Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-09-18
More Official Corruption.

MO2'e OH3cl0E Corruption.
S~carcelya day passes but some
new revelation of official corrup-
ton and rascality is brought to
light. The Washington CORES
| pondent of the New York Sun,
who has exhibited q commenda-
BILE degree of industry and vigi-
lance in ferreting out official a.
buses at the National Capital, has
just disclosed another fraud
which at least equals il enormi.
ty any that have preceded it even.
In this day of political profigacy
and widespread official corrup
ton.
This correspondent furnishes
the most invincible proofs that
General Babcock, who holds the
position of Private Secretary to
the President; who Is the conf
Dental agent and trusted com
panion of the Executive, wheth
er at Long Branch or the Presi-
dental mansion; and whose func,
tions extend from looking after
the Presidential baggage TO the
negotiation of annexation treat
les, has been engaged in supply
ing the District of Columbia
Board ofPublic Works with false
vouchers whereby the United
States Government~has been de-
frauded of vast sums of money.
This is no vague and %trumped-
up charge, The proofs of Bah
cocks criminality are complete
and overwhelming. The charge
against him is that in his capaci-
ty of Commissioner of the Public
Grounds and Private Secretary
of the President, he certified false
vouchers TO his confederates in
the District of Columbia Ring,
known as the Board of Public
Works, by Which the United
States is swindled out of hun
dreds of thousands of dollars, and
the District Government render
ed totally bankrupt. 1t is also
charged that members of Con-
gress are implicated IN these
Ring lrobberies. and that they
have been induced to vote for the
immense appropriations made to
the District Government by the
promise of profitable contracts
and large real estate speeulations
in and around Washington.
Tn reference5to these startling
disclosures, the Sun remarks:
There is no doubt that several
congressman have been won to
the support of Ring schemes by
such means. But it is President
Grant and not Congress that is
mainly responsible for the law
l~essness of the Board of Public
Works. It was the President who
appointed them to Office, and it
is the President who has contin-
ued them there, Notwithstanding
that he isafully acquainted with
the fragrant violations of law and
honesty. What mysterious in
fuence has been brought to bear
upon him that he shon1d thus
encourage the robbery of the
Government and the spoilation
of a defeneeless community !?
This question: which we do not
proposeFto answer nor diaeuss at
this time. It is no longer a Sc
cret that intelligent and well in
formed citizens of Washington
believe that Gen. Grant profits
personally by the operations of
the Ring through his confden,
tial agent Babcock, whose sud-
den financial prosperity has oc-
casioned general surprise. Wheth-
er there is any foundation in fact
for this sprmise we. neither know
nor care, for it makes not the
slightest difference so far as guilt
is concerned whether the Presi-
dent abets fraud on the Govern
ment for the benefit of his own
pocket or only for the emolu-
ment of bis favorites and cronies.
The simple fact that he ~sustains
this shameless Ring il all its acts
is enough for him to answer for
at present. fs197 -, -
But it. is a scandal and a cause
for national humiliation that an
inmate of the White House and
the trusted confidential agent of
the President should be detected
in defraudlng the Treasury by
means of false vouchers in order
to aid the Board of Public Works
in their greedy violations oflaw.