The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-12-19
The Alaska Corruption.

= n =
I: appears that the United States Govern
ment was not so desirous of obtaining
Alaska as the Russian Government was to
get rid Of it. A good sum appears to have
been paid to lobbyists to get the appropria-
ton through Congress, and that sum was
deducted from the amount that was paid 10
Russial Grave charges have been made oy
the press CONCERNING the matter, and Con
gross has gotten up that general WINE
washing process an investigation - 20
smooth over the whole matter. 4ne eA-
animation Of persons thus far has only
ELECTED 9 confession or two amounting !"
such small sums for these times that sne
idea is spreading that ell concerned "ers
exceeding virtuous people. Mr.. ho noe
J. WALkER only got s26, ooo-a mere oeg@-
tellc-a sort OF light breakfast in the iuAe,
rious financial dieting Of these days! AND
FoRSEY only got $4,000 in gold. me- WIN
yirtuous indignation, positively declined 10
receive even this sum, as he was clerk OF
the Senate but some kind individual IN
.he Chronicle office, knowing Mr.. FoRNEY's
deserts better than he did himself, took the
money unknown to Mr.. FoRNEx ana ap-
propriated it to his benefit. How opportune'
indeed, this was How consoliDg that VIZ
tue is not always robbed of her meri'ea
reward by any squeamishness Of hers!
Nobody else seemed to know of any fur
Their shaving of the money psid to Russia
though scandal is still busy in charging
that other persons and newspapers have
had share of the heavy deduction made
from the purchase money. The Tribune
New York; is charged with having gotten
five thousand dollars, and other papers OF
that city and Boston are charged with hav-
ing come in for snacks.
However this may be, the business OF
lobbying in the Federal capitol is now
great occupation-realizing heavy profits to
those who successfully follow it. The lead
ing northern newspapers, too, have ot'ces'
or rather "bureaus,'' as they style them'
with signs ostentatiously paraded IN the
thoroughfares of the Federal capital. Is
there not suggestion in this indicating
that there is something done under those
signs beyond the mere gathering of news
There is some "business" probably going
on there. We could hardly suspect the
press agencies there of being go impractical
as to repudiate the maxim that the press
must be sustained.
Considering the lavish sums which are
appropriated to what is called lobbying, it
is impossible to resist the conclusion that
liberal part Of the streams Of pecuniary |
compensation which flow around the halls
of Congress break over or ooze through the
entertainments and plentifully irrigate those |
halls themselves. Take Mr.. ROBERT j.
WALKERS subsidy for example. 1t is
hardly probable that he pocketed all of it.
He subjected part Of his contract, we
suspect and it would not be extravagant
to suppose that a liberal per cent. of the
twenty-six thousand went into pockets OF
men who were sent to guard the public in
terests, and who would Indignantly spurn |
the suggestion that they guided to the Urea
sury those who extracted from it millions!
Might we not, without being suspected of
madness, repeat that rare quotation, "There
IS is something rotten in the State of Den
" mark ?"