Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-01-24
Speech of Mr.. Dawes, of Mass.
THE WAR FRAUDS.
I REGULAR EYE OPENER


Mr.. Dawes, of Massachusetts,, (Rep.,
from The Committee of Investigation OF
Government Contracts, in resuming his re
marks commenced on Friday last, said -
Sir, have not failed to notice, and / be
lieye the Committee of which / am mem
Der haze not failed to notice, in common
with the whole country, that for some un
accountable reason, the charges upon The
National Treasury, at this time of war
have been such as to reach near the bottom
of the public chest. During the investiga-
tion, startling facts have como before the
notice Of. the whole country, touching the
mode and manner of the expenditure oI
the public money. Some Of these items ]
propose to call public attention to, and ther
to ask gentlemen the plain question, wher
they propose to meet this question, il a
all, and if so, how, when and wherel Th,
very first contract entered into by this Gov
ernment after the troops had left thei
homes TO come here, in April last, to defenC
the Capital, by which they were to be fec
was contract entered into for cattle. Il
was not made with man whose business
it was to supply cattle to the market-not
with man who knew the price of beef in the
markets Of the country-but was entered
into BY the Government here with man
we'll known in this and in the other branch
Of Congress, for the last ten years, as an
old stipendary- of the class of men
who, in times past, made their money by
such operations as buying the certificates
Of member for books at discount, and then
charging the full amount. The contract
was made so that the first twenty-five hund-
red head of cattle furnished was charged at
a rate which enabled their original contrac-
tor to sublet it in twenty-four hours after,
to man in New York who did know the
price of beef, so that he put into his pock-
cts, without stirring from his chair, s32,-
600, and the men who actually furnished
the cattle in question put into their pockets
$4,000 more, so that the contract under
which these twenty-five hundred head of
cattle were furnished to the army was so
made that the profit of $4,000 was realized
over the fair market price. 1t takes lon
ger time for a thousand head Of cattle to
reach this city from the States where they
are purchased than it takes the army TO
consume them. l ask the House, at this
rate, TO consider how long the most ample
provisions of the Treasury would be able to
meet the simple demands for the subsis-
tence Of the army. Sir, poorly as the army
is shod to-day, million of shoes have al
ready been worn out and million more
are being manufactured, and yet upon every
one Of these there has been waste of sew
enty-ive cents. Three-quarters Of a million
Of dollars have been already worn out, anc
another three-quarters of a million of dol
lars upon shoes is now being manufactured
In that department Of the Government, con
tracts have been so plenty that Goverumen
officials have gone about the streets will
their pockets filled with them, and of which
they made presents to the clergymen o
their parishes, and with which were healed
old political sores and cured political feuds
Even the telegraph has announced that
high public functionaries have graced the
love feasts which were got up to celebrate
these political recouciliations, thus brought
about while the hatchet of political ami
mostly was buried in the grave of political
confidence, and the National credit crucified
amongst meleiactors We have reported
to us the first fruits Of these contracts.
regiment Of cavalry lately reached Louis
vile, 1000 strong, and the board of army
officers there appointed for the epurpose, have
condewned 4s5 out of 900 horses as utter
~ worthless. The man who examined
these horses, declared, upon his oath, that
there was not one of them that was worth
500. They were blind, spawned, ring
boReds afflicted with the heaves, with the
glanders, and with every disease that horse.
flesh is heir TO. These 485 horses cost the
Governments, before they were mustered
into the service, S5e, 200, besides more thar
On additional thousand dollars to transport
them from Pennsylvania to Louisville, where
they we're condemned and cast Of.
Mr.. Mallory, Of Kentucky, Union, asked
what regiment these horses belonged to,
and who furnished tbemg go noq
Mt. Dawes They belonged to Colonel
"iiliams regiment Of cavalry, and they
were purchased 10 Pennsylvania, from which
State they were forwarded to Louisville,
where they were condemned, There are
e4fegimenls of cavalry 70 day, 900 strong.
Il takes s22Q. 900 to put one Of these req,
imepts on foot before IT moves. Twenty
millions of dollars have thus been expended
on these cavalry regiments before they left
the encampments where they were mus