Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-02-25

ing.
The Washington correspondent OF
the Baltimore Gazette ("X") gives
the following in regard to the corrup-
tions in Office that are now being in
vestigated by Congress;
Itwould be safe to say that no Gov
eminent. ancient or modern, was
ever carried on under such unscrupu-
Ious corruption and brazen effrOntery
as that of the United States at this
moment. Bribery and corruption
are shamelessly aVoWed as n foun-
dation Of the whole superstructure.
The highest places in the Cabinet and
elsewhere have been u~nbluShingly
parceled out as rewards Tor money
previously chad and received by the
appointing power, and we now e
that the practice has been common to
sell, for money, the future posts of
command in the army and navy!
The manner in which the investiga-
ton has been conducted in respect to
the sale of cadetships has rendered it,
nevertheless, dangerous to publish
particulars. l have, therefore, re-
Trained from giving many facts
brought to my notice in a trustWor-
thy manner. Imay safely, however,
extract the following specifications
from a Sunday paper published here,
one of whose editors and p~roprietOrs
having been himself a conspicuous
witness, doubtless speaks from the
book:
S. l.. Hoge, of South Carolina, who
Is a member of the Military Commit
tee, must enjoy the investigation. His
was a remarkable case. He had made
an appointment at Annapolis, but al
lowed the boy to resign, for which
resignation $1,000 was paid. Subse-
quentIy another bOy-the son OF Mr..
Upsher, of New York-Was appointed
to the vacancy.
S. Newton Pettis, of Pennsylvania,
who has made his own record by wrf-
ting letters regarding the sale, &C
knOWledging the receipts of money,
etc., which letters are now in the
hands of the committee. He claims
to have expended $500 of the money
for political purposes.
John T. DeWee5e, of North Caro-
lima, who bargained for the sale of his
army cadetship, but who finally traded
it away to State Senator Lassiter, of
that State, to prevent the latter from
running against him for Congress, and
to influence the passage of a railroad
job before the North Carolina Legis-
lature.
B. F. Whittemore, Of South Caro-
lima, who, in return for the favor con-
ferred on his constituents by sending
them about $1,000, to be used for edu-
catiOnal and political purposes, APP
pointed a young nan who was legally
qualified for the appointment.
w. Jasper Blackburn, of Louisiana,
who received $500 for both of his ca
detships, from a gentleman in New
York, and who sent boys to AnnapO-
lis and West Point who never dreamed
Of living in his district.
J. Hale Sypher, of Louisiana, who,
having refused to have anything to
do with the sale, transferred the negO-
tiation to his Band-of-hope" lead
ing brother, J. Il. Sypher, of Phila-
deiphia. The brother demanded
$500, which was considered an eX-
orbitant price, and the negotiation was
not concluded. Subsequently a boy
was sent to the Point" by Sypher.
r. r. Butler, of Tennessee, who re-
Ceived $1,000 for his West Point nOmi-
nation, and who yesterday appeared
before the COMMITTEES, and, after adj
hitting the fact, stated that he had
given $500 Of the money to aid in the
election of Colonel StOkesa as Governor
of that State, $500 Of it to other poll
t~icians, and the remainder he had de
voted TO his own use in defraying the
expenses Of his campaign.
But, apart from the absolute sale of
offices Of ali kinds, there are other
means Of prOstituting the hOner5 and
emoluments Of place. When WalpOle
(at the most corrupt period of English
history, said that every man had
his price" he by no means meant
that the {" price" was in dollars and
cents, or their equivalent, or in offices.
But at this day, and here in this OOun-
try, it may with truth be proclaimed
that, with very rare exceptions, every
appointment made, either by the EX-
ecutive or Congress, within the past
year, has been paid for in some way,
either in money or moneys worth.
Capacity, integrity and morality are
totally taboOed.
In a debate yesterday in the House
upon a proposition to dispense with
females in the Departments, MI.
Dawes Opposing the motion) seemed
to look with horror upon the advent
of another shoal of Congressional and
Departmental creditors. Allow me
to quote a paragraph mot given in
Our Congressional prOceedings). He
Is replying to a question of his col
league (Mr. HOar):
But / have a single remark to
make, and if my colleague thinks it
is not true, it is because he has not
mingled in the politics of the country
much as he will have done when
he shall have occupied a place here
ten or fifteen years. Then, unless
there comes a revival, a revolution, a
moral reform in the politics of the
country, he will know what is the
chief staple Of trade among little pol
iticians all over the country. Then he
will know the bills o. accounts which
are brought against members. Then
he will the why it was that the ave
nues to the Departments were for a
month succeeding the 4th OF March
last crowded with men WhOswarmed
more thickly than did Il soldiers
when they returned from the war,
and who were there claiming their re-
ward at the hands of members of
Congress-claiming their reward, and
refusing to be cOmtorted unless they
could go home with their commissions
In their pockets as compensation for
se~rvicesthey had rendered to members
Of Congress. If my colleague did not
experience something OF this last
during the first month of his
here, then he has reason to
thank God that he for once escaped
that malaria which pervaded the at
mOsphere here, and which was fatal
TO any such thing as independence of
OF opinion in this House or in
he other branch. We were made
slaves to the vie politicians from all
1arts of the country who came here
It that time, and who during the last
ew months have been clam0ring for
IN increase of the salaries Of those
offices which they crawled on
heir knees to obtain during the first
month Of this administration"
A full account Of the character of
he services" they fehad rendered to
of Congress is only wanted
o make the picture complete of the
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