The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-30
ABNER In WITH II
SERIOUS CHARGE MADE AGAINST
THE BROTHER OF THE
PRESIDENT
LIGHT ON WAR CONTRACTS

Former Canton Lawyer Attorney
for Firms Awarded Heavy Con-
tracts by the War Department
-ROOseveIt Managers in New
York Revise Their Figures-In-
vestigation by Congress Urged.
WASHINGTON, Oct 29,-The attack
made by William Aston Chanler, Dem
Ccratic candidate for congress in the
Fourteenth New York district, on Alb
per Mckinley, the presidents brother,
in a public speech, has been the sub
ject of much comment among the poll
ticians of both parties in Washington.
Mr.. Chanler is a man of wealth and
position and is responsible for his ut
terances.
While addressing a meeting in his
district, he charged that Abner Nc
Kinley had made a pile of money dur
Ing the war by acting as attorney for
a number of clothing firms which had
obtained contracts from the secretary
of war for supplying uniforms for the
soldiers in the field.
Mr.. Chanler went on to say that in
many cases the clothing thus supplied
was made of cheap and worthless ma
serial which fell to pieces when eX-
posed to the rain. He insisted that it
would be the duty Of the next congress
to Investigate the methods by which
thN , contracts were awarded, and that
the investigation ought to be in the
hands of a Democratic committee.
1t has been matter Of common
knowledge in this city for more than
a year that Abner Mckinley was doing
a paying business by acting as attor-
ney for claimants and contractors in
the various departments. He was for
merly an attorney at Canton, o., but
soon after the election Of his brother
William to the presidency he removed
to New York, where he opened law
office in Wall street. About the time
that President Mckinley took hold of
the helm Of state Abner Mckinley
came over to- Washington and estab-
lished himself at the Ebbitt house.
MADE MONEY.
He remained in Washington during
the extra session of congress in the
spring of 1897 and returned here again
last fall. He was in Washington al
most continuously from the time con-
gress assembled last December until
the peace protocol with Spain was
signed During the winter he had a
good deal of business in the interior
department. In one mining case from
Colorado he received a fee of $4,000,
and he also collected another princely
fee, for looking after the interests Of
a wealthy Tanchman in New Mexico.
When the trouble with Spain began,
Abner Mckinley transferred his atten-
ton to the war department, and it was
q matter of common talk that he ap-
peared as attorney for most of the sue
cessful contractors. Some time in May
last he was said to be interested in
H-aHr i11.cr 1G6 70 nply
a contract for supplying clothing to
the amount of about $50, 900. 1t turned
out afterWard that responsible Phil
adelphia firm had submitted bid $10,-
000 less than that of the New York
manufacturers.
The Philadelphia concern threatened
to make trouble, but was finally silenc-
ed with the promise that it should
have q good contract for supplying
clothing as soon as another award
was made. The promise was kept and
the Philadelphia dealers secured an
award at even better figures than had
been obtained by their New York RI
walls. This method of paying hush
money" prevented the exposure of a
gigantic scandal
BAIT FOR HENCHMEN.
A story was sent out from this city
to all the Republican newspapers in
the country to the effect that Presi-
dent Mckinley intends Immediately af-
ter the election to exempt about 5000
places from the classified service This
story did not have its origin in the
White house but in the Republican
campaign headquarters in the Nor
mandie hotel
Chairman Babcock and his associat ties
have found their greatest difficulty in
:. arOusing enthusiasm among the voters
Of Ohio, Michigan and Indiana because
the Republican voters in those states
are almost unit in opposing the pres
ident's civil service policy. They have
complained very bitterly of the presi-
dents failure to break down the bar
riers afforded by the merit system.
What they particularly desire is the
offices and they have declined to show
any enthusiasm in this campaign be-
cause they have seen nothing in sight
in the way Of patronage.
The report that 5000 offices would
be distributed among the Republican
spoilsmOngers Immediately after the
election was designed to stir up the
Republicans Of the states named and
have the effect of bringing the Repub-
lican voter to the polls on election day.
Investigation shows that there was
no foundation for the report