The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-02

wrath. He had promised these seeds
to the wives and daughters Of his con-
StituentS, and a new election was COM
ing on, and he needed strength about
his postholes. He tried to back out
Of his bargain. and, under the plea
variety, sought to cancel his order. 1t
will be noticed there is difference be-
tween Mr.. Bromwell's complaint to Mr..
May and the TRADE he delivered in
congress. He found to his surprise
and disgust" that the seeds were not
what he wanted, and he threatened
to call the attention Of congress to
what he declared was a fraud on the
department. Bromwell also said in
this letter that he wanted his check
returned, which he got promptly, as tho
following letters will show:
WASHINGTON, d. c., May ., 1851 L.
May Co., St Paul-ientlemcn In view
of the unwarranted and unbusinesslike delay
in forwarding my order for flower seeds to
me, and more particularly in view Of the
limited number of varieties which found IN
my regular quota. I desire to cancel my or
der, and ask you to return my check. AS
suming that the same length Of time would
elapse for the seeds to reach me as has
transpired between my letter of the oath
ut, and yours just received, about the
only use l would have for your flower seeds
would be to hold them over until next year.
l opened number of packets in my regu-
quota, ana TO my surprise anu disgust
found that the rare and valuable seeds"
for which we are spending the public money,
include one package of sunf1ower, one OF
caster oil BEEN, enc nasturtium, one bar
tonia, and occasionally an impomea in place
Of the caster oil bean, | want to say TO
you frankly that have been tempted to call
the attention of congress and the country 10
this fraud which has been practiced by the
department IN permitting you to send out
such seeds. Last year the flower seed dis
tribution contained not less than fifty vaTie-
20 - hnin and 1val
able kinds. 1 shall be glad to hear from you
j. H. Cromwell.
ST. PAUL. Mimi, May 49, 1S96.-FIon. J. H.
Bromwell, Washington, D. C.-Dear SIR: We
have your favor and take pleasure in sending
you check for $12, the amount you RENTED
US fer seeds: We have had made up col
lection of about 1900 packages of seeds,
which we have forwarded to you by mail,
and trust you will accept same with our
compliments.
You must understand the purport of the
circular letter from the department, which
was sent US, and can readily understand the
position it would have placed US IN, had we
forwarded collections of seeds under franks,
unless we had instructions direct from the
L L. May & Co.
MADE HIM A PRESENT.
The ST. Paul firm, willing to accom-
modate the Ohio man, who seemed 50
disappointeS in not receiving seeds he
had ordered-though L. L. May & Co.
were required to send but five varieties
under their contract with the govern
ment-of their own good will, and at
their own expense and loss, sent the
irate congressman about 800 packages
of seeds of many varieties. The con-
gresham was so pleased at receiving
what he wanted, and which, under the
contract Of the florist firm and the
government, he was not entitled to.
overlooked his previous fit Of Ill tenn
per sufficiently to write the firm that
they need not return his check, but
should send him another 600 packages,
which, in some manner, he conceived
to be his due. But his letter contained
the threat to make things unpleasant
for the florists because they had
stepped on his congressional coTns. He
did not at that time seem to be under
the impression that an attempt was
being made to bride him. The seeds
had not yet all been received, and the
election had not been held. He had
to have those seeds before making ugly
charges against the people who were
accommodating him at their own eX-
pense and i'll a manner not required Of
them as government contractors. Hear
Mr.. Cromwell swell up: u <'-
WASHINGTON, d. c., May IA, 1S96-E. L.
May & Co., St. Paul, Mimi: Gentlemen: i
received yesterday two packages from you
containing the. following seeds: Amaran-
thus sS eaend dull 100 ca 1Gd tr a6
81; mignonette, 100; panSies, SO; sweet peas
200; petunia, SO; phlox, so; poppy, 152; salpi-
glossis, so; verbena, 1G1; zinnia, AZ. Total
!, 400.
Ny order, and for which 1 sent my check,
was for 2,CO0. There are still 800 short.
In view Of the greater variety which has
come on this order than l found in my regu-
lar quota, ! have decided to ceuntermand
the request for the return Of my check, and,
provided the other 600 are sent Immediately,
will retain the seeds for distribution. In &C
cepting these seeds l do not wish to be I'M
derstood as in any manner withdrawing the
criticism made in my last letter concerning
the public in sending out such seeds as were
contained in my regular quota Yours re-
spectfully, j. H. Cromwell.
THOUGHT HIMSELF INSULTED.
The day following the virtuous Mr..
| BromWell received the courteous gift
Of the florists together with his check
Then he imagined himself insulted. He
had the worst Of the argument in the
correspondence. He had been anything
| but courteous, and had made threats of
| what he would do to the government
| contractors. He swelled up with pride
as he saw, in his minds eye, the gov,
eminent florists at his knee in sup
| pliance, asking him not to crush them.
| He, a. congressman, presented with a
| package of flower seeds; fndeed! If
| the remaining 600 to complete my or
der" had reached him with his check,
he might not have been 50 anxious to
pose as a purist 1t was evidently the
| seeds that BromWen was after. He
was thus consciously paying high triD'
ute to the worth Of the articles which
L L. May & Co. furnish to the gov
eminent. Here is the way he made
his Importance felt on the offending
firm:
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 49, 1861. l..
Nav & Co., st. Paul. Minn.-Gentlemen: l
| return you your check for $12, and must re-
spectfuly decline to receive the seeds al
ready received as complimentary. AS l
stated in my letter there were but 400 seeds
in the two packages received. Please send
me the remaining 600 to complete my order.
Yours respectfully, J. H. Bromwell.
KEPT THE SEEDS.
This ended the correspondence. Mr..
Bromwen kept the seeds, used them,
! doubtless, and was reelected. 1t was
the potent power of the seeds that did
| it. The incident was forgotten by the
| ST. Paul firm, as all disagreeable things
| are forgUtten-even contact with an
Chic congressman must be forgotten
sooner or later. But now that Mr..
BromweIl has taken this uncalled-for
| and cowardly means Of attacking a
reliable business house, it will not re-
! doUnd to his credit that he sought the
! safety Of the floor Of the house Of rep
| resentatives to make such silly and
| baSeless charges.
Mr.. Mays statement made to the
G o b e, together with the correspond
ence here offered, puts very different
| light on the little paragraph sent out
in the Associated Press dispatches.
Mr.. May said yesterday:
| "A collection of seeds valued at S12