The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1860-04-12
Congressional Investigations.


corruption has eaten its cankering way through
the Democratic party, until il has reached the
President himself. After reading the Presidents
Fort Duquesne letter, in which he expresses fears
that bribery aud the free use of money in buy
ing votes, will subvert our liberties, and then
reading the developments ofhis personal friends,
duplicating J. B. himself, we are led to exclaim:
" Is il possible he should know what he is and
yet be what he is P' No wonder he fears inves-
tigation, aud begins to denounce in advance, as
petjurel oil who may reveal any of his iniquties
after the IN mn ,r of the COMMON pilferer-.-
protests his innocence to the Court, and de-.
cares all witnesses perjured who shall testify
against him. Would it not be well for 10 cofoco
editors to give this testimony to their rea.
dtrs as part Of the current news of the day,
m rely; for no Que expects them % condemn any
of the corruption Of the Democratic party, Here
is a fue field for retronchment aud reform, i'll
you can withdraw your attention for short
time from the public canals, which age aud DO.
cay, and railroad competition, have rendered
less productive than formerly. As you fail to
make out case with the Public Works. per
haps you Can do something toward explaining
these abuses in your own party
MR.. WENDELL ON THE STAND.
Question by the Chairman. Was there any
condition affixed to your doing the work of the
35th Congress, by which you were to own and
conduct the Government organ, the "COnstitu.
ton"
Answer.-No, sir.
Q.-That wos voluntary enterprise?
Vac cir The n1itnr pf tho nrD "a ia unn.
erally supposed to command the patronage OF
the President. There is good deal OF this work
at the disposal Of the President--say All agSre.
gate OF one hundred thousand dollars per yc .r,
more or less.
Q.-At the disposal of the President?
| A.-Yes sir, That patronage the organ has
commanded for years, it being impossible to
keep paper up here without Government sup
| port.
Q.--Do the profits on that printing average
| fifty cents on dollar
A portion OF it averages much more; but
| the average on the who Of it is about sixty
| five cents on the dollar.
| Q.--Was there ever any understanding while
you had that printing that a portion of the
| profits should be used towards sustaining the
organ?
A--Yes, sir, it was given for the purpose of
sustaining the organ. never had anything to
say about it.
Q.-Who was your editor =?
A.--Mr. Appleton, MIR. VIM. A. Harris, Mr..
! Simeon Johnson, and Mr.. r. w. Hughes. They
were changed often.
| @ Il ask whether you can state, from your
| own knowledge, that sny Of the heads Of the
Executive departments wrote eiitorialS that
were published in the Uniona
| Any impressions was, | may say, Judge
| Black wrote for it. | think he wrote several
| all hat 1n tix,nIx hat
other member of the Cabinet did. That's my
impression could not swear positively, never
having taken manuscript from them. Mr.. Ap.
| peton contributed as editor, after he went into
| the State Department.
Q.--Were his articles on general politics?
A.--On general politics.
TESTIMONY OF GEORGE W. BOWMAN.
Q.--How long have you been printer to the
| Senate?
A.--Since the 18th of January. think that
was the day on which was elected. The l7th
Of January of the present year.
Q.--HOw long have you been the editor and
proprietor of the Constitution?
A.--Since the llth OF April last.
Q.--Do you pretorm the public printing
yourself or have you contracted it out !?
Al preform the public printing just in the
way man would have a printer, and UNDER
took to discharge or oversee everything pertain
ing to public printing. | employ Mr.. Rives to
execute the work mechanically for me. for
which pay him at the rate of 67 cents on the
dollar of all printing that shall be executed and
passed by the Superintendent of Public Print
ing.
Q.--How much money have you invested as
Senate Printing 10 execute the work required of
you?
A--What money have / inyestedi I have
Mr.. Rives. as stated in the beginning employed
to execute the work for me mechanically
G, Have you invested any money? Does
he not do all the work Has he not all the
materials
| A,--Yes, sir; he does the whole work.
Q.--He owns the presses, materials, and
everything with which the work is done2
A.--Yes. sir.
a--Have you made any investment for the
purchase of presses?
A No sir.
Q.--At what rs es were the Post Office blanks
| printed?
Any first acquaintance was at the rate OF
hfty'fve cents; gave them fity-fve cents and
executed the work for for.y-five cents on the
dollar; paid by the Government
Mr. Bowman here refers to the Public Printer
and Mr.. Wendell, who was a sub.cont:actor at
the time mentioned.
Q--Do you remember what is the sggregs te
annual cost to the Government for the printing
| of the post Office blanks7
A,--From $40 900 to $4,000.
THE PRINTING OF THE BLANKS UNDER BOWMAN
is GIVEN TO KNOW NOTHING
Cornelius Wendell recalled:
Q.--State the circumstances of the transfer of
the work.
! A.-0n the election of General Bowman, the
work came into his hands
Q--State the circumstances Of the transfer,
you having had the work ap to that time.
Al understood Gen. Bowman had said that
! should not be employed to do the work.
did not go near him. | went homa Some ten
days afterwards found that the work was ly.