The herald., 1894-09-03
THE POPPER-CLUNIE AFFAIR."
Mr.. Pepper Gives His Version
Of the Matter.
He Admits Being Partner Q
Chris Buckley.
In an Interview lie Discusses thu
Charges Brought Against Him
and Olunfe Adds Some
Assertions.

CISCO CONTINUES TO agitete tne poiiticians'
The charges brought by Clunis have
been published before in this paper.
They are in substance set forth by the
San Francisco Examiner OF Saturday as
follows:
Andrew J. Clunie, brother OF ex-Con-
gresham Thomas ]. Clunie, and prom
inent member of the Democratic general
committee, yesterday made serious
charges against Max Pepper. chairman
OF the general committee and of the
Democratic state central committee. and
demanded his expulsion from the for
mer body.
His charges are explicit. The most
serious are that Pepper has bribed gu
pervisors; that he is and has been a
partner of Christopher A. Buckley. and
that he offered to turn over the party to
Buckley when that worthy returned from
his fight to Europe.
These charges have been rumors ever
since Pepper declared against Buckley
and opposed the nomination of DR.. Stan
ton for railroad commissioner. Now,
however, they have been made in such
shape that an investigation will proba-
bly, be held by the general committee,
which does not hold regular meeting
until next Tuesday night.
Mr.. Pepper admits that he paid his
proportion OF q regular monthly sum to
Crimmins and Kelly, who controlled the
last board OF supervisors, in order to
| protect his interests in the street.
swesping contract. He also acknowl-
edges the partnership with Buckley.
He denies, however, the other sharges
in Mr.. Clunie's letter.
The same paper says:
Mr.. Pepper was just IS plsin-spoken
as Mr.. Clunie in the matter, and did not
seem particularly disturbed by the
charges or their gravity.
There Is certain amount OF truth
and large amount of falsehood dexter
| ously woven in this letter." said Mr..
Pepper. after he had carefully read the
charges. "Care will have to be taken in
separating the one from the other.
"Clunie's incentive in writing this
Statements is nos difficult to find He
and separated politically on the ques.
ton OF the nomination of railroad com
missioner from this district. 1 was for
Hinton and he for Stanton, and he sue
ceeded. The inference as to who was
behind him is patent.
There is nothing to deny in the
statement that Buckley and myself
were interested together in contracts
the drayage for the custom house and
in sweeping the streets of this city. The
frat expired last juno; the aecond in
July, two years ago.
''There were three bids for the custom
house drayage, which We had held for
several years. The highest was my own !;
the second was that Of the Stetson-
Renner Draying company in which
was interested, and the third and lowest
WAS that of the Overland Transfer con-.
pany. To understand the situation you
must know there are two classes of work
to be performed-one for the govern
ment and the other for the merchants.
The Overland's bid was in favor of the
government, and ours in favor OF the
merchants, and it was a question with
the treasury department which should
be selected. They were rent on here to
be figured upon.
I'm this uncertain condition OF affairs
We came to an arrangement. We did
not press our claim to be awarded the
contract. and rather than 90 on to Wash
ington We compromised, the Overland
paying US $l00 month during the three
years OF the contract. 1t was perfectly
legitimate transaction. l should have
liked to have sold them nv plant, but
they had one of their own. and the other
arrangement was made. 1t obviated 60
ing east or the department. settling the
matter for one or the other OF us.
las to the statement that | tried to
get $50 200 more out OF the government
on my separate bid, the fact is did put
in high bid. did not want to do the
work any longer for the price 1 had been
receiving for hauling. There was not
much in 1t, and there were only two
| years that it was worth very much.
II used no pull at Washington to get
the contract, and il Assistant Secretary
Hamlin were here he could tell you so.
Why, when he came out he said, in the
presence Of Collector Wise, that had
never mentioned the fact that l was
bidder for the drayage contract, and he
was sorry for it, as he might have been
OF assistance to me in procuring it.
The bidding is competitive. and 70.
ceived my first contract under Repub-
licsn administration. 1 never spoke of
my bid this year to Secretary Hamlin
or to any one else in the treasury de-
partment.
"Three clerks are selected on the
morning OF the day on which bids are
to be opened and no one knows before
that who they are to be. They open the
bids and the contracts are awarded. In
this case it could not be decided which
of the bids, the Overland or the Stetson.
Renner, was the lower, and they were
sent out here to ascertain. Then made
the arrangement as l have told you with
Mr.. Tilden.
THAT statement about the cabinet
minister is all fudge. SO is the other
about my denouncing Cleveland. never
denounced him, but criticised him in
reference TO his courEe ON the Chinese
legislation, and told him did not think
Daggett was suitable man for the
mint.
IF am to be accused of stirring up
strife in the Democrttio party, then the
gentlemen with whom 1 am associated
are accessories" continued Mr.. Pepper,
as he glanced about the room and his
eyes fell on the forms of several of his
political friends who had assembled
around him. "Yon can assure the pub
lie that did not start this combination,
or caucus. as you may choose to call it.
1t is union of several groups, and was
started before l joined it. Clunie is
angry because he cannot control 1t;
that's all the matter with him.
"You want to know about the street
sweeping contract. Buckley, Joseph 2.