Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-06-13
CORRUPTION.

the present time, Is one thai we nave AZ
ready alyertcd to on several occasions and
will bear consideration again and AGAIN
nay, it is demanded by the p"hiic gooo'
We refer to the prevalent corruption wh''h
marks many branches Of the pubic service
in snite Of well directed aud honest EFFORTS
on the part OF our authorities Tor ITS SUI
preston
It i not lust. in examining this SUBJECT
10 charge the cvil'upo. the authorizes. y
is the people. rather than the authorities,
who arc to blame, and the fault lies IN the
general tendency among All classes TO maze
9noaey-frcquently through most dishonest
means and ayencies-out Of the trials ana
necessities Of the nation. The grand SIN
Of the country les a; the root Of the whoi'
mltter-coyctousncss aud greed Of gain
And this oyiingiishcs every noble and pa
,riotic sentiment. nhicts serious wound,
upon the national honor and reputation.
and paralvacs much Of honest and laudable
effort, Men. everywhere seem TO be rum
ming n nue.. race after riches and in the
effort to secure them no regard is pad to
the public good, and the most cruel stabS
arc given the country, without conjunction
or hesitation Look whore We viii We find
men who are roting in quickly and illgae
wealth. Wealth wrung from the blood and
agony and teers Of the people aud the mis-
hap, and suacrings of the nation AID yet
the posscssors of such wealth are respectabk
Not charity but riches, Is made to cover Il
multitude of sins and mon who would be
ostracscl in business circles for the seoun-
dicl at, winch have made them rich are
honprci and converted into Il spurious and
disgraceial a'istoo'acy. solely because they
have monty IN their pockets better
aud purer men who disda.med their vulgar
and rascally arts are driven to the wall and
kept in insignificant Oh urity
tn rec, ut speech in the United States
Senate. Senator Grimes of this States, who
appears % haze ~ linn elf r,lcntles Is to
expos ami Z rect the infamous abuses by
which the country is robbed and scoundrel~
made rich and powerful lays bare some Of
the mcthod~ they pursue, and the following
j, an abstract Of some of his disclosures 50
far n relates to the Navy
According to law schedules of various
articles required are advertised md contrac-
tiers put in their bids Those whose bid,
average the lowest get the contracts. Rv
collision with the navy agents or clerks Of
the department it is easy for contractors
VINO do moi Srrt.plc to cheat the govcrnmt mt
10 % arrange their bid, ON The different
II ms call d Tor n to unie.b Il hoa, i deal
ers, AMI at the same time get cxhorbtant
prices for wha; they furnish. For instance
III June, 1861, Smith Brothers * Foster Of
fercd to supply 90 ton, of Scotch pig iron at
- per ton (thc market price being S23 to
So per tom, and 20 tons Of American pig
iron for S3l per ton tmaiket price SIS. j,
II Is clear that they must have lost money
II they furnished ONLY the quantities bid
But thcy knew tht v,ry ltt'c Of he = Orch
IRON would he called for, whilc OF The Amer
lean iron much more would be REQUIRED
than the amount mentioned. and among ten
BIDS they took the contract all the rest hay
ing offered their iron at something over cur
rent prices. But the lucky bidders were re-
qnlrcd to furnish Only . tons of the Scotch
pig. on which they los; something less than
500. while they suppl d 81 ton % Amc,-
can pig At &3l, on which they mad .>l.l3l
over and above fair profit, making the net
robbery Of the treasury about 93l on thi,
single small Bill for iron. Tho same firm
secured another contract Tor ron On a silnl-
lar bni. IN which the government lost some
.@,"98. Mr.. Grimes gave several other in
stan % oi the same sort, all Showing that
the government is Systematically dctra,lo,i
III is contracts 10y this system of iictious
bidding. but it is according to lau," and
business men who would consider il q dis
grace 10 deal with each other in this way.
have no scrup.e- abou. .obbing the govern
ment legally Of ANY amount.
For quantity of brass hinges and screws.
worth at current prices 81, SO, the govern
ment paid s6,sls for 20 barrels pitch,
worth $50, the government paid S5o4 for
tarrcntine and yarnish worth sl.552. the
government PAID SAIL, for leather worth
sl,sp9, the government paid 81 SOC. on
OILS. although there 1yaG le-s cboa.:n.- l., IL;
article than most others. the governments
was robbed of some So 600 in 1868. With
tius system OF mon,trous fraud running
throash large part Of the naval cxpcndi-
lures 1t Is easy to understand how that de
partnent uses up hundred and fifty NIL
lions per year to so small purpose
The question that is naturally suggested
by these disclosures, is" Why adhere to
the contract system: - In ordinary business
no one buys or sells by contract. No lead
ing commercial or mcrca tile house in anv
OF our great emporiums makes its purchases
ny contract. but invariably, after full and |
thorough inspection Of the articles they
need or speculate in, buys them on the best
terms at the market value, or 50 much be-
low that value as competition will enable il
to do. Why should the Government do
Otherwise? Why should it adhere to a nl,n
pernlcious in inself, and certain to ne used
as cover to fraud and cheating Of every
A'''a why should it pursue plan which