The weekly Butte record., 1862-07-12
Shocking Revelations in Public Jobbery
[From the New York Herald-l


debating upon public contracts and contract
investigating committees, and the subject
seems perfectly inexhaustible The debate
was somewhat wrenched from its original
course, towards the close of the week, by the
speech Of Mr.. Stevens, OF Pennsylvania. charg-
ing corruption upon the committees which were
investigating corruptions; and this speech
elected the mastery AID crushing reply OF
Mr.. Dawes, of Massachusetts,, of which we
have already published telegraphic summary.
In this reply, while completely yindicating his
own committee, Mr.. Dawes developed the fact
that Mr.. Stevens defence of the contractors
probably originated in the connection of rel
ative, named Simon Stevens, with a ninety
thousand dollar contract under Cameron The
retort was just aud merited.
1t is indisputably proven by the numerous
reports of Investigating committees that the
frauds upon the Government, since this war
began, have exceeded by millions of dollars
any previous corruption in this country. Du-
ring Buchanans administration matters were
bad enough; but since President Lincoln
brought the Republican party into power Of
fetal pecuation and contract jobbery have
been carried to an unprecedented excess
There is hardly department of the Govern
ment which is free from corruption, and the
War and Navy departments especially are
perfect cesspools of iniquity and robbery. OF
all the buildings in Washington, the White
House alone is free from the traces of official
criminality. On the floor of Congress are men
who profess to represent the people, but who
have robbed and are robbing their constituents
Of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Upon
musket contracts alone the late Secretary of
War squandered forty-six millions of dollars,
and We have no doubt that at least sixty or
seventy millions more have been needlesslv
thrown away during this war, or expended
not for the public good, but for private ag-
grandizement. Such sad truths as these speak
for themselves and require no comment They
must, however, be put before the people in or
der to be understood, and it is for this that we
have to thank the Congressional investigating
committees. Yet, although the people read
and understand they do not by any means ap-
preclate these facts. A true and genuine ap-
probation of gross frauds like those exposed,
does not come with reading or reflection, but
with the payment Of taxes. 1t will come to
US soon.
Mr.. Dawes expresses this same idea when
he says that, by and by, when the bone and
sinew of the country is taxed to pay the ex-
penses of this war, his constituents will ask -
" For what was this money expended ?" We
do not think it will be satisfactory answer
to rejoin =" 1t was expended TO make con-
tractors rich, to reward personal and political
services, to sustain decaying newspapers, to
provide for poor relations" But what other
answer have the Government officials? Sixty
or seventy millions of dollars have already
been diverted from purposes of legitimate ex-
penditure to enrich shoddy contractors, to pay
two and half per cent. to ship-brokers, to
support Cummings World or Greeley's gun
manufacturing Tribune, and to fill the empty
purses of brothers, nephews and brothers in
law of officials. The very politicians who
have cried most Justify, in and out of Congress,
for public economy and public honesty, are
now as black with corruption as the negroes
whom they have so long worshipped. The
very men whose bitter and fanatical agitations
have produced this war are the very persons
who are making the war an excuse to rob the
public treasury for the benefit of themselves,
their relatives and friends. Mr.. Stevens is
not the only political abolitionist who has a
brother with large contract and whether
or not Mr.. Stevens be innocent of any fraud,
it is very certain that hundreds of others, in
the same predieament as he, are indubitably
guilty. 1t may be well that the people do not
yet fully appreciate the whole truth of the
matter, and that our honest and sagacious
President deems it best TO remove the official
criminals, as far as is in his power, in such a
manner as not to expose the official criminali-
ties. If, to-day, the American people could
suddenly realize the real state of affairs in
Congress and in the departments, official
rogues would be scourged out of the capital
with lash as keen as that with which Christ
purged the temple of the ancient public thieves,
and the very Government itself would shake
like a reed before the blasting storm of popular
indignation.
No words, however strong, can bring this
popular realization, and We can but educate
the popular mind by continual iteration of
facts. to endure the truth more calmly when
the tax collector, ike a powerful magician.
opens the eyes and clears the understandings
of the people. When we have TO pay hard
cash out of our pockets into the purses of pub
lie robbers, We shall see jobbery in different
aspect from the present. Tales of Dick Tur-
pin and Claude Duval are most interesting