Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-04-05
CORRUPTION UNMAsKED.

The ulcer Of official corruption has been
probed pretty thoroughly by the Congression-
al Committee on Public expenditures, under
the skilful lead of Hon. JOHN b. HAsKIY-,
The report was laid before the House on
Monday afternoon, and forms revelation of
venality in high places, such as the secret his
tory of the worst despotisms in existence could
hardly parallel At most, we can only give a
brief ontline of this gigantic, and too successful
scheme to plunder the National Treasury, for
the purpose of controlling the elections, local
and general throughout the North, for the
benefit of the dsurion Democracy.
We gather from the Report, which is very
volumiaous, that Mr.. George Washington
Bowman, Senate Printer, and editor of Mr..
Buchanan's private organ, IHe Constitution,
actually receives some forty thousand dollars
per annum for doing nothing and from the
testimony of Mr.. Wendell, we learn, that
during the last sir gears of Democratic rule
alone, more than Seren hundred thousand dol
lars of the public money has been squandered
upon printing, ostensiJLy but for the support
of such newspapers as the Penusplranian and
Constitution, and for the control of elections
in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, realtg Of
which fact there is the amplest evidence.
Mr.. Wendell testifes, that while Mr. Stead
man was elected printer to the House during
the 35th Congress, that gentleman never dis
charged the duties Of the Office but that be,
Wendell, was de faotO printer-paying Stead
man the sum of Ga cents on the dollar for
doing the work, and retaining sc per cent
Mr. Wendell supported the Washington Union,
the Presidents organ, at the cost of $4,000
per year, over and above its receipts and in
| 1858, contributed money to carry elections in
several districts in Pennsylvania--among which
were the districts Of Mr.. j. CLANCY Jones and
Mr.. Tom Florence. And the disposition of
the plunder was made in accordance with a
tacit understanding between Mr.. Wendell and
the President, the latter having this huge
"tGke" of patronage to bestow Mr.. Wen
dell testiEes further, that he proposed to Mr.
Buchanan to take away the stipends paid to
the Pennsylranian and Argus of Philadelphia,
and apply the sums to the elections in Penn
| sylvania-in the districts where Jones, Landy,
and Florence were candidates for reelection
to Congress, to which proposition Mr.. Buch-
anan did not dissent, and the money was so
applied This was in l858-some two months
prior to the writing of the celebrated Du
! Quesne letter by the President.
/ Mr. Wendell testifes further, that the Ex-
ecutive Printing ranges from $4,000 to
800, 600 annually, and that of this patron
age not less than fifty per cent, as now dis
pensed by the President, is clear profit and
further, that he had an understanding with
both Mr. Pierce and Mr. Buchanan, that out
of these profits, the Constitution, or Union,
organ was to be supported Sometime last
March, Wendell found that he could not sap
port the Constitution, Pennsylvania and Ar
gus, out of the profits, and live and
therefore be proposed to pay these three pa
pers 500, 900 per year, in consideration of be-
ing continued in Office as Public printer. In
pursuance of this arrangement he paid Geo.
Washington Bowman 5000 to take the Go.
Vernment organ off his hands.
1t further appears from the testimony of
Mr. Wendell, that the President himself is
the supreme power in his private organ not
that he writes the articles, but that he fur
nisheS editors who write under his supervision.