The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-04-12
.gay Observation-Disclosures
ureS of the New York Herald.

ures of the New York Herald.
In the course Of the evidence taken
in Washington in the contested cleo.
ton case Of Manning against Chal
mers, Mr.. Hubbell was called on to
give an account of q small part OF
his stewardship of the Republican
campaign fund raised by so-called
voluntary contributions from the
government clerks, laborers and
scrub women, not forgetting the post
office cat
Mr.. Chalmers is Mississippian
who tried, in thelast Congress as a
Democrat, to get the seat to which q
very respectable colored Republican,
Lynch, had b zen fairly elected. Be
| ing defeated in that attempt he ap-
pears to have entered at once into
communications with the Repubi-
cans; or, rather, with Mr.. Jay Hub
bell. Hubbcll testifies that be chad
an interview with Chalmers about
| the time Chalmers was turned out OF
Congress, in which Chalmers told
him he proposed to 81 to Mississippi
and announce himself as an indie
pendent administration candidate.
After some conversation the report
before us continues: "Gen. Chal.
mers said to the witness (Jay Hub
belly that he had been to a great
deal of expense in making the con-
test, and alleged other reasons why
he was short Of money and wanted
assistance, and urged that there was
no better way Of spending the mon
ey than by doing so if a Republican
victory was really wanted in that
district"
Even Jay. Hubbell appears to
have been little disguised with
Chalmers, for the report goes on:
The witness replied, General,
you go down there and make the
race in your district, as You have
talked here. will give you $3.50 as
a send off, but it must be upon the
distinct understanding that the com
mittee is to have nothing further to
do with your fight and to furnish no
further aid, either in money or other
WISE"
Mr.. Hubbell has not the reputa
ton of being squeamish, and this
was his reply, which would have
sent almost anybody except Chal-
mers away with blush of shame on
his face. But Chalmers is not that
kind of man. He returned to the
charge, for the report continues
"Gen Chalmers said, Suppose the
Republicans of the district nominate
me; what will you do then?' We
will consider that question when it
comes up, or we will consider other
questions when they arise, replied
Mr.. Hubbell who invited Gen. Chal-
mers to call in the evening and re
ceive the money"
Mr.. Jay Hubbell invited General
Chalmers to ''call in the evening and
receive the money! namely $3.50.
Thereupon Mr.. Hubbcll testified,
''He called in the evening and the
money was paid"
1t must be remembered that Gen
eral Chalmers was not yet candi-
date. He had just, to use Mr.. Hub
BELLS very accurate phrase, 'heeu
turned out of Congress- the House
having declared by a non-partisan
vote that he had unjustly claimed
and wrongfully sat IN the seat of Mr..
Lynch. He had not been nominated
by any convention of any party. He
proposed scheme to Mr.. Hubbell
which appears to have disguise d
even that not over-nice politician.
He pleaded poverty; he chad been at
a good deal of expense in making
the contest" for seat to which he
had not the shadow of rigntful
claim, but had he not drawn the pay
of Congressman, to which he was
not entitled? He besides, says Mr..
Hubbell, "alleged other reasons why
he was short of money! and Mr..
Hubbell, after good deal of plead
ing by Chalmers-"after quite a long
conversation" says the report--an-
swered him as one answers begger
who has become tiresomc. He said,
"Call in the evening and I'll give
You some money"-two hundred and
fifty dollars, namely. And Chalmers
''called in the evening and the money
was paid"
Now, Campaign funds" will, we
suppose, be raised and disbursed,
even though government clerks may
not be deprived of their wages to
furnish them. But the object of a
campaign fund is to defray the legi-
innate political expenses of a can
didate after he is nominated; to
enable him to make his candidacy
properly known to the people.
Moreover, a candidate with a nice
or even only tolerably nice, sense
of honor would refuse with indigna-
ton to receive or handle this money
himself. But Mr.. Chalmers has no
nice scruples. He was not a candi-
date when he went abjectly begging
to Mr.. Hubbell; he pleaded, not the
necessities of his party, but his per-
sonal poverty; he "called in the ev-
onipr onl woSsnaidr two hnn 3rad apd