The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-04-14
4 Contemplate Figure.

Washington in the contested elee.
ton ease of Manning against
Chalmers, Mr.. Jay Hubbell was
called on to give an account of a
small part Of his stewardship of
the Republican Campaign Fund
raised by so-called voluntary con
tribution from the government
clerks, laborers aud scrub women
not forgetting the postOtfice eat.
Mr.. Chalmers is the Mississipian
who tried. in the last Congress, as
a Democrat, to get the seat to
which very respectable eolored
Republican, Lynch, had been fair
ly elected. Being defeated in that
attempt he appears to have enter.
ed at once into communications
with the Republicans; or, rather,
with Mr.. Jay Hubbell. Hubbell
testiiies that he had an interview
with Chalmers about tho time
Chalmers was turned out of Con.
gress,n in which Chalmers told him
he proposed to 20 to Mississippi
and announce himself as an indie.
pendent administration candidate.
After some conversation the re
port before us continues: seen.
Chalmers said to witness (HubbelD
that he had been to a good deal Of
expense in making the contest, and
alleged other reasons why he was
short of money aud wanted assis.
tance, and urged that there was no
better way of spending money
than by doing so il u Republican
victory was really wanted in that
district" Even Mr.. jay lIubbell
appears to have been little dis
gusted with Chalmers, for the re.
port goes on tosay: "The witness
replied: "General, you go down
there and make the race in your
district, as you talked here. ! will
give you $3.50 as u send off, but IL
must be upon the distinct under.
standing that the committee is to
have nothing to do with your fight
and to furnish no further old,
either in money or otherwise"
Mr.. Hubbcll has not the rcputa-
ton of being squeamish, and this
is his reply, which would have sent
almost anybody except Chalmers
away with blush of shame on his
face. But Chalmers is not that
kind Of u man. lie returned to
the charge, for the report con-
tinues: General. Chalmers said
"Suppose the Republicans of the
district dominates me; what will
you do thenir We will c0nsid.
or that question when 1t comes up
or we will consider other questions
when they arise replied Mr.. Hub.
bell, who invited Gen. Chalmers
to call in the evening and receive
the 250 dollars. Thcreupon Mr..
IIubbell testified, "IIc called IN
the evening and the money was
paid.n 1t must be remembered
that Gen. Chalmers was not yet Il
candidate. He had just, to use
Mr.TTubbelps very accurate phrase
"been turned out of Congress-"
the House having declared by o
non.partisan vote that he had un.
justly. claimed and wrongfully sat
in the seat of Mr.. Lynch. He
had not been nominated by any
convention of any party. He pro-
posed scheme to Mr.. Hubbell
which appears to have disgusted
even that not over-nice politician.
He pleaded poverty; he "had been
at a good deal Of expense in ma.
king the contest for a seat to
which he had not the shadow of a
rightful claim, but had he not
drawn the pay of congressman,
to which he was not entitled He
besides, says Mr.. Hubbell, sal
legged other reasons why he was
short Of money!" and Mr.. Hubbell
after good deal of pleading by
Chalmers" After quite u long
conversation says the report-an.
swered him as one answered a
beggar who has become tiresome.
lie said. Call in the evening and
Ill give you some money! $3.50
namely. And Chalmers " called in
the evening and the money was
paid" Now, campaign funds"
will, We suppose, be raised and
disbursed even tho government
clerks may not be deprived oftheir
wages to furnish them. But the
object of a campaign fund to de-
fray the legitimate expenses of a
candidate after heis nominated; to
enable him to make his can didacy
properly known to the people.
Moreover, a candidate with a nice,
or even a tolerably nice, sense of
honor would refuse with indigna-
I ton to receive or handle this mOn-