Daily globe., 1883-07-20
VII

VII.
But the effect cf the October election in
Indiana was only moral, and it was feared
it would be temporary. Both Dorsey and
Brady asserted that the same kind of ar
gument that had been used in October
must be used again in November, or the
state would be lost. A two-dollar bill was
good only for one election. More money
must be raised, and the Republican mana
gers in casting about for means thought
of the star route contractors. Garfield
himself, calling to mind his investigation
and his discovery that the contractors
were receiving great sums from the gov
ernment, felt that they ought to subscribe.
Other leading Republican managers had
the same opinion.
One day Jay Hubbell called upon Gen.
Brady, then second assistant postmaster
general. BRADY" said he, ''the star route
contractors must subscribe at least forty
thousand dollars to the campaign fund,
and you must collect the money"
Brady replied that there would be no
difficulty about raising that amount. He
was willing to undertake to raise it, but ne
didn't propose to burn his fingers, in view
government employees soliciting subscrip-
tions. Hubbell thought that Brady was
altogether too sensitive about it, but Brady
was firm. "Give me-" said Brady, 'some-
thing that l can fall back on in case of
trouble and you shall have the money"
Hubbell asked Brady if memorandum
of some sort from R. B. Hayes would be
sufficient, and Brady said that 1t would, of
course, provided it was the right kind of
memorandum. HHbbell promised to get
it, and went to Hayes forthwith. Hayes
refused to write any memorandum or let
ter. He did not forbid the raising of the
money he only refused to do anything
that would throw the responsibility for it
upon him. Hubbell was in dispair. He
labored again with Brady, but the assistant
postmaster general was firm as rock.
Hubbell then communicated with Dorsey,
and the result was that Hubbell returned
to Brady, saying, Would you undertake to
raise that money from the star route con-
tractors if you should get request or
memorandum from Gen. Garfield?"
Brady had little faith in Garfield. He
could not forget that Garfield had prom
ised to defend the star route appropria
tions, and had failed to do SO. Still, after
considering the matter for 2 while, Brady
said he would try to raise the money, pro-
vided a satisfactory document were re-
ceived from Garfield. Hubbell at once
wrote to Garfield and to Dorsey, who hap
pened to be at Mentor at the time. The
project was talked over between Garfield
and Dorsey, and at that time Garfield ex-
pressed himself very frankly about the
star route contractors. He knew that they
were receiving large contracts from the
government, and he thought that they
ought to be willing to contribute some
thing for the success of the party that had
not only given them opportunities, but
could protect them in the future. Garfield
then showed Dorsey letter that
he had written to Brady at
HubbelPs suggestion, in which he re-
quested Brady to exert himself 10 collect
the money. Dorsey peremptorily told
him not to send the letter. At Dorsey's
suggestion, the queer and notorious "My
dear Hubbelr' letter was written. In it
occurs the expression, ''Ask Brady how the
departments are doing" and this was in
tended to be a hint, a request upon which
Brady would act. When Brady first saw
it he treated it with contempt. He thought
he saw in it willingness on the part of
the candidate to make cat's-paw of him.
But he finally consented to collect the
money. With the letter as an authority,
he did collect large sum of money, part
of which he took to Indiana, where it was
spent, with Garfeld's knowledge, by him
self, and where it would do the most good.
Such is the history of the "My dear Hub
belI' letter.