Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-05-03
RICHMOND, MAY ;, 1899.
CO.VTR.4CTS IND B.4L.4.NCES.

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RICHMOND, MAY 8 1899.
CO,NTR7CTS IND B.4L.4NCES
The of Elijah Mix, The list of outstanding l,,
lances, aud the rumouis which have eune forIh in
pamphlets, newspapers, aud declarations the huor
of Congress- calculated TO arrest the most nnxi-
Gus public attention. Investigation is ncccssuy The
honor .ol the, naiion demands it, destinations and
charges ai,oa which even oroa atory To the
character OF institutions Already have we heard
it said NV m"s intelligent citizen, that was the
most corrupt government under the sun Ave he
eve this declaration t he exravagant and errnneou
hut 1t Is line 10 look into the chtges, and il fa'se,
To reuie them
Confidence is the base eta republic. Triisr no
piI'lic oihcer implicitly Look particularly Ia the
purse. Appomi even tiingous IL YOU could mud them
Ia watch over the tiesperan iiuii and even tlos,.
too, who have the custody oft. Ifpublic vigilance
sleeps, the spoiIer will surely COVE" Your very apr
thy NAV setluce his virtue. " Lead him not into
temptations, 10y your iem;ssness I" hut deliver him
from evil" hy your watchiulness, is the language
which even inspiration itself might apply the frlil
ties of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS business af al sorts il pro-
vci haily npt 10 he neglected, according the old
saving, " that what is every mans business is no
mau's; but in matters OF money. where the induce
memt 10 ahise is seductive, il is especially
sary TO guard against il. The public (said y
YORK pol,iicim) is great geese aud he is great
1 fool. who does not pluck feather iioA her wing"
| We lin Virsinia) have too mnch eason to he SEN
sve on dis subject There time when we
deemed that Virginian would soil his fingers with
! the public treasure. The season. however, nj
lust when the abundance oi The .crculniing medium
/ invited speculation, and the pressure which su!se-
queniiy followed induced recourse In shifts and
frauds : and II read 10 us morlifyne lesson &c hun-
uy. Men were seen 10 fall, who had been long and
| mplic!yrruscd and hut for this unhountled con-
h,lencr, would perhaps have never fallen. IL such
abuses could occur in Virginia, where the field OF
contracts AID expenditures comparatively small
what NAV we not fear the large scale of the nn-
lion. We have been compelled 10 put forth the
strength al th" law; topry closely into the con-
duct Of our public officers, andto such breaches
of trust INTO |.iopies. Ought not Congress then To
look into their matters with bsndred and At
tempt 30 stay such abuses with hundred hands?
CASE OF MIX.
TO THE TDIToRS-
Washington, lpra Seti 1892.
"1cnclose The Evening Post, that Won OPT
Mon entertained OF Mr. Nix in the state helms been
for time cit len-and may facts draw some
conclusion as 10 the contract FOR the Rip aps. L. is beev
cd y somc that other much in the same con
dition, though not uf thin comprehensive hostility
here is the question Certifying Rip Raps bull
approprating money carry into effect contract will,
Mix which clearly appears be founded in fraud,
much 10 lie injury ofthe country
FACTS.
i'We happen toknow something about This Mr. Mix
and something important zoo, fhH cannot c on
si>tcnty with our sense o duty withhold il lron, the
4 public on this occasion. Mr. Butler has said above
that there were suspicious appearances about the
4 tti'c with Mix and flr Cambreleng said 90 he did
| a contract with Mix" Nhether these eentlcm en-
were justified III their expressions eSpecng this man
LEI the following incontroveriibe facts decide
These facts given by the most respectable
WITNESSES and I hereby pledge myself aor the LEGAL
proof Of them whenever a'direc denial Shall render
tiI;u necessary and proper.
! In the year 1871, ElijaI Mix negotiated promis-
sorry note for, say, between three and four thousand
duMs, WIKI Homes aud Towns Endorsement 10 fS.-
niue! Stllv"cll, under understanding that Siwell
should not put atloai in the market, without first
of Ciupn
I TO purchase goods of Homes ~ Town, asked
them e II would be convenient TO take in part pay
i ment, their own Endorsement? VIII! marks of sur
prise, they deTIed there any such iu1orsemc nj
in existence. Stillwell was positive and returned
10 get the note to EXHIBIT TO Them meeting Fix at
the dcor he told him of the negotiation, and OF their
having forgot their indos Fment, adding that he.
was going back 10 satisfy them ELK heard him IN
lslauce took the alarm, consulted lremd and mime
ldate!y left the stale. IL thcu discovered that lie
effected the forgery by the following ingenious arti-
fee.
Sometime before, having TO pay Homes & Town =;
sum Of money, he wrote "a receipt for them to sign
near the top al the leaf III his receipt book in such
manner, &, enalIv him To cut uf their signatures
hon the receipt and leave them attached to the
blank paper below, and then by turning the paper
hack dOr front, lie turned the signatures on one side
into Endorsement on the other, and then l,y wiring
II note and signing himself payable ts Honsc S.iow1
instantly Homes aud Town appeared as insIorsers for
the same sum. This he did, aud Immediately became
possessed, with than conurers adroiincss o(
/ the endorsement of Hone a. Town, fnl upwards of
) 1000 For dis piece OF dcxtcrity, the Gand Jun
oi New York, at the subsequent sessions, saw ft 10
hnd an i7iicment ioi inlgery against Nix, which c
LOOK good care shouiu never reach Lim, and OF
course he tried. And now, reader, you have become
somewhat better acquainted with tiIe uiau with Nhon,
the agent ol tile government li,s, since the above
transaction, made q centrac, by the nomnlGlmeut OF
WHICH, NrInge as 1t may appear lie has transferred to
his IOcke, out OF The pockets Of the people the r,.
Cling sum Of tirO hundred md hcentg. IRE thousand
dOys, aud has retired To spend mancy vim leisure
aud dignity, at Gcotg eOwn, where, is We bat been
told lie has been iiving style Uf splcnlor tina,
ries With that % the most opulent men in The place"
! .r N Y. IL. Post,
The n. Y American makes tie follow ING "a mark
~ addition the above:
The facts stated in the Evening Post relative 10 f. Mix
we beeye tom inquiry TO be perfectly correct, and find
Il dcut 10 account tor The circumstances that contract
10 such an amount should have itl AN
and irrespon b!e man. without auy penalty Tor nonulil
ment ~ sociey Tor ITS hblnenL There il seems To- rs
but one far aud safe in all government conracts
aud tat is To oiy The object OF ten te pubic piper.
invite competition, give the The igst idcr
AMI take g0Jd sayy for its performance and p,, cJegs
the security failure Ut the principal With these ore
cautions, u the governmental cheated there is re ho,s,,
exmDL" ~ ~
Oh tie whole, IL appears TO nc singular ,rni,s;,c
i non, wen worthy Of investigation. The Commute,
OF tie II. oi *. ought TO prone II To the boom--Js
really that The contract was not aJ,.srf;ys ,t,
II was made is utrue that Mlx gave no secuttfys
Was the BUSINESS wretchedly cs,utpc,cd iI,;,
these essential aud Obviugs means Of obtaining
cheap aud faithful execution OF the work ,yere co
lected is II irgc that there are other contracts II
me sane situation lis II true, that during the las
| spring 90 SUMMER several clerks of uulr Offices :,
Washington did assUeiae together fur the pnrpse q
unyeiug several abuses under cogftricts
For one we think matters have NOW Got To thai p1s
that street scrutiny demanded into tie fiscal con
cer'is Oi this nation Let Congress take the neces
sary steps To have Il not by cs-Cgcio committee
'hemo"nbVdy 10 darins tlvii rcc-slui i,usj W.,