The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-04-06
The National Printing Fund and its
Corrupt Uses.


Tho testimony before tho Senate Printing
Investigation Committee, has developed a
vast deal of Executive corruption and cx-
travagance. which, though long suspected,
was never before Sc fully and fairly brough,
to light. The principal witnesses are men
who, from their position, would bo very
unlikely to make tho statements thoy have,
If thoy wcro not strictly true. To Mr.. Wen.
dell, lato Government Printer and ownor of
the Presidents organ, tho people are in.
deblod for tho following important disolo.
sures
Tho aggregate amount paid for printing,
| binding. &c. by Congress, in tho last six
years, was Ss3 462. .655,.2. or yearly aver
age of nearly 100000 In addition to
this, the printing done for the Executive
| Departments OF the government during tho
samo six years, amounted TO &37i,772 $50.
! The profit on this woik ranges from 80 to 40
per cent, averaging, us Mr.. Wcndell's fore
man swore, 30 per cent, mt lcust that is TO
say, tho work done for those ak years has
cost tho government just Fl 9lS.7I3 20 moro
than it should have done. A part of it was
pocketed by tho high contracting parties,
and the residue spnnt in Sustaining Demo.
cratic newspapers, aud in gotting pets of Mr..
| Buchanan elected to Congress.
Among the items OF tho account are S4O,.
900 per annuln paid tor printing P0st.ofiice
blanks, of which ona half won't to the printer
and tho other half to tho support of the
Government organ. called tho Union. or
moro latoly the Constitution. The Chnir.
man of tho Committee having asked Mr.
Wendell as to his motives in becoming owner
of this organ" the following testimony was
oIicited:
A.-Tho editor of an organ ia generally
supposed to command tho patronage of the
President Tncro is a good deal of this
work at tho disposal of tho Presidents say
an aggregate Of Sloo0 900 per year, more or
less.
Q--At the disposal of tho President?
Ayes, Sir. That patronage tho organ
has commanded for years. Ii is impossible
20 koop paper up hero without Govern.
mcnt support.
Q-Is this 100000 worth of patronage
you speak of at the disposal of the President
personally:
A--Tho law provides that it shall he un.
der the control Of the Heads of Dopatt.
monts but il tho President sgnified 10 his
Cabinet that hc would be pleased to sou a.
B. or Q get IL, as matter of course thuy
will obey his wishes IL has been a matter
. of custom for tho President Ia dispose of IL
Mr.. Buchanan las done it. and his prodc.
cossor. Mr.. Pierce, did it. never had an,
intercourse with the Cabinet, in the nattor
, my intercourse has beon direct with MIR
! Buchanan, and was SO with Mr. Picrco.
5 Q-You say tho aggregate amount paid
for the executive printing is 100000?
A-From sS5 900 to 10000. thinl
, that it will average 800 900.
Q-no tho profits Oh that printing ayor
= ago fifty cents on tho dollar
II A-A portion of it averages much more
u but tho average on tho whole Of it is abou
e thrty-fiSe cents on tho dollar.
Q--Was there ever any undorstandin,
with you while you had the printing that
:, portion of tho profits should bc used toward
y sustaining the organ =?
e Ayes, sir, il was given for tho purpos,
G of sustaining tho organ.
u But tho Constitution was not the orly or
e gan kept in being by Presidential bounty -
A vehement partisan press in Philadelphia
4 known as tho P'nnsyiudaidn. and anotbe
Philadelphia papor, called tho Evening ar
& gus woro shurers of his munihcence. 4
!. tho former about eleven thousand per an
NUN wore paid BY Mr.. Wendell, aud som
undcc'arod amount to tho lattor. Az tb
'e samo tmu MIR. Wendell sent several thou
at sand dollars into Ponnsy l,una to help Mr.. .
Clancy Jones. candidate for Congress in hi
scheme for defeating the wishes of the pee
plo,and other amounts iuto Lundy's district
q whoro another friend Of the President wa
~ Struggling against adverse political tides.-
70 Mr.. Wendell wss, in fact, such an eno
y nous recipient Of Presidential patronag
- that no scattered his money like hail all owe
" tho country, wherever there was chanC
'n of returning Democratic Congressman.