Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-12

War Department, and the difficulties under
which Democratic members labor in their
efforts to get correct information in regard
to the operations ofthat department Of the
government.
abe declared and produced the figures to
prove it, that the Quartermaster' Bureau
had expended over sixty millions and the
Ordnance Bureau over seventeen millions
of dollars in excess Of the appropriations
made for them by Congress since
July 1, 1865. A letter of the Secre-
tary Of War, in answer to a call for
an account Of this, failed to show what
had been done with. the money, only that
Il had been spent TO pay what the depart
ment officials call Hthe debts Of various bu-
reaus." Yet the letter did show that these
expenditures in gross bad been even under
estimated by the Democrats, for the Secre-
tary says on page Of Executive Docu-
ment No. 200, lust sent to Congress, that
the total amount received by the depart
ment since June 80. 1865, in excess Of its
appropriations from Congress was the enor-
nous sum of SLOT ,959, 1852. All of this
has been used except barely $2,000,000. 1t
will thus be seen that the Quartermaster's
Department alone, leaving out all the 9TH
ers, has in the last six years, since the close
| of the war, spent over one hundred and
five millions received from public property
sold in addition to all appropriations made
by Congress. 1--WE are not told,o added
Mr.. Beck, ''what debts have been paid,
what evidence has been required,
what portion has gone to the agents
and lobbyists aud pets Of the departments.
The whole matter is summsrily disposed of
with mere statement that it has paid GER
tain debts, and it is mentioned that it is
none of the business Of Congress to inquire
VIVA. debts have been paid, to whom they
were paid, and for what they were paid,
whether to favorites," etc. This exhibit
shows how hollow all pretences are that the
expenses of the government can be ascer-
tanned by examining the appropriations
made by Congress during those years. Yet
no member of the Republican majority in
Congress ever admitted that dollar has
been expended beyond what the appropria-
ton bills show. We have become so 8ccus-
toned to talk about millions and hundreds
of millions lately that even the vast sum
squandered By the Quartermaster's Bureau
is treated as a small matter, just as the
S250O00,O00 outo of which the impoverished
South has been plundered by the carpet
bag emiSsaries of Congress is regarded as a
mere bagatelle."
What has been done with this money ?
asks the St. Louis Republican. 1t did not
belong legitimately to the War Department;
il was the proceeds of the sale of the i'm
mense stores Of war material and equip
mentS purchased and used during a great
war, which had become useless by the 70
turn of peace. 1t belonged to the United
States, adds Tie Republican, and ought to
have been paid into the Treasury to be used
as Congress might direct. But, up TO June
so, 1879, not one dollar of it was thus paid
over; the Department used it at its diScre-
ton, and without the authority Of Congress.
How it employed it is a question the
country has a right 10 ask, and the Secre-
tary Of War ought to answer. Some
of it may have been used TO defray
the regular expenses of the de-
partment, but if so, why did not the Secre-
tary say so? 1.-The could not conveniently
answer all the details of Mr.. Beck's resolu-
ton, what prevents him from answering it
substantially, by stating the amounts re-
ceived from the sale Of army property, and
the disposition made oft? 1t is claimed
that the department has used the money
to defray its legitimate expenses; but this is
extremely unsatisfactory. Congress makes
annual appropriations to support the army,
and when these amounts prove to be INSULT
Gent, makes deficiency appropriation at
the following session to supply what is
lacking. These annual and deficiency ap-
preparations represent known amounts of
money, and the country accepts them as
the annual cost of the army. But if, in ad-
dition to these sums, the War Department
may, at its discretion, use additional mil
lions of money acquired by the sales of
surplus arms and other material, then the
country knows nothing about the cost Gifts
army, and the whole subject of war-office
is enveloped in mystery.
But we have no assurance that this
money has Leen used for the support of the
army. The Secretary's statement that the
sales have been made ain strict accordance
with the statutes" does not tell US what be-
came of the proceeds, which is the particu-
lar information the country desires. Mr..
Beck intimates that it has been used at the
discretion of the Department in the pay
ment Of claims, business in which there is
always much favoritism, and sometimes not
a little fraud, as the following extract from
the speech of the member from Kentucky
shows:
"The only pretence chat this money has
been paid out legitimately that have ever
heard of, is that it has been paid out upon
claims against the Department. How is
that done? If gentlemen will look into
this matter they will find that fayorites
and retainers, men hanging around
the Departments, have got from one
half to three-fourths of the money, the |
honest claimants not getting more than |
twenty-five or fifty per cent. of their claims. |
When man has filed a claim, however |
just it may be, all that need be done, unless |
the practice of the department has materi- |
ally improved lately, is for some spy or pet |
to say, That claim ought not to pass; the |
claimant is disloyal,' or make any other OBJ |
lection that suits his purpose. On almost |
any pretext the claim is thrown aside. |
When the claimant who has fully proved |
his case goes TO the department he is told, |
Objection is made TO your claim He asks:
who makes the objection? what is the ma
ture Of the oIjection?' The answer is, 1T
is against the rules of the department TO
tell YOU So lie is unable TO find out who
has objected or what is the nature of the
objection. All he can discover is that he
cannot get his money. The fellow whOmade
The objection finds some stool-pigeon to adj
wise the claimant that he knows how the diff
iculty in regard TO the payment of the claim
can be removed. OF course, under the cir
the claimant is ready to say,
Il will give you One-half or three -fourths of
the amount if you will secure the payment
Of the claim. ! cannot get anything; not
even iind out what the obstacle is An ar
rsngement Of that kind is made, and the
very man perhaps who made the objection
goes to the department, has the objection
and receives one-half or three