeyed by every body.
When one day lie broke down from over
work, and was sick in bed. matters at
headquarters were in hopeless confus-
ion. The subordinate managers ran
around wildly and helplessly, like so
many chickens with their heads chopped
of. Dudley and New were on the
ground, but their work relatively
amounted to little, although they have
been superbly rewarded for the work
that they did. The one trusted lieu
tenant of S. w. Dorsey was George G.
Gorham. He was cool-headed and eff
ficient. Nearly every dollar of the In
diana fund that was paid out to local or
imported agents was paid on the order
of Dorsey or on the order OfGorham.
"Swain was also there during almost
all of my stay as the personal represen-
tative of Garfield. He was constantly
with Garfield several times every day
by telegraph or by mail. l also wrote
frequently to Garfield to inform him as
to the situation. This fact tSwaim must
have discovered during one of his flying
visits to Mentor, for he afterward treated
me with some sulkiness. He appeared
to be displeased because facts went to
Mentor through another medium than
himself. My particular and immediate
functions were the organization and
control of the parties of strikers and re-
peaters and roughs brought to Indiana
polls from the East, and distributed in
small gangs to different points in the
state: The trick of importation and
colonization had been tried on much
larger scale, but without success, in 1876,
when was also in Indiana. In 1880 the
means used to carry the State were diff
ferent. The chief dependence was put
On greenbacks, not on colonists and re-
peaters.
"In the Garfield year l think not
much more than one hundred and fifty
outsiders were sent to Indiana from the
East for these purposes. One party, as
l remember, consisted of forty-five men
Hom Baltimore and Wilmington. There
We're gangs from Philadelphia, Pitts
burg and other cities. These imported
Republicans were Letter-carriers, petty
office-holders and ward-workers in the
cities where they belonged. Their du-
ties were to intimidate Democratic vo-
ters, to brawl, create disturbances and
knock men down if necessary, to per-
senate Democratic voters and to repeat
whenever possible.
"On Wednesday evening, October 9th,
about dark, Senator Don Cameron ar
rived at the New Denison House, and
was Immediately shown to head-quar-
ters. He found Dorsey still confined to
his bed. GOrham, Chauncey /. Filley
and some of the lesser lieutenants Were
there. Don Cameron had small black
sachel in his hand. | shook hands with
him.
'How are things here@ he asked.
every thing looks splendid" said l.
"We shall carry the State 900 ma
jority.n
"Well," said he II have brought some
valuable reinforcements."
Senator Cameron's handbag con-
tanned $4,000, contributed by the man
ufacturers of Pittsburg and other capi-
talists in Pennsylvania. By ten o'clock
the fact had leaked out, and the work
ers We're jubilant over the amount
which Don Cameron had extracted from
the iron and steel interests of Pennsyl-
vania. The money used in the canvass
was kept in the three drawers of a black
walnut bureau In little back room in
the New Denison House. This room
adjoined the main dining-room of the
hotel, and was separated from Dorsey's
main headquarters by one passage way.
The use to which this room was put was
known only to Dorsey and two or three
of his most trusted aids. Gorham had
the entry to the room. Its constant and
sole occupant was a gentleman appar-
emily about sixty-five years old, nearly
six feet tall, of stout build and with a
determined face. He had long, full
beard, pretty well sprinkled with gray.
l do not know the name of this man. l
never asked. This man was the custo-
dian of the campaign funds, and at one
time there was not less than $3.50, 900 in
bank bills in the three drawers of the
bureau which he guarded. The money
was of all denominations, from 500
notes to ones and twOs. The larger
notes were in the top drawer. saw the
money in this bureau. The top drawer
when l saw 1t and the middle drawer