The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1869-09-30

The Washington correspondent OF the
Baltimore Gazette writes, under date OF
September IL: =
Every day develops new evidence o: the
moral leprosy which pervades nearly every
department of the Government in this
city, Federal and municipal; and the more
you learn the more you wonder at the
apathy and disinterestedness manifcstedby
the people in permitting such men to re-
tain office as now form majority in the
Legislative and Executive Departments of
the Government The diSpensation of the
patronage, of every description, appoint
ments to office, giving out contracts, all
are made sources of income. The head OF
one of the most important bureaus has
his son with him, who holds no position,
and vet is as regular in his attendance at
the office as any of the employees. All
applicants for office in this Department
find it necessary to secure the influence OF
this young man to Insure success. 1t is
remarkable, too, that none are successful
who neglect to see him pending their APP
plication. / give this case as an lllustra-
ton of practice that prevails in
every Department and every Bureau,
except the War and Navy; in all
there are Just such middlemen." These
men receive the fees, and, of course, di-
vide. Thus, we find men in office with
salary of $4,000 year, and who were poor
when they entered upon its duties, living
at the rate of six and eight thousand, and
at the end of three or four years erecting a
magnificent dwelling at a cost of $4,000
or 100000, for which they pay cash. These
facts are notorious; they are not hidden
under bushel," but brazenly confront
you at every turn.
The same system prevails at the other
end of the Capitol" Senators and Repre-
sentatives have their agents; and when
an American citizen comes here on bust
ness before Congress-" or with recon-
mendation for official position, as soon as
his business is known (and there are
always parties at the hotels on the look
OUT, he is advised to see Mr.. So-and-so
who has unlimited influence with the Sen
ator or Representative whose services it is
important to secure. The party sseen, an
arrangement is made an interview is Sc
cured, and if the job "pays well" the
citizen accomplishes his purpose. But il
not, after much delay, and the using up OF
all his available cash, he leaves Washing
ton, cursing the town, the people, and par
ticularly the "Philistines" into whose
hands he fell.
| 1uCSc ndulC,u DcldtOIS anu IlcplcscHtd
tives believe the "whOle concern" belong.
to them, at least for the present, and they
are making hay "while the sun shines.
Another use to which they put Uncle
Sam" is to make him take care of theil
poor relations One Senator and ex-Cab
met Minister (who, by the way, in the las
ten years, from nothing has accumulated
over 81 900, 000), has three near relatives
a father, son, and daughter, in the employ
of the GOvernment-twO in the interior
Department and one in the Treasury. TIL,
husband of the daughter is also n Govern
ment clerk, and the husband of another
daughter holds like position. Here we
have five members of one family support
ed by the Government. This is only ont
of many instances where almost whole
families are provided for at the request o
Senators or Representatives and while
these have been kept in, hundreds of de
serving men have been dismissed, anC
their families reduced to suffering, merely
because they were obnoxious to these yer.
; Senators and Representatives, who desired
their places for their own purposes. Thi
5 is hr't one view of Radical corruption
D may look "behind the scenes" again
ID Tell what We see.