Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-07-30
More Radical F,iunaerings.

More Radical f'iuntfes'tngs.
IFr m the Philadelphia Evening Hernld.l
? rs well might we expect water, 0
its own volition, 10 run up hill, as I,
find honest Radical officials. Fraud
corruption, and peculation is the rul'
with them, honesty an exception
Every department of the Goyernmen
has suffered at the hands Of thes,
greedy harpies; and so ling as they
are continued in power 80 Ions
will they persist in pocketing the peo
pies money. IL is only'a lew month";
since Simon Cameron and other Sena
tors directed attention lt,stbe tact thal
there was deficit Of $40, 900 in thG
accounts of the Secretary ofthat body
and now the Clerk of the House OF
Representatives and a number o! his
fellow officials are TO be brought be.
fore the bar of public opinion on a
similar or worse charge. Last week
the following resolution was adopted
by the House
Resoiued, That the Committee on Accounts be
directed 10 investigate into the disbursement OF
the contingent fund Of the House for the year,
1867 and 1868, with power to send for persons and
papers. rhere As Be done piikoa srpens,
10 che GOuerHmeHf.
Doubtless the public we're surprised
at the step, and at loss TO know
what could be the precise object OF
this resolution. The facts have at
length leaked out, aud they are sub
stantially as follows: The doorkeep-
ers of the House receive 81 ,440 per
annum, whether Congress is in sess-
sion three months or nine. Last year
these doorkeepers were told that there
was work for them in the folding
rooms after the adjournment; but
that If they desired to 90 to their bus
mess they could employ substitutes
by allowing a deduction of SIS per
month from their salaries while alb
sent. The offer was accepted; but
the doorkeepers on their return dis
covered that, although the deduction
from their salaries had been made, no
substitutes had been employed. This
naturally aroused indignation and in
quiry, and certain W. T. Marker,
doorkeeper from Indiana, resolved TO
venlilate this aud sundry other little
matters connected with the manage
mcnt of the contingent fund OF the
House of Representatives under the
control of that "trooly loil' model
gentleman, Mr. Edward Mcpherson,
Chief Clerk. Markers pamphlet re-
veals an amount of corruption aud
rascality in small way that appears
Incredible.
He charges Mcpherson, Chief Clerk
OF the House of Representatives, WIN
having placed the name of his father.
in.law on the epay-rolls as an employee
of the House that his salary was.
regularly paid, although the father in
law referred to is a resident of Cham
bersburg, Pennsylvania, and was new
er in Washington city. Mcpherson,
II appears, excuses himself on the
ground that bis father in-law was
heavy loser by the Rebellion. the reb-
els having encamped on his farm, a d
destroyed his property, for which the
son-in-law thought he ought to be
compensated, and did compensate him
by placing his name on the pay.rolls,
and allowing him to draw his salary,
although the old gentleman never
showed his face in Washington, but
was quietly pursuing, his farming
avocations in Franklin county.
Another charge against Mcpherson
is, that the Government horses, at
tached to the House Of Representa-.
tives, were sent TO tie Mcpherson
farm to be pastured tb,re-and cork
ed there, TO keep them in good health
that the Government was charged
with the expense of keeping these
horses all the time they were away, |
and that the man who had charge of |
them, who worked then, aud who oc-
drove carriage, was a
Government employee, whose post OF
duty was in Washington. Ordway, /
another Congressional official, is char
ged in the same pamphlet with max
ing ovorcEarges Tor Mileage. Gener-
al Lippincolt is charged with the re
possibility of the robbery of the door
keepers aud Postmaster King is
charged with havingindulged 10 dis
reputable practiccs--uch as making
out excessively largebills for keeping
Government horses, ind sundry other
Deccadillos.
Now, this is a purey Radical affair
III the parties concerned in it are
Radical to the back .b,ne-"trooly |
oil" ard ardent supporters of Grant,
Coliax, and the Congrcsspf the Uni
ed States. Markers psmphlet will
shortly be given TO the public, when
acts in detail will be presented.
We might overlook thepeculations
If Ordway and King, butlhe conduct
If Mcpherson is inexcusae. 1t is a
yilliul md public fraud upon the
reasury, ana, as such, deserves far
loser investigation than is likely to
eceive at the hands of ths committee
appointed under the resolution. We
all upon that committee to give the
acts in full detail. let the people
NOW who the plund.rers are, and
What is the extent ofthdr peculations.
{ is high time that tb,se official cor
norants were shown up in their true
olors, and made to pay the full pen
lty Of their transgressDns.