Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-06-05
subsidiz,ng the Press.

The Missouri Republican contains an adj
yertisement, over half column long, sent out
to it from Washington City, as part Of the pay
for its support of the National Administration.
The advertisement is headed Proposals for
Naval Supplies" The advertisement is issued
by the Navy Department Bureau Of Construc-
ton, Equipment, &C., and it is asking bids for
the furnishing of supplies for Naval Construc-
ton, at the different Navy Yards of the Union.
We will give one section fromFthe advertise
ment: gN
Ritterg, Mains.-Class No. 10, White Pine.
Glass IL. Ash plank No. -. Black wal
nut and cherry. No 81. Iron. No. 20. Spikes
and nails. No 23. Lead, zinc and tin No.
81. Paints, oils; &c. I No. 80. Leather No.
33. Hose. No 81. Pitch, tar and rosin. No.
3S. Tallow, soap and oil.
There are like supplies called for in the ad-
vertisement, for Charlestown, Boston,) Mass
Brooklyn, N. Y; Philadelphia; Gosport, Va;
and Warrenton, Florida. Among the articles
to be furnished at Charlestown and Brooklyn,
are I" fire wood" and at Warrenton, Florida,
"white pine" "white oak log" &c.
Now, ignorant as Mr. BUcHANAN's Cabinet
Naval officers may be supposed to be, it is not
possible that one Of them ever dreamed that
there was any sense, any honesty, or any econ
ony, in advertising in newspaper 1900 miles
from Kittery, Maine, for white pine, ash
plank, &C., to be furnished at Kittery; or that
any Of them ever thought that /" fire wood"
would be cut and shipped from the banks Of
the Missouri to Brooklyn or Boston; or that
"white pine" and "white oak logs" would be
RATED down the Mississippi, and across the
Gulf to Florida. actr 3.
Then why was such an advertisement for
naval supplies published 1900 miles from the
seaboard? Simply to reward . paper for a
yenal support 1t is a deliberate plundering
of the Treasury by dishonest and faithess
Government officials to satisfy the demands of
newspaper for money! species of - black
mail' that the Administration is compelled to
pay. te
We have read of "Galphin claims" and
"Gardner swindles," and "Fort Smelling
frauds" whereby the National Treasury has
been plundered time and time again, But
then it was comparatively rich and able to
suffer losses. But now, when the Government
is poor, and is cropping about in the dens of
Wall street as money borrower, we find the
Administration disgracefuly wasting the pub
lie funds in useless advertising, amounting to
palpable bribery of a corrupt press.
And what has the Republican to say while
such small swindling for its benefit is perpe-
trated by Washington officialsf Why, it
daily teens with disgusting homilics about
"rctrenchment and reform" in St Louis.
"0ur City Government is wicked, is extraya-
CANT, is wasting money in useless expendi-
lures" quoth the Republican. And it calls
on an enlightened public opinion to compel
them to be honest and economicall At the
same time, its own columns bear unblushing
testimony to the audacious corruption and
profigate waste Of money by an Administers
tim at Washington, whose pn6lic cirtue the
Republican dares to commend to the people Of
this city and STATED
| II is well that the Administration Of JAMES
BUCHANAN should instruct as IL does, its Off.
cials here, ito Gdvertise in the Republican
only" An Administration SO corrupt and a
paper so vcnal, are worthy Of each others ex-
| elusive loye.-ISt Louis Netos