The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-08-29
The Pennsylvania Swipd,e.


When the fraud was first brought to
light by which the State of Pennsylva-
MIA has been swindled out of a third of
a million of dollars, under cover ci
commissions for collecting war claims,
an attempt was made to hush it up by
assurances that everything was right
But now that the facts have all come
out, and the exposure is complete, some
of the Radical organs which happened
not to be in the ring, or being in, failed
to receive their share of the plumbers,
are virtuously indignant. The Harris.
burg Telegraph vents its wrath in very
strong adjectives:
The gigantic swindle directed against
this State by tl.osc entrusted officially
with the collections of war claims from
the Federal Government has been at
last fully exposed. The disgraceful fact,
that every one against whom either
proof or suspicion is strong are Repub-
lcans, humilates us, but it cannot
swerve us from our plain duty.
Now, while this spirit is to be admir-
ed, we should he glad to see it extended
to the glaring corruption in Congress :;
the detalcations in the postotlice and in
ternal revenue; the robberies in the In
dian Bureau, and, in fact, in every other
branch of the public service, by which
tens of millions are annually stolen, and
for which the people are taxed. These
facts are just as notorious as that which
is now the subject of comment; and the
proof would be equally specific, but for
the refusal of the Radical majority in
Congress to allow real investigation, ,and
its habit of whitewashing rogues, when
inquiry happens by accident to be per
United. .... .
/ In regard to this particular case. a
double fraud was committed. Many of
these ''war claims" paid to Pennsylva.
mia, as to other ''loyal' States, bad no
legal existence whatever. They had
been "disallowed," or, in plain terms
rejected, for want of any foundation,
and so remained in the pigeon holes OF
the accounting officers, until Ring was
formed to carry them, by partisan, per.
sonal and corrupt influences That
Ring embraces officials of the State
leading politicians in Philadelphia, as
we'll as bankers, editors, jobbers, and
clerks iE the Treasury here. They are
all well known, and can be named il
necessary In one or two cases of Off
cia!s, threats of removal were employed
by this powerful combination, to com
pei acquiesance in fraudulent allowances
All the parties engaged in the conspir
acy are prominent Radicals, and some
of them now holding high positions il
this city and elsewhere.
These operations have been by ne
means confined to Pennsylvania. He
three millions are hut a drop in th'
bucket, for the same system has beer
applied by all classes of claims, and th,
plumber has been enormous Nor is i
any secret that at least one of the ac
counting officers, who is notoriousl,
connected with these frauds, has beel
| repeatedly brought to the notice of Mr.
Boutwell,, without the least effect, ant
for the simple reason that he is protect
ed by the Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives. In view of such startlin.
developments, it is not surprising tina
numbers of leading Radicals have sud
denly become rich, or that they sub
scribe literally to the "cause" and f
churches, in order to conceal their ras
G cality under sanctimonious guise.
The honest claim of Kentucky, whic
passed through all the accounting off
ces in spite of the efforts of the insid
agents of the Ring, because its justic
was indisputable was finally arrested i
the Secretary's office, by an arbitrar
: abuse Of power, through the very me
a who did not venture to dispute the a
n lowance. If the agent of that Stat
had consented TO the course which wa
pursued by others, and allowed the az
counts to be manipulated, so as to mag
hify the amount three or four fold, wit
a liberal slice of the commissions,
every obstacle would have disappeared
and the claim have been paid withor
objection Washington Patriot.