The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-04
THE GROSVEN0R CRAFT
wILY WAYS OF TRk OHIO REP
 RESENTATlVE.
One of the Republican Masters of the House Who Has Been Mixed Up in Transaction cf
 Shady Hue.
Advertiser Bureau, Colorado Building, Eah q

No moro many.sided, versatile man in congress Is there than the Honorable Cnarles Henry Grosvenor of Ohio. When ever the Republicans of the House are pushed into a close corner and need defender, as not infrequently they do
 who has wit and gall alike. with an ex- uoerant humor and a conscience that does marvellous disappearing act, your Uncle Charlie Grosvenor's white whis- kers, like the plume of Navarro, ride the crest os battle.
 When Congress is not in session, among the ways the resourceful general-he was a brigadier during the Civil War-has of piecing out his salary is to go upon the lecture platform with an apt partner with whom he engages in a sort of moot debate on political issues as they arise in the House. Number two in this ar- rangement is usually Champ Clark, talk ing the Democratic end of the argu- ment. They are said to make pretty good thing of it showing the natives the style of knock-down and drag-out settos they have in Congress.
 But Your Uncle Charlie's pretensions are not by any means confined to ayaila- ble statesmanship in the halls Of Con gress nor to the lecture platform He some time ago launched into literature and soon made himself notorious. If not righteously famous.
 It will be recalled that the public was somewhat scandalized last year by Gros- venors connection with a work entitled Lives of the Presidents" It was made to appear that the work would be pro- duct of the genius of General Grosvenor and wealthy men were confidentiaily tip- ped that the devoted Ohio Republican leader was really in needy circumstances and patronage of the books would anoro an excellent opportunity to serve an em- inently deserving cause.
 Among those who subscribed was Pier pont Morgan. who gave his check TOT 6, 900. Other gentlemen who liked to wieid influence with leading congressman were likewise approached, in most cases efect- ually. Finally. when somebody kicked, and the game got into newspaper print General Grosvenor came forth with a disclaimer that was at once pathetic ana sublime in it's style of shifting the bur den of blame for the hold-up to the shoul- ders of publishers agents. Congressmen charitably accepted Grosvenor's wall of injured innocence for an absolution New l ertheless, checks which paid excessive prices for the work were made out and cashed with that much-abused gentle mans endorsement.
 ConRressmen have been fooled again and again by fake publishing enterprises that captivated their conceit, but to be gold-bricked by a fellow congressman is somewhat of a new experience Either Mir. Grosvenor has been an outrageously used "easy mark" or he deserves a measure of the opprobium which has been uttered about him for his latest ven-
 ture into the field of letters. Here is a letter which was received by a congress- man, whose name Is omitted; which speaks for itself:
 General Charles H. Grosvenor of Ohio.
 Editor.in-chief. The National Biograph-
 ical Society.
 Washington, D. C., Jan. 12 1904.
 Dear Sir: I am directed to invite you to contribute your portrait and sketch and autograph to appear in the Depart
 rent of General Grosvenor's National
 Volume devoted to One Thousand Repre- sentative Americans
 The influence of your name on the sub scription list will greatly advance the success of the work, and will be a grace
 full compliment to our distinguished au- thor, providing the merit or the work ap- peals to you.
 pr. Montague, our manager, will ex- , plain the matter fully and make a sat ; isfactory arrangement with you. (Signed) Very truly. L. s. Bahnsen, Secretary. | 721 Thirteenth street, N. W.
 The agents for this enterprise are sent to do confidential business with tho as- , pirants for the honor of appearing among the Representative Thousand Amer- , cans" and to take advantage of the high privilege of paying "a graceful compll- ment to our distinguished author" The touch Is said to be all the way from a reasonaOie rakeoff above cost to $1. .0OO the l sum which Pierpont Mor~-n gave for last years Grosvenor graft.
 As soon as this last performance was bruited abroad Grosvenor got out a prompt denial, but not before quite a number of susceptible people had suc- cpmbed to the Embellishments of the prop- osition. It is extremely doubtful if any ; man occupying approximately so impor- ! tant position in public life and in inc councils of his party has had to face, ana inenectually has denied, so many se- rious charges refiecting upon his char acter, as Charles Henry Grosvenor, who mas been Republican leader for more than thirty years.
 Eighteen years ago he came to Con- gress and has served continuously, with the exception of the Fifty-second Con- gress. He early attained prominence among the Republicans of the House by his ready tongue and brazen effrontery after attacks that would have made most men SuDS1de or light. He was the chief exponent and Sir Oracle of the Mo Kinley administration. He is a ready re- hance of the party in its present emer- gencies, as they arise in the House Grosvenor has always been vehement in advocating everything asked for by the old union soldiers; he plays patriot ism for all it is worth. waving the old flag as he appeals for an appropriation; he has fought civil service in a way that would have made Theodore Roosevelt, if he were still civil service commission CT, instead of President. gnash his num- : erous teeth most awfully. His fellow Re- publicans appIauding his attacks upon the civil service. vote the other way as soon as the question Is tested
 Still Is he a trusted Republican lead CT, as member of the Committee on Rules, one of the three Republican mas
 ters of the House of Representatives ] Many a little measure, sman of conse } quence to any but the author hangs upoi the pleasure of the three which include General Grosvenor. Hence the alacrit with which the enterprising publishers ] fiattering biographies see in his name an influence a powerful leverage to woI their game of hold-up graft.
 . It Is not doubted that the agents of Il
 publishers are over-Zealous in their re, , resentations, neither Is it doubted the ] General Grosvenor for a large measu of their assurances to intended victims { k. H. Watkins