Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-08-17
noraeNA Liea.

hhbAhNi AhbAullultut buN VI Dblhtg buuB-
ct of attempted defamation of President Gar
fields character having been published in the
New York Sun, Mr.. Albert Daggett, prom.
inent Brooklyn politician, who was familiar
with the inside working of the canvass of
1880 from the time of the Chicago conven.
ton to the inauguration of the new President,
and who was on terms of intimacy with Gen.
Garfield until his DEATH has permitted him.
self to be interviewed by tho representative
of a Brooklyn paper with reference to Dor
sey's statements and the result as summar-
lied by the New York Times, has at least
passing interest. One of the most intrinsic.
ally improbable of Dorseys falsehoods is the
statement that Garfield betrayed Senator
Sherman and plotted for his own nomination
at Chicago. Mr. Daggett was one of the
most active anti Grant delegates from New
York in the convention, and was constantly
working with Garfield and other Ohio sup
porters Of Sherman. He knows Of his own
knowledge that Garfield was most earnest and
untiring in his efforts in Sherman's behalf,
and that he repealed with sort of dread any
suggestion of his own nomination. In the
language of Mr.. Daggett, he "never tagged
for an instant in his zeal for Sherman. Day
and night he urged delegates from every
state in the Union to vote for him. / know
that he had no idea of being nominated
himself"
With regard to the so-called Fifth-avenue
conference, Mr.. Daggett spoke of it as
ridiculous movement of Gov JEWELS, which
proved to be lamentable failure, and he
scouts the idea that Garfield made any pledge
there to appoint Mr.. Morton secretary of the
treasury or any promise regarding the con-
troll of the refunding operations of the gov
eminent in case he should be elected The
object was to bring together the leaders and
candidates and to placate the naughty Conk-
ling through a friendly conference. As to
the credit of carrying Indiana in October
and the expenditure of money in that state,
Mr.. Daggett speaks with the assurance of
personal knowledge Dorsey merely repre-
scented the national committee, and in that
capacity ordered the payment of the funds
called for by the local committee The cam
paign was planned and the work directed by
such men as New Dudley and Gresham.
The money expended was fused for the pur-
with the real significance of the election" and
in watching and defeating the effort to bring
in swarms of illegal voters from over the
Kentucky border. With equal positiveness
Mr.. Daggett denies that Garfield ever prom
ised Conkling that he would not appoint Mr..
Robertson collector at New York. He was
told by the President repeatedly that no such
promise was ever made,
The peculiarly foolish lie that Dorsey was
offered place in the cabinet is contemptu.
ously denied, and it is shown that his rage
was first excited by the appointment of James
as postmaster. general and his own failure to
dictate the appointment of Bradys successor.
The cause for Dorsey's alarm at that time is
sufficiently obvious. But although the ap-
pointments in the post office department
plainly meant a ruthless exposure and prose-
cution of the star.routo gang of which Dor
sey was the head, the latter has the efTrontery
| to declare that the President promised to pro-
tect him. Mr.. Daggett was present with the
President when Dorsey sent a note pleading
for Gods sake and for his family'5 sake for
an interview, and Garfield refused to see him,
| declaring that it could do no good, for the
| investigation of the star route frauds was in
the hands of the postmaster general and the
Encouragement, and he could not interfere
in any way.
Until Dorsey backs up his ghoulish attacks
on the name of the dead President with some
thing beside his own unsupported word, it
seems to us there is no occasion for Repub.
licans, or for any honest minded man, to pay
the slightest heed to them.