Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1860-07-07
The Covode Investigating COMMITTEES.

State Journal We intended to have
presented it to our readers before this
late day, but negligence on our part
mas prevented. Read it. 1t is beati-
1ul commentary on the Executive and the
Democracy. If such facts as are here
developed do not convince some of tho
honest members of the party that Wa
are retrograding in principle and hon
esty, we are mistaken;
Dir. Train made report from, tb,
Covode committee, signed by Messrs
Covode DIN and Train 1t sets ont
tby speaking Of the embarrassment
which attended their labors. STATING
that the President saw fit to send a sol,
emn protest, in shape Of Proclamation
TO the world, that the Executive in
stead OF being exercised to forward an
lnvestlgationinto administrative aff,;rs
would be exercised to protest those
who might choose to disobev the sum
mons OF the Speaker of the House OF
VINO having obeyed his summons minht
fe1nse to testify before the committee
VINO quote precedents to show that
they have felt at liberty to investioate
the conduct of the President or anv
other officer Of the government. Tn 70.
gard to the Lecompon Constitution
they say that the country will pause
with establishment over the Shameless
record. They examined.
lst. The emphatic and indubitab1a
pledges Of the President, as wei! be.
tore rs after his election, and the nIaJg-
eS OF all his Cabinet, to the doctrine 81
leaving the territory ofKansas ncrnact-
~ free to adopt their own institutions
and their own laws.
I'd. The deliberate violations Of
these pledges, and the attempt TO con.
vert hvnsas into y slave State by means
OF torgerles, frauds and force.
81. Inc removal and attempt to dis
grace the sworn agents of the Admin.
Istration, who refused to violate their
pledgds '''
4th. The open employment Of money
IN III the passage Of the Lecompton ard
English pills through Congress.
9th: The admission OF; parties en-
gagged III the work of electioneeriDo tho
scheme, that they received eaormous
sums for this purpose.
6th. The Offer to purchase newspa-
per editors with extravagant sums Of
money.
9TH. The prescription of Democrat,
of high Standing Who woulI NOT vnn,
port the English and Lecompton bills.
The witnesses on these points were
Gov. W alker, Wendell, Bean and r
". Walker, and fortunately for the.
cause OF truth, the evidence of these
witnesses does not, the committee saw.
depend upon their own admission.
1t Is proven by the book Of records
OF the Bank Of the Metropolis which
conta,ns the names Of those who con-
duct their business there, and nv tn.
unconclous contradiction OF the wit
uesses
The testimony Of Forney is not to
be overlooked i'll this connection, while
1t shows general willingness on the
part OF the President to subsidizc the
public press. 1t proves also that there
vas strong determination to buy all
that could be bought and to crush ont
the honest men who could not be brib-
ed or reduced to ali utilization with the
Administration in its Lecompton poll
cy. Forney was offered the printing
OF the post office blanks worth at least
$4,000, on the condition that he sho'd
by an editorial no longer than mans
hand, support the Administration in its
Kansas policy.
The committee refer to the fact that
"A Democratic members of the House
opposed the Kansas policy; this num-
Der dwlndled down to II and enough
were found to carry the bill through
the House. The committee say it has
always been supposed that the war in
" ashlngton was gotten up for the pur-
pose OF fastening slavery on Kansas.
1he next point examined involved
the abuses in the Philadelphia Custom
House, and other public Offices. in re.
gard to which the committee saws there
were Improper combinations amono
federal officers with view to control
the sentiments and the preiudices of
the people In their primary political
movements.
The improper and corrupt use of
public money in the employment of
persons In the public service, in viola
tion OF the laws and government recu-
latiors, and the frauds on the part Of
officers OF the government to defeat the
statute OF the u. s., enacted for the
purpose OF protecting the public Treas
ury from unjust claims, and improvi-
dent and Unnecessary expenditures.
The witnesses are John BRYANT,
Francis and Samuel B. Rice, Francis
Mccormick, John T. Schell, Andrew
Brumaker, George Downey, Patrick
Catierty, John Dunn and others.
The committee say Collector Baker