Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-22

arrived home found there were several reg
iments there full; that they we're subject to be
called into the field at any moment And it
proved to be so; for although many of these
goods were delivered before the time expired.
we found they came none too soon. w. H.
Glenn L Co., represented house in Boston, |
think, who had sent them samples of goods.
They we're similar to regulation goods, but we
did not consider the cloth was heavy enough. The
goods fimsy, and the thread was
loose and not well spun. You could
take the fabric in your fingers and
pull it apart. | think | took piece of it to
the Office of the Governor. | conferred with In
spector General Murphy in regard to the matter.
and told him was not judge OF the goods.
think the Governor, or some one ABOUT the State
Department; recommended me to call in few
tailors to pass their judgment in relation to the
quality of the goods; but, upon looking around
little, found that every tailor in this city
interested with some CT the bidders and if
should call in the | intended the others
would have objected So l told Col Murphy
that we had better rely upon own judgment
in reference to the matter Glenn came to me
with letter from the firm in Boston. offering to
give me two and half per cent. on the contract.
| told Glenn, if | had INV way about it,
would consider his bid at all for Offering such
bonus as that; that they had known me for
years. and that they ought to know better than
TO offer me bribe. He said could use it for
any purpose | liked / said that was all so. |
told them It was all proper to give something for
this cause provided they did so after the contract
was completed; but that il they put in their bid
upon the suppOsitiOn that this amount would
have to be paid out of the proceeds, they had
better deduct the amount ~ once, and then
their bids would stand better chance OF being
received. | think they did that aftcrward. When
the day came for awarding the contracts, | con-
/ N,l ba tod mo
in awarding the contracts and selecting the bids,
price and materials considered. We did not pay
that attention to- or examine so closely those
Eastern goods should have done, but for
the fact did not want to run any risk in
having those goods furnished here in twenty
days, even on less terms, especially when they
had even asked IL they could not have thirty
/ forty DAYS. | conferred with Governor Morton
about the matter mt that time, and he said we
must do the best could and no risk OF de-
/ Law as the troops we're here and might be called
| into the field Mt any moment. Ten regiments
were to be clothed, and the uniforms we're OBJ
tanned at prices varying from So 10 to So %
suit.
! VAJEN says he ''was not judge of the goods
| yet he passes judgment on them himself. He did
not call to his aid any of the merchants or taOrs
in the city who were MoEGAN, practical tailor,
in his testimony, says he 'examined GLENS's
I
samples closely" and that if he "was in the place
for receiving contracts for those goods. he would
have taken GLENN's proposition at three dollars
more than he would have taken the others for"
| GLENN SAYS in his testimony that che put in the
bid because he wanted the soldiers to have good
clothes, and because he wanted the reputation
also, and not because he wanted to make any
thing out Of it," He offered to deduct from his
proposal the two and half per cent he
to receive for making the contract, which would
have reduced his bid for the best suit offered.
made OF all wool kersey, to 81 IS But Mr..
VAJEN awarded contracts at So %, as he testi6es,
for an article worth least 50 90 suit less than
those offered by W & H. GLENN & Co. They
did not offer the 21s per cent. to VAJEN as
bribe to procure the contract, but gift to the
Government if that deduction was necessary to
secure the contract. But it appears from the tes-
timony of GEIssESDoRFF that YAJEN was getting
FIVE and ten per cent. as a bonus upon clothing
contracts and no wonder that the vrtuous Quar-
termaster said he "would hot consider his
(GLENN's) bid at all for offering such bonus as
that
But enough of this investigation for the pres
ent. We could fill our columns for weeks with
extracts from the report of the committee,
posing the gross swindles and frauds upon the
Government in the purchase of army supplies.
General VAJEN may be misrepresented by
the testimony, and we have only referred
to his case because the alleged abuses
were practiced right in our midst, and
when the great body OF the people were moved
with patriotic impulses, and were not only max
ing sacrifices. but we're ready to nuke all that
was necessary to aid the government to
maintain its integrity. We have no issue with
Gen. VAJEx. 1t is with him and the committee
We hope he will be able to explain away the
imputations cast upon his integrity by the report
of the committee They say:
So far as Gen. Vajen, the Quartermaster. is con
cerned, the testimony compelled the committee
to question the fidelity with which he had per
formed his duties. An unpardonable eagerness
to make the misfortunes of the nation the source
of personal aggri Indictment, in the case of
other officials who have become directly in
directly connected with the large and lucrative
Gov eminent contracts elsewhere mentioned. is
unfortunately to manifest, and would require
special report, if, instead of being officers of a
State the parties were in the employ OF the Gen
eral Government.