Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-09-09
rtom Ihe retlIard Adrerti,er
A Democratic Administra-
ton pays $4,000 to a Claim
Agent for doing nothing.
A. Republican Administra.
ton pays sll, 900 to a Claim
Agent for securing $4,000
to tho State Treasury.
WHICH Is THE WIsEsT AND MOST
HONEST COURSE

pera OF TINS Nihto uh'n N''u hl'hs '" ""NN
something on, Of the fact that sll 900 have
been paid TO George NJ. Weston Tor hi. two
and a half years labor in procuring Names
propor,ion Of the old Massaehu-cit. war
claim. Mr.. Weston was originally appoin-
ted agent in this matter in tho year 1882
and after only arty days service he was rc-
moved by the Wells Administration, in Jan.
uary. 1856. and George A. Fairheld' a
straigh, Wing convert to Democracy. APP
pointed in hi. stead. Mr.. Fairfield repair
ed TO Washington and remained there
through the most Of the year SO. employ
ing his time ne distributor Of eleciionecr'
ing documents for the Presidential candi'
date. Of the democracy. In aid OF the
Maine claim he did nothing whatever. and
we believe did not pretend to do anything.
Yet Gov. Wells and his Council allowed
him pc diem compensation, and expenses
Of travel. &C., which ,welled mp to the en-.
ormous aggregate ofabout FIVE THoUs'
AND DOLLARS or Scron per amt. OF the
whole claim he was nnminally prosecuting.
The charge wps one Of the most outrageous
that could be conceived Of. and no other
Administration except ono Of the corrup,
Modern Democracy would ever have dream
Ell OF granting il. I, was perfectly in keep
ing however with the allowances made by
the same Governor and Conncil Of more
than FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS to
Land Aeen, Walker. when by law and
equity no wa. entitled to bu. ono fth Of
the sum.
The people drove the Wells Adminis'rA.
ton from power in September, 1856. and
their Republican successors gave Mr.. George
Fairfield leave to stay a, home. Gov. Ham
lin re.appoin,ed George NJ. Weston to the
agency. and in view Of the outrageous
charge made by Fairfield, and allowed to
him. Weston agreed to waive all claim for
per diem and expenses and find his reward
I in q pr ctutage Of claim. actually allowed
and paid. Tho advantage TO the State in
thi. arrangement was perfectly obvious. as
nothing would have to he paid II nothing
was obtained. IL was literally a case OF
4" no cure. no pay" 20 understood by Mr..
Weston. and 80 understood by the State.
~ long as pr dam aud expenses were al
lowed there was u constant temptation IN
the Agent TO nurse " the claim and keep
il along, as IN the event Of ITS being liqui.
dated, OtheIlo's occupation " would b.
gone. SIR Weston, however, accepted the
place on more manly terms, and after doVo-
ting him.el: considerably more than two
year. TO the prosecution Of the claim, hc
succeeded in procuring It's allowance and
payment. and for this service the Governor
and Council have awarded him 10 Per cent.
Of tho amount obtained. I, is but just to
say in this connection that Mr.. Weston al.
lese that what be has received does not
cover the actual. proper, legitimate and ne
ce-sary expenses incurred by him during the
two years and q half no was was engaged
in prosecuting this claim before the various
Committees, and in procuring its favorable
recognition At the hands Of Congress.
How then does the case .,and2 4 Dem.
ocratic State Administration paid George
A. Fairfield FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS
Tor some si,rcn months lettering in Wash
ing,on, during which time he did abso-
lu,ely nothing ,opromote the interest Of the
State in the matter he was commissioned to
attend to. A Republican State Admins
tra,i5n has paid George N. Weston ,i,reN
thousand dollars for tro years and a haJi
faithful labjr-p-ul,lng as It has, in secu.
ring to our State Treasury some SEVENTY
SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS. Mr.. Fair
field was therefore paid at much higher
rate for dong nothing, than Mr.. Weston
for procuring the payment ofa claim which
had been uusuccessfully prosecuted for a
period Of for,y.four years. IL i 10 be OBJ
served moreover that the FIVE TllOUS'
AND DOLLARS paid by the Wells Ad-
ministration TO Fairfield CAME DIRECT.
LY FROM THE STATE TREASURY, and
IRA, thus .flchsd from the pockets Of the
taxpayers of Maine, while the allowance
made 10 Weston is simply par, Of the
claim whose paymen, he has occurred frotn
the National Treasury at Washington.
We IRISH he rioters Of Name 10 NOTE and re.
HeH,Jer ihD most riiai distinction.
Another fact has force and per;inence in
this connection. /, is but q few years
since Samuel L. Harris, u wcll.knowp Dem.
ocrat In this State was allowed EIGHTEEN
THOUSAND DOLLARS Tor his agency in
merely presenting and receiving one Of the
Maine claims growing out Of the ARGOS.
took war. All the claims connected with
that war we're easily obtained. and the
agency Of Harris was comparatively asine-
cure and yet Democratic Council al
lowed him EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DoL-
LARS. The claim prosecuted by Weston
was on the other hand one OF q most COM
plicated aud difficult character. Ii had re-
NAMED unpaid for far,y,tOur years. aud II
was 90 covered over with rubbish and dam
aged by delay, that no man bu, one Of tac,
sagaci,y and address, could present it in a
light tina, would secure the favorable con-
.iden,ion 81 Congress. Mr.. Weston did
all this, and yet has received seven thou''
and dollars less than was awarded to llar'
ris for HE services on the Aroostook claim
u a. u