The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-09-19
GheGntdtiaetrter.
The War Department and its Sales
of Public Property.

We have frequently been compelled /
crticisc the conduct and actions Of III
members OF the present Administration
and the public will bear us witness tina
we have done so with no stinted hand
Corruption and incapacity meet with bu
scant courtesy in the columns OF The Cap
hi, and no party affiliations or personal
considerations will, we trust, ever be
found sufficiently potent to swerye us
from the path Of duty which IN indie
pendent journal owes to itself and It's
readers. This being the case, we have
observed with some interest certain al
lacks which have recently appeared IN
Democratic newspapers against the pres
cnt management fine War Department,
and which, if true, would reflect upon
the honesty Of its head Secretary Bel
nap.
The charges arc shat during the past
year arms and munitions to tho value of
Twelve or fifteen millions OF dollars were
sold TO France and Prussia, but that that
money has not been paid into the Treas.
ury, and, according to the outrageous
practices OF the War Department, it may
be appropriated to any object which the
Secretary chooses. An act of the last
Congress prescribed that the unexpended
balances shall be covered into the Treas.
ury. But this is no protection, because
no account OF the sales is required 10 be
rendered, TO serve rs check on the
amount Consequently, il the Secretary
Of War sold fifteen millions Of arms, he
might divert fourteen, and return one ms
the 'uncXpendCd balance, and still he
within the letter OF an impotent and de.
ccptivc law" That all this property has
disappeared and no return Tor it can be
found ON the books Of the Treasury. |
That not u cent was ever paid into the
Treasury from these sales That the dc.
parlmcnt remains deaf to every demand |
As 10 what has become OF this money; and
that It's whole aim Is TO stille inquiry.
And to cap these grave charges, Mr..
Beck, Il member Of Congress from Ken.
lucky, is credited with the declaration
that the election of II Democratic PrCsi.
dent would be the signal for the dsap,
pcaranCc of every trace Of evidence in
tlc departments, concerning these gigan-
tic frauds and this audaCiOus system of
robbery, by which the property of the
nation Is sold and the proceeds pOCkCtCd,
without IN account or voucher being ren.
dCrCd"
We have taken pains to ascertain il 1t
was possible that these charges were true
in whole or in part; and we urc satisfied
that they have not even the slightest Coun.
,htiOn in fact to rest upon. Not only have
full returns Of all sales Of arms and NUM-.
tons Of war been made, but the details and
vouchers and the money is in tho Treas.
ury The sales Of ordnance and ordnance
stores from July /, 1870, to September 0,
1871, amounted to $O,O2S, 3O32O There
WAS deposited in the United States Treas.
nry proceeds Of above sales,) to the credit
Olthr Ordnance Department from July |,
1870, to September 3, 1871, 1904 ,l40,
Amount in Government repositories, to
credit Of disbursng officers from proceeds
OlsaIcs, $2S12ll9O. L.
This seems tOlGrObly explicit denial
Of the charge made by the Democratic
press, and which aroused tho tender
scnsibitiGs Of Mr. Beck. But upon fur
lhcr inquiry we have asCertained that the
system by which these accounts Are kept
Il Of such character that any frauds arc
impossible by the War Department, and
this Mr. Beck and his friends must have
knOwnr they knew anything ut all Of tho
matter This reduces the position OF the
shndercrs Of the War Department to
either one Of two dilcmmas. Either they
attacked General BGknap in perfect igno-
rance Of the facts, or they knew the facts
and deliberately slandCScd that officer. |,
rhCsystcm which is pursued in regard to -,
the sales of stores is us follows Regular -.
accounts Of ordnance stores sold by auC. J
IiOnNrc rendered in detail Gnumerating
the articles sold, the price paid, name Of
purchaser, md are regularly transmitted
10 the Ordnance Office. Sales that arC
made by special authority arc also re.
ported in abstracts which give the
same details These accounts and
abstracts of sales accompany the month.
ly cash accounts to the Ordnance
OIlIcc, where they undergo n careful OK.
OminatiOn and are then sent to tho Sec.
Ond Auditor, with the cash accounts for !
settlement. The large sales made during !
the past fifteen months, amounting to {
about ten million dollars, were made
hy the Chief Of Ordnance, through the !
Ordnance Agency in New York city, and q
ut this time the abstracts of these sales, ;
in detail, covering the sales made up to Il
March last, having already been 0xamin. u
ed and sent to the Second Auditor for Z
settlement. The remainder Of these nc. !,
counts of sales, including those for July !.
last-say four mOnths-have been received !!
and arc under examination nj the Ord !,
nance Office. OF the stores sold at the \
agency in New York, the officer in charge |,
of That agency has alrcady-that Is to say,
between October 81, 1870, and June 81,
lS1l-paid into the Treasury $O,0l9,00 i,
and has filled the receipts Of the Sub. u
Treasurer nj New York for that amount. II
As further check against officers selling II
ordnance stores, n copy Of the abstract Of r
sales has to accompany their property =
returns, to show that the property has u
been duly nCCnUnlpl FIR n