Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-09-27
The Congressional Robbery (!
IIcimicx Coudc crnns Himself!

hhGtsnttCs> 1OuUttthhtS IhththS'tts
Mr.. Helmick has published a long COM
in the Coshocton Age, in de-
fence of his pettifogging Report, in favor
Of paying Arthur Edwards $2S 60 trip
for carrying the mails, when Edwards
had offered to take less than ss12 a a trip.
In the long communication, Mr.. Hell
mick has most studiously avoided an
swering the charge made against himl-
He has not replied to one single point
which bears on his guilt. He has given
us his pettifogging report, and that makes
against him, by showing an over anxiety
to make out a case. He has given us the
yeas and nays on the Bill--but these
members may have all been imposed up.
on as was Gov. Smith! But there is one
point of IIelmck's communication to-
which we desire to call attention. He
says:
This bill was returned by the Presi-
dent, on the ground that it gave to the
claimants, as he claimed in his message,
more than was originally demanded Of the
Post Office Department How the Presi-
dent arrived at this conclusion, am I'M
able to say, There was no testimony
before the Committee of Congress show
ing the number of passages made by these
boats while carrying the mails, by which
any estimate could be made as to the
amount the claimants would deserve under
the bill. The number OF trips made with
the mails on board, was left by the bill to
be proven by the claimants to the salts
faction of the Post Office Department.
The only questions before us were: Had
the service been performed, by the clai
mants, for the Government; what was
the value Of those services, and had the
claimants been paid?
The testimony showed to the satisfa C
ton of ofCongress, that the service had been
performed; that the value was $2S,60
for each passage, on which the great
through mails were carried, for which the
claimants had received no pay"
Now, Mr.. Helmicl is compelled to re-
sort to falsehood, to sustain his cause
He does know how the President ascer-
tanned that Helmick's bill gives Edwards
more than double what he originally de-
! Iialucu. II He laIl nOl tIle oNiCclcc ue-
fore the committee, he did have it when
he wrote the above; for he had seen the
| Presidents veto and the accompanying
document, in which is contained Edwards
original bill. The number of trips, and
the amount charged, are clearly stated /;
and we give an instance to show how ia
tally false, or grossly ignorant Helmick
is. Take the following item:
1861. For similar service between To-
| ledo and Detroit, by steamer Ar
w, March 80 to December 81,
E5S ulpS. ........... S2UUU
There was 232 trips, for which Ed
wards charged $4,000. Now, that is less
than nine dollars trip! Helnlick's bill
gives him SIS, go trip for the same SER
vice, which will amount to over sic Moa-
sand dollars! But this is not all. When
Mr.. HeInlick wrote the above, he had be-
fore him the documents showing what it
had heen customary to pay other boats for
similar services. Take this item.
On 9th February, 1853, Southcrner,
Toledo and Cleveland 4S,4O0 pounds
29th March to 2Slh April, 1852, 49,
$50 pounds; 22d and 2ith October,
and 10th November, 1852, and 60
trips May 4th to 10Th October, 1853
at SO trip, in all. 81 ,222 60
Surely, surely, Mr.. Ielmick, you need
not have been in ignorance about this
matter, if you had sought the desired in
formation Here is an instance among
several others, quoted by the President
where steamboats, charged but $40 a trip
and you can give no reason for allow
ing Edwards $2S,60.
No one doubts that the service was per.
fomed-but the testimony shows that it
was performed knowing that it could no,
be legally paid for
There is no complaint against you on
account of recommending that Edwards
be paid something. The charge is, that
you advocated a bill, reported it, and
voted for it, giving Edwards nearly three
times as much as lie claimed-and nearly
three times as much as other boats had
been paid for similar service!
1t is possible you did this ignoranHy-
il SO. you ought not to ask the people to
return you to Congress! You were there
as the representative of the people, the
SHalulal VI TIE SuTN--anu you per-
United a bill to pass into law, giving d
steamboat captain S2S.60 trip for car.
rying the mails. When, by dropping q
line to the Postmaster General, you would
have learned that he never before claimed
aver $l2 trip--some trips much less
ond by this neglect on your part, some
$50 900 would not have been robbed from
the people! We say you may be igno
rant and yethoneSt. But there are strong
circumstances against your ignorance as
well as against your honesty! How came
McElvaine to be the Attorney for Ed.
wards? lie is your itimate friend-was
but recently your law partner--and ye
he is hired, as Edwards says in that Bate
county aflidavit--to prepare and presen
testimony in this case. What did h,
know about it? How came Edwards tc
know McElvane? All, Mr.. Helmick
this will never do--you have only go
yourself into the mire still deeper,
you will sink down, down, until the Peo
pie give you leave to stay at home.-Co
shOctOa Democrat. r
REDUCTION OF TAxEs.-The Republi