general matter, we will do it. I have asked you how it was that these men came to meet?-A. Because I sent for them by letter.

Q. I asked you what were their politics, what they were there for, and I ask the question again: What particular influence did you expect these twenty-five men, who were not public speakers, to exercise on the election ?-A. I am just coming to that point. I sent for these men, and I sent for the other men.

Q. I do not care about the other men.-A. I sent for the other

men

Q. Leave out the other men, if you please.-A. I sent for them and for the other men with a view of arousing them to do what they could in the campaign. I did not know what the other men could do what Mr. Mudge, for instance, or Dr. Davis, of Fall River, could do. It was enough for me that they were influential citizens and that they had influence locally in the community in which they lived that they could exercise. It was not anything of any account, perhaps. Everybody knows what it is, that such men have means of influence that they can exercise.

Q. Now we are getting down to the question. You expected Dr. Davis, when he was engaged in his professional practice and attending upon his patients, to impress upon them the necessity of voting against Butler?-A. I submit that that is not a proper question.

Q. It is a proper question. Did you not expect him to use his proper influence in his sphere ?-A. I shall be very happy to answer any questions, but any attempts at wit and drollery I shall not.

Q. I have the least wit of any man you ever knew; certainly not as much as a Massachusetts chairman.-A. I did expect Dr. Davis to do what he could in Fall River.

Q. Then you come right around to my question, whether in the course of his professional duties and in his intercourse with his patients he should urge upon them the necessity of voting the Republican ticket in this anomalous election that you speak of?-A. Precisely.

Q. As to this Mr. Mudge, was he a manufacturer?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. Did you not expect him in his daily walk and within the sphere of his influence to use the same kind of persuasion and influence, whatever that personal influence might be, in the same direction ?-A. In any direction that he thought might be made effective.

Q. You did not want him to go for Butler ?-A. I did not suppose that he would.

Q. Then you wanted him to use his influence, to whatever extent he might have that influence, in this line; and so of each one of these men who were called together by you. Did you not call them for the purpose of having each one, so far as it was possible for him to do it, to use his personal influence over others?-A. His legitimate influence. Q. Did you undertake to fix limits?-A. No, sir.

Q. You left them to be the judges as to whether the influence they would exercise was legitimate or not?-A. They were men of such character that they did not need any intimation.

Q. After you had portrayed to them in the glowing terms you have repeated here the exigency that was upon them and the very great necessity of their using any influence they might have, then you left it to each one of these men to work out the kind of influence that would be most efficient?-A. Oh, certainly. Their character was a sufficient guarantee that they would not abuse any influence they had.

Q. How many meetings did you have in the last campaign in which you impressed upon those in attendance the necessity for that kind of

individual influence and effort?-A. I could not give you the number of meetings.

Q. You had one at Worcester ?-A. That was the one that Colonel Washburne had.

Q. You and he doubled on that?-A. It was an every-day occurrence that somebody was invited to meet me.

Q. Those somebodys that you invited to meet you were persons who you supposed exercised influence beyond their own votes, or might exercise some influence?-A. Unquestionably everybody can.

Q. You did not invite to meet you any who were doubtful men ?-A. No; they were men who would work in the districts.

Q. You did not seek out men who were on the doubtful list, and try to impress them by this peculiar eloquence of yours with the necessity of being on the right side when they voted?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. These were men who were known to you personally?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. What you said was all comprised in this, that they must work and use their influence?-A. It was all comprised in this, that I wanted them to go to work the same as I had.

Q. You are not now chairman of the State central committee?-A. No, sir.

Q. What position do you now hold?-A. I have no position now politically.

Q. You are entirely out of office now?-A. I am entirely out of politics.

Q. You are not out of office?-A. I am judge of the probate court in Worcester County.

Q. Since when have you been such?-A. Since last fall.

Q. At what date?-A. It was some time about the fore part of November.

Q. Soon after the election you resigned one office and took another?— A. I had no office, but was simply chairman of the State central committee.

Q. That was an office of its kind?-A. I had resigned long before that.

Q. Before the election?-A. That is, I had declined to be a candidate.

Q. But you resigned your place, you say?-A. I did not. I never resigned my place.

Q. Then you are still the chairman ?-A. They elected a new committee.

Q. How is the judge of probate elected in this State?-A. He is appointed by the governor.

Q. By the gentleman who was elected in this anomalous election last fall?-A. He did not appoint me; it was the former governor.

Q. In regard to the Federal officers, did you have any communication during the canvass with Mr. Gorham, the secretary of the Republican executive committee at Washington?-A. None whatever. Mr. Crocker might have answered letters from him.

Q. Did you have any communication with the chairman of that committee, Mr. Hale, of Maine?—A. No, sir; I only invited him to speak here, and he could not come.

Q. You knew him to be chairman of the Republican executive committee? A. Yes, sir. I invited him personally to come here to speak during the campaign.

Q. Mr. Gorham, the secretary of the Republican executive committee

at Washington, has testified before this committee that that committee raised by assessments-allow me to correct myself, not by assessments but by voluntary contributions, these being headed, however, in most instances, by the secretaries of the different departments at Washingtonsome fifty-three thousand nine hundred dollars for the canvass; and that these contributions were from the office-holders of the United States in the different States, except in certain States where the contributions were understood to have gone into the party fund of the State. Was there or not an arrangement by which the payments made under assessment by the Federal officers in this State, together with the moneys voluntarily contributed by the patriotic citizens of this State last year, were to be paid into the political funds of this State?-A. No, sir; I have no knowledge of anything of that sort.

Q. Did you derive no revenues from that source?-A. None that I know of. The treasurer, Mr. Stebbins, may know something on the subject. I have no idea that any funds were received in any such way.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Q. Prior to the time at which these meetings were held you had a public thorough canvass going on all over the State?-A. It was going on all the way through.

Q. Speeches were being made and a warm canvass was in progress?— A. Yes, sir.

Q. You wanted to add to that canvass this result?—A. Yes, to make it sure.

Q. You were perfectly satisfied that it was going right then?—A. I was satisfied that we would win the day, but I wanted to increase the majority.

Q. Did any of the gentlemen who were in any of these meetings subsequently go to any of the employers of labor in any of the counties and ask them to have their employés vote against General Butler and control them in that way, that you know of?-A. Not that I know of.

Q. Did you hear anything of that in Worcester County?

Mr. BLAIR objected.

The WITNESS. The only rumor I ever heard was the rumor about Whitinsville, which was denied. The idea that any party in Massachusetts could attempt to intimidate operatives and live twenty-four hours is so utterly absurd that-[A pause.] It could not exist twentyfour hours, the party that attempted it.

Q. Was Mr. Mudge a politician, known as such ?—A. He was very active last fall.

Q. Before this meeting?--A. Yes, sir; he was exceedingly active. Q. These other gentlemen were also exceedingly active?-A. Not all of them.

Q. Who of those who were at that meeting were active politicians ?— A. Dr. Davis and Mr. Marston were active politicians. Mr. Pierce was not active last fall; he was mayor.

Q. Was Mr. Richard Fay at that meeting?-A. I do not remember that he was.

Q. Do you know whether he was invited there?-A. Yes; I think I invited him.

Q. You do not know that he was there?-A. I think that he was; that is my impression.

Q. Is Fay a prominent, active republican ?—A. I think he is a republican, but not active.

Q. Does he control labor?-A. Yes, sir; I think he is a stockholder in General Butler's mill; one of the leading stockholders in the Middlesex Mill. I may be mistaken, but that is my impression.

Q. Did you see Mr. Fay subsequently ?-A. I think I did. I think he was in the headquarters one day.

Q. Did you have any conversation with him on the subject of this meeting?-A. I think I did.

Q. What was that conversation ?—A. I could not give it to you in detail. I think he asked me what the meeting was for, and I told him substantially what I said--gave him my speech in brief; it was a set phrase with me.

Q. What did you want Mr. Fay to do when you spoke to him in the meeting?-A. The same as all the rest.

Q. To use his influence?-A. Yes, his legitimate influence.

Q. Did you write him a letter inviting him to come there?-A. Yes, the same as all the others.

Q. Did he say he would go on and do what the rest did?—A. I did not ask him to do that; I just stated what the meeting was for.

Q. What did you say the meeting was for?-A. I repeated my speech; and he said he was connected with General Butler some way in the mill, that his connection was very intimate, and that he did not care to take an active part in the campaign.

Q. He said he was connected with General Butler?-A. I do not know that I ought to say that he said he was connected with Butler. He said he was intimate with him.

Q. He declined to do what?-A. He declined to meet. He said he would not be present. I knew what his relations were and I thought it was perhaps very proper that he should not be present; I knew what they were before I wrote to him. That it was very proper that Mr. Fay should not enter into the campaign I can see. He said he should not support him.

Q. Because he was interested in the mill you thought he ought not to act?-A. It would not have been pleasant for him personally.

By Mr. BLAIR:

Q. Is there any further statement that you desire to make at this time?-A. I feel that I ought to state, inasmuch as it has been stated here that we had money enough, that our money was raised by voluntary contributions throughout the commonwealth; that we had no other source; that that source was ample for our wants; and I feel that I ought to say, from my official connection with the party last fall and my connection with the party for a great many years, (though I am entirely out of politics now), that the campaign last fall, as far as the State central committee was concerned, and as far as the local committees were concerned, was entirely open and above-board, honest and clean in every respect; that our appeal was entirely to the intelligence of the people of Massachusetts and that such has always been our appeal in the State of Massachusetts. I say that there was not an act of the State central committee that men or angels can condemn throughout the whole campaign. And as a private citizen, I feel indignant that any committee should be summoned here to investigate what everybody who has common sense knows are utterly baseless charges against the Republican organization.

The CHAIRMAN. The expression of your indignation will be recorded, and will be referred to in the report of the committee.

JOHN D. WASHBURNE Sworn and examined.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Question. Where do you reside?-Answer. In Worcester.

Q. Were you connected with the Republican State committee last year?-A. I was not; I was chairman of the Republican city committee of the city of Worcester.

Q. Were you present at the meeting at your office to which Mr. Adin Thayer has referred ?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. What was the date of it?-A. I do not remember exactly, but from the opportunity which Mr. Thayer's testimony gave me to refresh my recollection, it was, I think, about the third week in October. It was but one of many meetings that we held.

Q. Who convened the gentlemen at that meeting?-A. I called them there.

Q. Do you know who were there?-A. There were present the gentlemen who were mentioned by Mr. Thayer this morning as having been present, and of the others who were present I can mention a few.

Q. Name all that you can.-A. I will with pleasure. There were present Mr. Joseph H. Walker, Mr. George Crompton, Mr. George S. Barton, Mr. John J. Putnam, and Mr. E. W. Vaill. As to Mr. Moen, Mr. Thayer did not remember his being there, but I think he was there. If he was not there it was not my fault, as I wanted him there; I think he was there.

Q. You are not a partner of his in the firm of Moen & Washburne ?— A. No; I have no connection with him. There were several others present whose names I do not remember. I know that the Whitings were not there.

Q. What was the purpose of convening the gentlemen together?-A. It would not be proper for me to borrow Mr. Thayer's phraseology, but that substantially indicated the purpose. The purpose was, in connection with such other efforts as I was making there, having charge of the local campaign as I had, to develop what I might call the sources of influence or of other influences. It may not be responsive to your question, but I will say that I had charge of all meetings, and that people of all classes met at my office-the poor people, the laboring people, and every kind of people who I thought would exercise an influence on our campaign; but this particular meeting to which you refer was not that kind of a meeting. Mr. Thayer and I must have had some conversa. tion in reference to the meeting which he had in Boston (which he has described), and he possibly suggested to me or I to him, I cannot tell which it was, that that kind of a meeting in Worcester would be a good thing. I happened to learn that Mr. Thayer would be in Worcester on the morning of this day on which the meeting was held, and either he or I had suggested that these gentlemen might come in in the afternoon of that day. I remember that, without any particular direction, I got into a carriage, drove about, went to different places, and asked twenty or thirty gentlemen of influence one way or another to come into my office at three o'clock that afternoon. My office-rooms are perhaps as large as the room in which the committee now sits and the one adjoining, and were connected in a way similar to that in which these rooms are connected. These gentlemen came in at three o'clock, sat in a circle, or in a way somewhat similar to that in which your committee is now sitting (though they were in larger numbers), around a table of mine; the business of my office going on in another room where people came