Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-18
MIR. DORSEY TO MIR. MARTIN
He Pays His Respects to the Republican
National Committee.

Gen. John a. Martin, AtchISOn, Hon. :
| DEAR SIR-At the time when was con-
| fined in dark room, not able to see the
walls that surrounded me, | received a
letter from you which answered by die
tation, as / have been obliged to do for
many months.
L supposed my answer was sent you,
| but it turns out the stenOgraphic notes
were never transcribed. | regret this for
the reason that l would not wish to feel
| guilty of discOurtesy to man who has
| always been just to me.
When l was appointed Secretary of the
Republican National Committee at the re-
quest Of General Garfield, and accepted
| the place at the earnest solicitation of
| General Arthnr, representing the Grant
side of the house, and the Hon. William
K. Chandler, representing the Blaine
| side, / made the same request of Cover
nor Mccormick, who was my predecessor,
that you have made of me.
l had, at that time, fanciful notion
that a record had been kept of the Repub-
| lican party that showed its life and pur-
| poses, and that would leave a permanent
history of it's honorable existence, and
what had transpired in 1856, 1860, 1864,
1868 and 1872, and that that record be-
| longed to the Republican National Com
mittee, and that the Secretary was the
| proper custodian of it. The answer / re-
ceived from Governor Mccormick was
that no record had been kept; that bon
| fire of forgetfulness was built to eat up
what we had the right to assume to be the
evidence of honesty at the end of each
campaign.
By the great mass of the people of INTEL
| ligence in the North it is believed now,
and will be believed for all time, that
| there is not a scrap, word, a dot. or a
| line in any record that will show a wrong
full act on the part of any person charged
with the duty of representing the Repub-
| lican party during a national campaign.
MIR. Chandler was unquestiOnably the
abiest man who served as an executive
officer of the Republican National Com
mittee. being one of the first, if not the
| very first, who was recognized as the real
head of the Republican party in the
sphere assigned him. 1t was therefore
only proper that those who followed him
should be governed by the precedents laid
| down. Mr.. Chandler gave Governor Nc
COrmick no records. Governor McCOr-
mick, in response to a letter similar to
this one you have written me, told me he
had no records to give.
They were my predecessors, and you
are my successor. have nothing more to
give to you than they had to give to me.
have great mass of papers relating
to the last campaign. They are chiefly
made up of letters addressed to me, and
letters written by me to others, in which
no one could have the slightest interest
except to obtain curious information.
When | accepted the Secretaryship / made
it a condition that not a penny of money
subscribed for political purposes should
come into my hands, and there never was
a dollar of subscribed funds received by
me or paid out by me personally. Money
was used under my direction, but all my
personal expenses and the expenses of the
clerks serving with me, were paid from
my own pocket, amounting to something
over $4,000.
say this much lest YOU may think that
have records showing the receipts and
expenditures of 1880. The only records of
| that kind | have are the paid checks of
| my own contribution, and the unfortunate
/ bank book showing the charges of my
own folly.
l regret more than / can tell that /
made it possible that such records should
| be in my hands, but they are here, and /
| think best to keep them as a reminder of
| the splendid gratitude of dishonest power.
l do not owe the Republican National
Committee cent Of money or a grain
of thankfulness. In the midst of a
storm brought about by the efforts |
1 had put forth under its directions, and in
| its behalf brutal assault was made up
/ ON me at the last meeting of the COMMITTEES
when was not present to defend myself.
But one among the forty men,
bers present had the courage or
manhood to resent the misera-
BILE cowardice of an ambitious hypocrite.
But never mind that. The balance sheets
of justice will some time be written by the
hand Of honor.
So far as you are personally concerned,
! if there is any paper in my possession, or
anv suggestion can make that you think
will be useful to you, j will be gratified to
respond to your call. Sincerely yours,
STEPHEN W. DORSEY.