The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-08-10
BoutweII's Battle.
The Secretary Attacked in the
Flank by Detective Wood.
The Secret Workings of the
Treasury Department
Exposed.

WASHINGTON, August Mr.. Will
liam P. Wood, late Chief OF the Secret
Service Of the Treasury Department,
publishes a card to-day severely assail.
ing Secretary Boutwell,. He was for q
long tune in position to know the
secret workings OF the Department, and
he threatens to publish a pamphlet in
which he says that he will prove the
following facts:
Frst-That there are millions Of dol,
lars Of government bonds which have
b:en or are now in daily progress of
exchange and redemption, while the
true owners are receiving the interest
due on said bonds. The identical bonds
on which such interest is being drawn
have been redeemed or exchanged by
the government under Secretary Bout
well, as also his predecessor, through
the connivance Of unscrupulous bank
ers and ignorant and corrupt officials Of
the government, by erasures and nc
ticious numbering Of the genuine bonds,
the result Of which will be that the
creditors Of the government will either
have to suffer the loss of their bonds or
be relieved from loss by some
special act OF Congress, in which case
the government will be the losers Of
thousands and thousands OF dollars on
the article Unregistered bonds alone.
Second-It will be shown that the
paper transactions of the Treasury De-
partment are OF such character they
will not bear fair examination without
exhibiting the Secretary's ignorance of
the subject or his conniyance at the
glaring frauds or tavoritism which has
been in practice under his administra-
ton Of the department. He will also
show that fibre paper for bank note or
other purposes as preventive against
counterfeiting is a delusive theory which
will be established by statistics, details,
and mechanical experience. 1t will
also be proven that the honorable Sec.
retary disposed OF the valuable paper.
making machinery of the government
at one-fourth its original cost, and at
less than one-half of the sum offered
for the machinery by parties not his
favorites.
Wud-That thought George S. Bout
wellswant ofmanliness be stoops TO pet
ty, mean resorts to defame those around
him who do not volunteer subservience
to his dictation, Indifferent himself as to
whether such dictations are in accor.
dance with law or otherwise; and such
examples will be given as should make
every honorable man detest the politi-
cal demagogue who now presides over
the Treasury Department.
Fourth-A synopsis Of his clerical,
mercantile and political history will be
given, as we'll as his career as Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue, and by ex-
amples an inquiry will be submitted to
know in what other light than a de-
faulter to the government the now Sec
retary Boutwell, can be regarded because
OF the amount expended, malappropri-
ated, or purloined, equal in amount to
between two and three millions OF dol.
lars, during his administration of the
Internal Revenue Bureau, and which
remains unsettled to the present day.
Mr.. Wood closes his communication
as follows:
During the interval l may forward
communication to General Pleasanton,
the present Commissioner Of Internal
Revenue, inquiring OF him under what
law and from what specially appropri-
ated funds | am to be paid the amount
conditioned BY virtue OF the commission
and written agreement which now
hold from Hon. George S. Boutwell,,
Secretary Of the Treasury, it being a
well.known fact that Congress refused
to pass a bill giving him authority as
Secretary of the Treasury TO make con.
ditions in such cases. Twill enclose in
the said communication Of inquiry the
original commission to myself from the
Groton financier, by which the Commis-
sioner may comprehend the reasons tor
the interest taken in that specially, and
With the explanations and proof / will
furnish show the unblushing hypocrisy
and sneaking treachery Of the man
who unfortunately for the country, is
now desirous OF running the Treasury
Department as If he owned the whole