Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-16
A STARTLING STORY.
Plat Charged With Trying to Sell O
Place in the Cabinet.

Apropos to the recent visit of Mr.. A. E. Bate
man to General Harrison, Mr.. w. C. MacBride
sends from this city to the Cincinnati ENQUIRER
a dispatch containing some alleged secret his
tory in regard to the recent campaign, which
is very interesting reading. He says that as he
was passing the branch Office of Mr.. Bateman
in this city, that gentleman called him in and
said: 'The members of the Union League
club, of New York, have now decided to take
an active interest in Warner Miller's behalf
Some days ago, at a meeting paper was sent
to General Harrison, making serious allega-
tions against T. c. Platt. 1t was signed by
nineteen members. To this paper General
Harrison made a reply, in which he stated he
would like to have specifications more in
detail, and that when so prepared they could
either be transmitted to him by mail or he
would gladly receive committee representing
the signers."
And what were these charges?" asked.
1T involves a statement" said Bateman.
"Three days before the presidential election
Mr.. Platt demanded S150,000. and, moreover,
with the understanding that there was
NOT TO BE AN ACCOUNTING.
The money was raised in banking circles, to
which Mr.. Seligman was contributor After
the election the effort was made to have Plat
disclose the uses to which he applied this
money, but all he would make known was that
he used this sum to defray the expenses of
Coogan's campaign, who was running as an
MISREPRESENTATION candidate for the mayor
atty"
But" added Bateman. growing more conf
dential "Mr. Platt before the election made an
effort to sell to the Pacific railroad corporations
the Office OF Secretary of the Interior, condi-
toned, OF course, upon the election Of Harri-
son and Morton. The price was to be 1900, 900.
10 mt h. 40 20, NH
up $1,000; the Union Pacific 800, 600, and the
remaining 300, 900 to be raised by the smaller
Pacific railroad corporations.
C. p. HUNTINGTON AGREED
to go in. Charles Francis Adams, of the Union
Pacific, however, hesitated unless he had as
surances from other quarters. Some kind of
memorandum or agreement formed a part of
this bargain, and, by some means, it fell into
the hands Of Calvin s. Brice, the chairman of
the national democratic committee, and he has
it locked up in his private safe this day."
Mr.. Mcbride continues: ''The foregoing en-
braces the salient points of Mr.. Bateman's re-
markable conversation. In detailing it he was
cool and deliberate, weighing well his words.
He intimated that it would in due time be
called to the attention of Gen. Harrison.
HIS VISIT TO INDIANAPOLIS
presupposes that in his advocacy of Miller for
cabinet preferment he has also taken the occa-
sion to advise the President-elect more in cir
cumstantial detail of the alleged barter, of
which the foregoing is but the skeleton. Icon
fess when heard it to degree of moral
shock, but gave it no more than passing
thought at the time, because if Mr.. Brice did
have paper which involved such scandalous
propositions his sense of duty would constrain
him to give it to the world the better to justify
his own conduct of the democratic campaign
on the intellectual basis"
Mr.. Plattis the president of the United States
express company, and Calvin s. Brice is one
of the largest stockholders. sense of fairness
to all concerned is the justification now for the
publicity of the story. inasmuch as Mr.. Bate
man has for some inscrutable purpose made a
pilgrimage to Indianapolis