The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-01-30

mistaken One hundred thousand dollars transferred
from the publc treasury their private Golfers would be
the very lowest Inquire which the amount OF pIohtS would
probably reach Ii they do the work am perfectly VIII
ling they should have reasonable profit. | am willing
they should have proh OF live thousand thousand
dollars; and would not hnd much fault If 10 be
twenty thousand dollars. But when you come TO this
business OF banding over TO men-l net who they
arelarge fortunes object to II i TOTO Ii 10 Of evil
ample.
Mr. President no man knows better than yourself thai
the idea has got be somewhat rife in the country that
men can come TO Washington, spend one or two winters
here, and carry large estates out OF the city, obtained
too, from the government | have seen men about our
public hotels smoking segars and enjoying themselves IN
variety OF ways, who come here and remain during
few sessions OF Congress- and return home with large
estates, obtained by prosecuting claims before the depart
mens before Congress, and before commissioners here
When any man makes enormous profit here any
thing, matter what il is II brings horde OF people
upon u.s. is runous in every shape and form, and
doing infinite evil and Infinite mischief 70 the country.
am utterly opposed TO this system: have been in the
habit of earning what little bread have eaten by the
sweat OF my brow; and all of us who here in the
two houses of Congress, believe earn pretty well the
pance receive in the form OF compensation: When
have been in the habit Of supposng that Il I could by
carrying difficult through all onr courts, earn
couple Of hundred of dollars for the support OF my fam
scheme OF conductit does not come to modem ideas,
which quite rigid in my habits and notions TO
conform. Let be known, them that am totally op-
posed TO this system OF getting estates BY hchng from
The governmentcoming here with enormous claims for
quarter or half million OF dollars, and dividing the
punder with leading and able men who are supposed 10
have an influence with this Secretary or that board Of
commissioners Such conduct is corrupt-- 10 OF evil
exampe-and therefore resist it in every form. 40
not say that the proposition OF the honorable senator
designed to be scheme of plunde, but do say II will
result in plunder.
But then again inquire, how is this contract TO be
enforced, if made as proposed Suppose we enter INTO
stipulaons with Donelson Armstrong, and they 90 moi
choose exactly TO perform them suppose they DO not
furnish good paper the contract requires them to
furnish suppose they DO not execute the work N me
time stipulated how the contract TO be enforced ls
to be believed that political majority OF the two house
OF Congress getting up contract to support POLITICAL
organ will enforce that contract TO the rua OF the pro.
pretors OF that organ say they never will do il and
will not claim that the party with which ACT stands on
any higher ground in this respect than the democanc
marty | have lived long enough 10 learn that there Is
but little difference between parties as to matters ot this
SORT though there may be, and often 49, great dueence
questions of public policy We have different views
with regard TO the questions whether we should encour
age our own domestic ndustrywhether we should have
a system OF harbor and river Improvements And 4 !
whig this day, it is simply because believe lnat
with whom usually act, are indispensable to the public
welfare; and is not because believe the wing party
in general in detail is any more pure or any more non
est than the democratic party.
will illustrate my views by reference 10 tne PAST
history of Congress on this very subject
referred while ago to gentlemen tor whom nave
the highest respecthe propretors OF the National IN
tegencer. More pure, more honest or excellent genue-
men do not live on the face OF the earth. But IN the
Twenty seventh Congress having large wing malosy
printers should do the printing at the rates OF 1919, with
twenty per cent off We elected Gales Seaton printers
for the House of Representatives, and Thomas Allen
printer for the Senate We went along very well until
the last day of the Congress, (he Sd OF March ana
would remind that il any mischief is to be DONE
il is SIRE 10 be done the Sd of March There was
then slipped into the appropriation bill provision setting
aside the twenty per cent reduction and paying the pub
lie printers the rates OF 1919 in full Thus the wing
party accorded their printers than their contracts
called forI do not know how many thousand dollars but
certainly very considerable amount This statement
made that honorable senator's may see that mean TO DC
strictly impartial and indeed sometimes think am the
only entirely competent to do justice 10 ooth par
ties In this matter
And must turn to the democratic party and bring
up again the Of Thomas Richie who violated his
contract already explained and who filled the column:
of his paper for months with the cry Of ruin ruin until
be SO wrought on the commiseraton OF my democratic
friends that they the very point OF handing over to
him, according to the honorable chairman, lMr. boR
LAsD,1 cool 100000, under contract which ne naa
broken in every orm according to when ne was moi
tied single This proves concusvey that neither
wings democrats will enforce contracts against pot
cal organs So that both parties stand exactly even We
have had neck and neck race between Eclipse and
aHeny" Hence, if we make this contract with Donelson
Armstrong II must, in view oil the pas oe upon the
idea that they TO make money, and good deal H.
believe they will manage il other contracts have
been managed They will intend to do the business with
integrity and with fidelity. But suppose there shall be
dealcation in the paper il you bring them up to the
mark might be runous to them IL is well known that
fraud is sometimes committed in manufacturing pa
per have been told that mineral substance m some
times introduced into paper to make 1t weigh some TWEEN,
tyhve per than the proper materials should
| weigh | have no idea that Donelson Armstrong
would knowingly buy such paper But suppose you sup.
ulated with them you have stipulated with "A, boyd
Hamilton that the printing shall be done on paper weigh
ing fifty pounds the ream, and that is their msfor-
tune TO procure such paper and they actually prnt the
census returns upon IT. suppose. when you get them,
YOU should find the weight oil the book to be made up OF
lead or some material improperly ntemixed with the pa
per- you going TO exact anything from these gentle
men Are they TO be made to stand to their contract
Would not the condition OF the Union ofhce then come
into view and would II not be said, We must not suiler
our organ be broken up You never can enforce sucn
contract made with the propreors OF political organ
by political committee, appointed by political majority
in the two housescertanly to subseve the pubic inter-
est not to support the organ would not suggest such
an idea as that because It would involve an imputahon
on the motives OF honorable senators, IN which never
indulge.
The general tendency therefore, of the proposed sys
fem Is To corruption Ii tends foster and encourage
practices which deprecate | am sorry to say that our
government has been rapidly running down IN this res
pec fer the last few years. and the existing state OF thngs
should awaken the alarm of all good citizens.
When came into Congress the received opinion among
members was, that the expenditures oil the government
should in event exceed about twentyone millions oil
dollars per anuum and remember very well that the
expenditures by General Jacksons and Mr. Van buIcn
administrations OF about that sum, were during wnai ~
usually denomnated the Harrison campaign held up IN
contrast with the expenditure OF the administration under
John Quincy Adams, as being perfectly enormous ana ~
the highest degree corrupt Bat what now is the state OF
thngsl These expenditures have been carried from
twenty one millions up 10 about fifty millions OF dollars
and n, n naiofnI dufy for me discharge when say