New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-16
THE MOREY LETTER.
THE GREAT DEMOCRATIC FORGERY.

DoRsERs AND SUPPORTERS oF rms cIuMB
AGAINST TnE PEOPLE.
John l. Davenport, United States Commissioner
aud Chief Supervisor of Elections, Southern dis
trlct of Ncw-lork. has just issued pamphlet OF
lI5 pages giving an exhaustive history of the
forged "Morey letter. Tho interesting narrative
treats of the inception growth authorship publica-
ton. Endorsement and support of that notorious
Democratic fraud upon the voters of the United
States. Copies and fac-simile, of original tele-
grams letters, orders aud receipts connected with
the forgery are given. Tho bogus character ot tho
lottor is fully exposed aud the false swearing pcr-
iurics and additional forgcrlcs perpotfated ia tue
effort 30 sustain the original forgery are made clear.
What gives the history It's peculiar significance aud
value ut this time Is the fact that IL domgnstiatos
that the very men who are the ACKNOWLEDGED
Democratic leaders In tho present campaign.
William H. Barnum, of Connecticut, William J..
Scott, of Pennsylvania, Edward Is. Dickinson, Of
New-York, Bradley IS. Smallcy, of Vermont, and
Others, lndorsod anL supported the Morcy letter.
Mr. Davenport begins by remarking that his work
has threelold purpose. These he states are
f1st-To recall to public attention the forgery
during the Presidential campaign Oi 1850 Oi tho
name of the late James \. Garfield to the soealled
Sec6nd-ro present to the country plain his
torcal recital of all the facts-thooe heretofore
known as well as those until recently undiscovered
-c0nEected with the origin of the forgery, It's APP
pearance aud the false swearing perlures. altora.
tOns of documents and additional forgeres resorted
to the effort to sustain the letter alter lts pub
Third-To awaken sufficient interest in the public
mind to the great danger incident To the COM
mission of such offences in connection with our
elections and thereby to secure such legIs atom as
will tend to prevent in the future the Introduction
| of forgery element OF party success At SUCH
| times
Part first of the history is devoted to careful
presentation of the political situation prior to and
at the time of the publication of the Morcy letter:
WHAT PROMPTED THE LETTER.
The State election in Maine in September. had
resulted in the choice of General Plalsted as Cow
ernOr, upon fusion ticket of Democrats and Groen.
| hackers This gave the Democracy strong hopes OK
success in the National canvass then but SIX weeks
Oft whe II warned the Republicans that they must
put forth their best efforts ii they Xpeced 10 win
| in November. Ohio and Indiana were to hold state
elections the 18th of October, AID i was prac-
tically conceded that the result III those states
| would forecast the issue III November.
| Fortunately the lessons of the Maine election
| brought wisdom to the minds OF the Republican
| leaders. The result the laying aside OF many
old and threadbare topics OF discussion which were
| quite as well understood by the great mass ot the
people By most of the stump orators OF the day.
In place thereof there precptated INTO the can
| yass living issue-the tariff question. The plat
/ torn of each party had proclaimed the party
| position upon this issue That OF the Republ cans
| demanded tariff that will discriminate IN favor
| OF American labor" while that OF the Democrats
| favored tariff for revenue only.
|
| and all along the Republican lines WAS felt tho
pressure OF the recruits who came crowdrg IN upon
| its ranks. New interest was every where dWaAened.
| The young men, who were about 10 cast thcif hfst
| votes for a President, were found Hooking 10 tho
| Republican cause. The business men Oi the coun-
try were seen taking the most lively interest m the
success OF the Republican candidates. he EN-
ployes OF the great manufactures. Hills, ioundues
| aud shops became aroused and camorous Tor tariu
cards and tracts while on every side there was
manifested the greatest activity and the WarineSt
| enthusiasm the Republican canvass.
| At this time, and under these circumstances, was
conceived "A scheme TO cheat and defraud the voters
| of the Nation, by obtaining their ballots Tor the
| Democratic candidates. The means adopted was
! a forged letter, Wblch pulpOftti 10 Ii'e peeh
| written by the Republican nominee Tor President,
| at a date months prjr to his nomination. wherein
ne was made to give EXPRESSION to views the reverse
of those declared to be held by him in us cttrr Of
| acceptance, and the wording pi which ws- 80
framed as to be obnoxious to large class col voters
The Democratic party OF the country. teal ng de-
| feat, through its National Committee and other
prominent leaders caused this letter 10 bee pub
| shed IN fac-simile, ndorsed ana circulated it.
From the summary presented of the published
action of the National Democratic Committee oD
the letter the following is taken:
VINO BoLsTERED Up ruE foHGfnY
| Immediately upon the publication in Itsth. on
! Wednesday, October 20, OF the Morey letter. and
| before even the wires could Uc uscl 90 convey
word upon the subject from tho alleged author ol
the letter. Mr. Chairman Barnnm t,legnphed
| IN, cincinnati Hquver: -, bu,t y aHft,Ruc. ne
IN Gu0dt bdrhctts hIBdt1fug DENIAL - WORSE
IIiAN IsILI--.
AZ the same time Mr. Abmm s. IIcwtt-vth tho
raahupsa which "a both customary and ,lura,ter.
istic with Tim n h7 political career, aud ~ II
arriving tn uutdo Barnuin u zeal and portinasity-
hastoned to th,horug Hail. " hero ou thr r,oung
ul tho same daA-NldD Ner. luik Iuiid tsfrit"d
in a pnhlir Hurroh that some people mn, t,,iphU
Wt ,iue tu pronounce lt tNr NutuN lut'I u H"iYt
/ have aeon It, Wu lHulllii Nltu iirnNlHI liHia
nr.da siRnatutu. aud | have compared it W'th his
lrtt.t' n mt puaar7aion. hud hH'" "a" d'nNi " 10
ca tho afternoon Of the Same day u.tobor 20
the Publisher ul nun pto'ont"l huufrll tt lha
Asaduuartrrs oi the pcno, tatic National tunnit-
trr and exhibited tho uig nal of tho Money lnttuf
and envelope tu the mcmnrla and otnrin VIII" vera
present. Ot this interview, when lasted noma
tmo, HHh on the follow lug day, declared that,
after an examination ot the letter Mr-'is hhrhuui,
Randall, Hewitt SmaeS and the oihol piiu,l lpal
members 0l the National Drmocallc committee
who are familiar with James a. garfield 9and-
| writing, signature and modes of express on, dN pro-
H0nOced ne lrffer absolutely gth irc b.y0at dJgb'
Mrssrs Barnum and Hewitt, and ..nh, having
each publicly declared The letter genuine or IA
| Gariieds handwriting" aud the other principal
| members OF the National Democratic tonltndt tee -
| having passed upon General Garfield modes Df
expression ald pronounced the letter absolutely
| genuine t seems 10 have been Assumed that
General Garfield could not fail to concur ln Their
views public notice having been gwen by MI.
Barnum tnat denial would be worse than use
less" Orders therefore speedily given i)r tho
making ot large number OI IacsIlnue piates ol me
letter and for the printing OF thousands OF copies
therefrOm. The plates were very generally dis
trlbuted throughout the country, anu tie columns
OF the Democratic press-frOm the larger and more
influential journals down u the most lnsignhcant
and vicious OF the party sheets-wefe alike adorned
with the fac-simile
The situation IS worthy of being recalled even
though the spectacle presented Is tar from being
either eevatng or edliyIug
Here was the Democratic National Committee,
the CHEST representative body of the party circu-
lating a letter purpOrting to be irom a candidate
for the high office of President OF the nted states,
and declaring It to be genuine, when lt bad no
knOwle ge OF its ever having been seen oy lts
alleged author had taken no steps 10 ascertain
whether there was such person as the IN
divldual TO whom II was declared II hal been sent,
and had never inquired whether the Employers
Inpn.n to whose reprcsentatlye u was addIessed,