The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-03-30
SPEECH
HON. HENRY WILSON,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,
AT GREAT FALLS, New Hampshire,
FEBRUARY oath, 1872.
CONCLUDED

--.--
CONCLUDED
One would suppose, to hear our Demo-
cratic friends talk, that we never had any
corruption before; that they had always
been pure, because they never punished a
thief. Applause and laughter.] 1 pro-
pose right here to lay down this PROPOSE
ton: that the reason why this Administra-
ton is so assaulted is not that it has been
more corrupt, or as corrupt as its modern
predecessors, but that it is doing much to
expose thieving and to punish men who
steal. The Democratic party-l mean the
modern Democratic party-came into pow
er in 1s29 under General Jackson.
One man, Samuel Swartwont, in General
Jackson's day, when the Government rails
ed only about thirty million dollars year,
stole million dollars in the New York
custom house-nearly as much money as
has been stolen under this Administration
in three years, in collecting and paying out
nearly twenty-one hundred million dollars.
The percentage of loss under the Admins
tration has been less than under any Ad-
ministration since General Jackson was
inaugurated President Of the United States.
There is not shadow of doubt of it. l
assert here and now, that there has been
less percentage of loss under General
Grants administration than under that OF
any other Administration since the days of
John Quincy Adams. John Tyler, son
of President Tyler, in letter recently pub
lished, states that there were, in Van Blu
ren's administration, ninety-eight receivers
of the public money, ninety-six of whom
became defaulters. Ninte-six out of nine
ty-eight! Laughter. is there any man
here tonight who knows that any one OF
those men was ever sent to the peniten-
tiary?
l believe Republican thief is worse
man than Democratic thief. Laughter. J
He has not had so many bad examples.
Laughter and applause A Republican
thief is the wickedest and meanest thief in
all the land. He joins party that was
brought into being to give freedom to the
slave, maintain the unity of the country,
and preserve the life of the nation. In the
ranks of that party is a large mass of the
intelligence of the country, Of the praying
men and women of the country. A man
who joins that political organization, be-
trays his trust, and steals the money of the
Government, is base creature, and the
penitcntiary is the only place where he
should dwell.
The difference between Republicans and
Democrats on this question is this: the
Republicans try to discover and punish
their thieves; the Democrats never punish
theirs. You cannot tell me tonight of a
man who stole from the national Govern
ment under Democratic administration
who was sent to the penitentiary. Under
this Administration several thieves have
been sent there. Most of their stealing
was under the late administration, Tor
there has been little stealing under this
Under Andrew JohHson's admin stration
mean men got office. lie went back on his
party, on his record upright Democrats
paid little attention to him, honest Repub-
licans kept away from the White House,
and mean men of both parties sought the
benefits of his patronage. About forty
collectors of internal revenue under his
administration became defaulters for about
a million and three quarters. Under the
three years of General Grants administra-
ton four collectors became defaulters, and
for amounts less then two hundred thou
sand dollars.
During the war wa paid through the
paymaster's department of the Army more
than a thousand million dollars. That
money was paid sometimes when troops
were on the march, sometimes when they
we're under fire, and we lost less than
quarter of million dollars. Never in the
history of the human family was there any
higher evidence Of integrity. In the war
of 1912, in paying out the little money we
paid during that war, we lost about two
million dollars. Since General Spinner
entered upon his office as Treasurer of the
United States, 5000, 900, 900 have passed
through his office, counted by from three
to four hundred men and women. We
have lost between fifty and sixty thousand
dollars in these eleven years, while $780,
600, 900, 900 have gone through the office.
We punished one man, and he is now trying
to get back $1,000, for he says we made
him pay So, 900 more than he stole. Lasgh-
ter We have sent to prison three trust
ed clerks, men of capacity and ability,
whom everybody trusted and respected
That is the way we have served our thieves.
We have sent men who stole under Andrew
Johnson's Administration, and were prose-
cuted under this Administration in Balti-
more, to the penitentiary.
We had a paymaster in the Army; he
was not Republican; his father was not a
Republican but an old Wing, and Assist
ant Secretary of the Treasury under Thorn
as Corwin. This young man was a college
graduate, inherited 100000, was men,
Der of Christian church, had noble wife
and three beautiful children, lived within
his income, got passion for stock gamb-
ling, lost his $4,000 and then took $780,
900 of the money of the Government. He
was arrested when he might have run away.
He was sent to the penitentiary at Albany
for ten years. About the same time the
discovery was made of the boldest and
most gigantic robbery of the people ever
perpetrated in ancient or modern times.
Bill Tweed" Boss Tweed "a man who,
a few years ago went through bankruptcy,
and who is said to have boosted, within a
year, that he had $4,000, 900, and, with
him, the tribe of Tammany Hall, have been
discovered and exposed. Some of these
thieves have gone to Europe, some ofthem
are enjoying the pleasures of the healthful
breezes and snow drifts of Canada, some of
them are in one part of the country and
some in another. While we were trying
Major Hodge, and sending him to the peni-
Tertiary at Albany for ten years, with the
approval of the eutire Republican party of
the country, Bill Tweed, the greatest thief
in all the history of the human family the