The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-06-01
The frauds and rascalities practiced upor

lHE irauue uuu Eo9SotssCc Pi"S ~
the government by it's agents have become
80 common that they have almost ceased
to be an object Of wonder or Of indignation
Every day has its record Of swindling and
downright robbery on the part Of the gov
eminent officials, every day adds its con-
tribution to the dark catalogue Of frauds,
and yet its swelling proportions elicit only
some commonplace remark Or are passed
BY in needless silence 1t seems to be &C.
cepted As a fixed fact that whoever touches
a government contract has a right to steal,
is expected to steal and will receive no
credit for honesty even it he don't steal =
is understood that the immense issues
of treasury notes are made to cover steal
ings and to enable the administration to
provide we'll for its friends, and it has come
to be considered so much matter OF course
that these funds will be applied in that way
that the newspapers have almost ceased to
comment upon or the people to talk about
these things.
The developments Of some atrocious
fraud, more daring and outrageous than it's
fellows, excites perhaps a mere ripple upon
the current of public thought, and is per-
mitted to pass by as something inevitable.
something to be expected from the events
of the past three years and from the char
actcr Of those who control the public funds
An example of this kind has recently come
to light in New York City, which we re-
fer to merely as part of the current his
tory of the times, and not as anything un-
usual or out of the common course of
events.
Since the present Administration came
into power, G ". Schofield l. Co., Of New
York, have received from the Navy Depart
mcnt great many orders to make "open
purchases for the department Their bills
were approved by the Navy agent and very
little attention seems to have been paid by
him to the quantity or quality of the arti-
clss furnished by the purchasing agents,
SchofeId & Co. However, some suspicion
was cast upon the honesty of the firm and
the Congressional smelling committee" Of
which 81 nator GRIMES is chairman, had the
parties arrested and their accounts seised.
From their books, it appears that they have
been, as was to be expected, carrying on q
huge system of swindling, as the following
items will show. An order was sent them,
in May 1863. for quantity of hinges and
screws. The articles cost Schoield 4 Co +,
81 ,42G rs; they sold them to the govern
ment for sc, 1880 10 August 1868, they
were directed to purchase a quantity of
turpeutine and vsrnish. They filled the or
der at cost to themselves of 81 ,552:4S and
Charged the government S4,lll6O. An
order for hides costing then SG25OO, was
filled at cost of $l,60l;25. A quantity
of pitch, costing Scho6eld 4 Co., $4,000:
Cost the Government $504:5O. These are
merely samples selected from the operations
of few months
As redeeming feature, however, in the
character Of these men, and as an offset to
all their rascality, it may not be improper
to add that SchoHeld & Co., are 'lOyal. to
the core" and for the re election of "our
nohle President' and the humiliation of the
"CopDerheads. :"