The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-10-01
THE JOBBERS IN ARMS-THE INSO.
G LENCE OF THE SPOILSMEN.

luE JODDEhS I'm ARMS-IHE lNSO-
-LENCE OF THE SPOILSMEN.
We learn from the st. Louis papers that
Court of Inquiry, has been ordered by the
Secretary of War, to meet at Fort Leaven
worth, TO investigate the conduct of Capt.
Van Welt, Quarter Master of that post, in
the matter of the mule purchases for the
Army. The Missouri Democrat thus states
The matter at issue between the Quarter
Master, the Secretary of War, and the mule
men;
"The issue between the Secretary of War
and the Quarter Master, is that the latter has
been too exacting in his dealings with the
contractors; that in several cases he rejected
mules which they allege came up to the spe-
citications of the Department, and that the
price he set on those which he accepted was
below their market value. He is also accus-
ed of partiality TO few of the contractors,
but the gravamen of the charges against him
is that he refused, as the agent G: N me goya
eminent, to accent all the mules which
"'sfe ofrered to him by some contractors, and
also abused the discretionary powers with
which he WINS invested by paying them prices
which, though in reality exorbitant, were be-
low the calculations of their cupidity, and
the promises of those politicians in WASH
ington who procured for them the patronage
of Secretary Floyd Our readers may now
perceive that il is not for the laxity, but the
rigOr of his conduct that Van Welt is
brought to the bar. He drove too hard a
bargain with these injured innocents, the
mule men. He had no thorough appreciation
of the necessities the liberaiity and munifi-
cence of government which subsists BY the
judicious distribution of the spoils, and
which has spos to the amount of ninety
millions to distribute. Hewss unsophsti-
Gated enough to think that the doctrine of
equivalents should be maintained to
some extent in transactions between
the government and private individuals
Hence, if the mule was below the standard
height, under or over the required age, brok
en- down, diseased, or otherwise radically de-
fective, he refused to purchase it; and if it
passed inspection in all particulars, he bought
il together with the rest of the drove at a
price which left only some twenty or thirty
dollars head net profit to the contractors.--
Out of these injuries inflicted upon those
worthy men-the contractors-has spi ung
Court ofinquiry."
The contractors were only permitted to
make net profit of from twenty to thirty
dollars per head on the mules that were
supplied at that post, which'being below the
usual scale of punder,is not 10 be tolerated!
For our part we are glad that this Inquiry has
been ordered. We have seen many para
graphs and charges as TO the corrupt manner
in which this precious us>nue business has
been carried on; and we may now have sons
tangible facts upon the subject. We trnst
Capt. VHn Welt win .rsslse a Uowplete expo.
sition of his transactions with these sharks.
1t is quite likely that the whole business
of furnishing supplies to the Utah Army
would be proper subject of Investigation;
and we hope this little inquiry ut Leaven.
worth may lead to it.-NashpiHe Patriot.
FoRE1eSEs IN THE UNITED STATEs.-The
Baltimore Clipper says a movement has been
steadily progressing for several years among
this class of our population throughout the
country, having in view the organization of
an exclusive foreign party, that shall obtain
possession Of our federal and State govern
ments, and modify them in accordance with
their own peculiar European ideas. In view
of this movement the Clipper has examn-
ed the records and gives the following sta
tistics:
The State census OF New York, taken in
1855, contains some interesting facts that are
we'll worth public attention. That census
is more complete than any other ever taken
in the Empire State. II contains statement
of the whole number of voters in each cleo
ton district and their nativity. The mum
Der of the native and the naturaIized voters
in the ten principal cities in the State is as
follows