The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-07-12

Senator Chandler Testiaes sSainst
Senator Gallingef
RI CIVIL SERVICE FEARING.

Hampontr0 senator py EAsoOSeFnV
BusieI, who Declares He Tried to
LevyAssessments on Federal fncials
Concord, N. H.. July 12.-Represent-
atives Of the United States civil SER
vice bureau began sitting here yes
terday for the purpose Of Investigating
charges preferred against Senator ia
cob H. Gallinger,, Of Concord. by for
mer Republican Governor Charles A.
Busiel, Of Lasonia, alleging violations
Of the civil service laws during the last
campaign In this state. The specific
1oharge eis that Senator Gaiiinger, as
chairman of the Republican state COM
smittee, distributed circulars appealing
to Republican offlceholders for con-
=. tributions to the campaign funds.
Civil Service Commissioners J. B.
Harlow and Mark s. Brewer, who ar
rived here from Washington Monday
night. are In charge Of the investiga-
ton. Attorney General Edwin g.
Eastman, of Exeter. appeared as coun-
sci for Senator Gallinger and Edwin
H. Shannon, Of Laconia, for Governor
Busiel. Senator William e. Chandler
was present as witness. As the COM
missioners have not authority to sum
mon witnesses, they could do no more
than request the presence Of those
whom they desired to testify.
The principal feature Of the session
was a long statement by Senator
Chandler, previous to which Colonel
Rufus N. Nllwell, collector Of customs
at Portsmouth, stated that he had re-
ceived circular letter from William
F. Thayer, treasurer Of the Republic
can state committee. asking for a
contribution to carry on the 00mmit-
tees work. Ossian D. Knox, postmas-
ter Of Manchester, also testified, but he
said that he saw no circular, and, fur
thermore, had not been asked to con-
tribute to the 1898 campaign.
Senator Chandler then came forward
with his statement, which he prefaced
by a short history Of his connection
with political committees. He said he
retired from the Republican national
committee in 1884 and from the state
committee in 1890. Senator Chandler
continued:
II said to Senator Gallinger in 1896
and again in 1896 that he ought to
leave the state committee tor reasons
connected with the civil service law,
but he would not CO. In 1898, much
to my surprise, he took the chairman
ship of the state committee. After
recovered from my surprise went to
him to endeav0r to cooperate in the
work Of the campaign. We talked over
the means Of raising money, both
agreeing that very little would be
needed. We spoke of individuals, of
nominees for state Offices, but moth
ing was said Of federal offlceholders.
This was on Oct. 10. Between that
time and Oct. II heard that an as
sessment circular had been sent to
federal ofiiceholders Governor Busiel
asked me if | knew of this assessment.
He said that he had reason to believe
that a circular for assessment had been
sent to ofiiceholders, and he produced
circular which had been sent to state
officers, and said that some of them
had been sent to federal officeholders.
I'VE had long conference, the re-
suit of which was that he said he
would complain to the civil service
commission unless some other way
could be found to prevent these officers
from being assessed. Accordingly
Governor Busiel, with my knowledge,
asked the commission about the terms
of the law. He came to me later and
a complaint. In this concurred.
81 called on the commission when
went to Washington last fall and told
them that l would be at their service.
This is substantially all l wish to say.
If l find that the federal oficebolders
who have been requested by the COM
mission to appear here do not come,
or II they come and do not testify,
shall tell the commission all l know
about the matter"
At the conclusion of Senator Chan
dler's statement he exchanged some
warm words with Senator Gallinger on
his Senator Chandler's) contribution
to the party funds in 1894 and 1896.
James o. Lyford, naval officer at
the port of Boston, was the last wit
ness and testified to receiving the cir
cular from Treasurer Thayer. He also
stated that the assessment circular was
sent to federal officeholders in 1896.
Ex-Governor Busiel detailed the cir
cumstances attending his making COM
! plant to the civil service commission
last October and the correspondence
between him and the commission.
Senator Gallinger asked the COM
mission if he was to understand that
the real complainant was Ex-Governor
Busiel or Senator Chandler, and was
told he might draw his own conclu-
| sions.
Governor Busiel read long state
ment as to his reasons for action in
the matter, saying that he was ami
mated by desire to see the civil SER
vice laws, in which he believed, en-
forced He considered ths's' lavish
use of money In elections uen-
ace to our national inst,.u, He
was not actuated by any unfriendly
feeling toward Senator Gallinger in
: prosecuting these charges and he had
| no desire for revenge"
This investigation is held to allow
the commissioners to examine the evil
dence and to decide If 1t warrants the
further prosecution Of the case. II
they decide that it does, the United
States authorities of the department Of
Justice will be called in.