The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-02-09
Administration Corruption.

w The main anxiety that has been
manifested by the people Of the country,
for the success of the opposition, in the
organization of the House of Representa-
tives, has been caused by the desire of
securing an investigation into the alleg-
ed frauds and corruption of the Admin
istration. Some information was elici-
ted by the last Congress relative to these
mstters-enough to show that large ex-
penditures Of the public moneys to po-
litical favori.es were made, and that much
corruption WAS manifested, and much of
bargain and sale carried on, in the pro-
curement of government contracts, since
the present administration came into
power. But with the power of appoin-
ting the investigating committees, rest
ting, as in the last Congress. in the hands
of the friends Of the Administration, it
was impossible 10 probe these matters to
the bottom, and therefore the people have
been anxious that the opposition should
control these investigations. This will
now he done, and aside from the devel-
opments in the sale of Fort Smelling, the
purchase of Willett's Point, the coal con-
tracts of certain Pennsylvania friend
of Mr.. BUCHANAN, and other matters in
.estigated last year, the recent develop
me;lts of Mr.. WENDELL, the late public
printer, made before an investigating
committee of the Senate, gives US an ink
ling of what we may expect-will un-
doubleday show, as Senator TooMBs said
last year, that the government is one of
the most corrupt on the face of the earth.
Mr.. WENDELL was before the Commit
tee on the I'd, and underwent an exam
ina,ion of about three hours. He testif-
ed that some seven or eight parties were
interested in the public printing and that
he had paid out over one hundred Mous-
and dollars within the last three years, for
party support to newspapers, and in aid
Of election expenses in Pennsylvania,
principally, but extending over New
York, New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, DC.
Doubtless, also, for the benefit of Iowa,
as witness the pamphlets so profusely and
gratuitously scattered over our State last
fall, BY the mysterious {" G. DoNNELLAN."
Mr.. WENDELL said considerable had been
paid by official authority and some of his
free will. He also stated that out of the
Post Office Blank Printing he paid in
1857, the sum of Sc, 900 To the Pennsyl-
oanion newspaper of Philadelphia, and
to the Evening Argus, of Philadelphia,
$4,000. He informed the commi ttee that
he went into doubtful Democratic dis
sricss in Pennsylvania and spent money
freely for the benefit of the policy of the
He also states that BY
the action Of the Senate in electing Bow
MAN.. who had given the work to BLAIR
Il RIvEs, he had been left penniless. with
the largest establishment in the Union ly-
ing idle. Bowman has given part of the
work 10 E. R. JEwErr, editor of the FILL
MORE organ at Buffalo. Here, then, is
% exhibition of the method by which Mr..
administration has not only
Exhausted the Treasury, but sunk the
country into debt some twenty five or
thirty millions. Immense sums Of the
peoples money have been used by il for
he furtherance Of party projects-to ad
'ance party interests-under the guise Of
'sy for public works. The people of the
Whole country have footed the bills of
be administration in its desperate efforts
o secure an endorsement for its imam
Us policy. The people had to pay for !
he hireIings who were brought into !
rLoaEscE's district in Philadelphia. in
rider to eleet'that worthy. who is an ac-
We friend Of Mr. BUCHANAN. They had &