The sun., 1873-01-20
FrGUT HOURS WORK A DAY.
yoUALAW or CONGRESS rs Used
By POLITjCfANS.
49,. Cor the New York Post Oiice Work.
sen who are Demanding Pay forthe Hears
cfuvsrtms which have been ENacied by
,omci,ody New lsrL Not the Ohiy Thea-
,r,,, tic Politicians Robhcries.

Al
,omci,ody New YsrL Not the OhiS Thea
,rrcr the roiuIripus' Hobhcrie-.
,,,,.n9nlcrco q tn" Su1
20 ,..rtvcrsN, IAN. 1j.-Thc public NJ
IL, know how Gen. BENJAMIN =. Butler
- c,. Jane. French maniplla.el granite
.,,.-.f,, tlenlw boston Custom House how
. l.rtb,f m ,n.trOus nf cen per cent. system
\. ,..f,ln.mcu were dcfraulcl Of two hours
every dly. I now purpose to show you
.,.,a ,o-rlpt combination has bcsn formed
ind the new state Department In this city,
,' ar, the men forming II, and into whose
., kets the money appropriated to construct
b,blliAg goes. Scarcely three years ago
mnn.i..iun composed Of the Secretaries OF
he, War. and the Navy, Mr.. Edward CLARK
l..h,e,t of the Capitol, and Gen. Mlchler'
,o.umis ,oner Of Public Buildings and Grounds,
"a. appoint d by resolution " Congress and in
tructed to examine and report ON suitable
,u-f,ranew state Department. Ths commit
.,bad several meetings examined number
Il olaces. and a, leag,h reported in favor OF
Ii,t sIuarc, a central and very desirable posi-
,Ion. The notion Of erecting vast unwiehy
sutldlng. large enough to accommodate the
state Navy. and War Departments, and OF put
ling them all under one roof, was not for a mo-
ncnt entertained, it seemed incompatible
Tive question of locating the building on the
,pot where the new state. Navy, ana War De-
pariment combination building is going up was
II cussed. and decided adversely, inasmuch
a. IL would Involve the Destruction or wv" large
V1 valuable buildings the War and Navy De-
~ -tment buildings. THIS report greatly disap-
n ntsd many persons here aud especially the
kpurca Sandstone Ring. This voractous Ring
~ pted something on n more gigantic scale. ll
Uuch extensive plunder and paironase c3nIi
h. worked. and two or three million dollars
f'h of their stone used. Ii short their great
?. ,ectations were dNcd on something siur"n-
Is. Nothing further. however, was heard Oi
o. report Of these commissions.
MARKET FOR SENECA sA%psToNr.
Early in the spring Of ISL II was rumored
Nl..ut Wa hingtOn thai the Seneca kin- was
constructing of a gigantic building OF seneca
Il ne on the site of the old War and Navy De
Nlsy %%S ."a ss Nae STSS S SsetSeT
NJ once inquired Of ameinber of the Committee
II tuhic Grounds and Duildinss whether there
u that therr was. that the bill was before their
committee, aud would he reported in few
dnys. Tina, the Seneca SANDSTONE Ring were
y. in. lie in and were Boosting that they
had the Presidents iIhuence with them. Two
trJduced. az YOU Will remember. gave rise 70 a
v,iy lively debate, in which Farnsworth. Dawes,
sHd others took part. The Seneca hhg charged
q at Dawes wds acting In the influence OF the
=, mite men Of New England, because be very
p perly n-ist;d on Inserting clause that the
'iIc bill, after sharp contest, was passed,
" lout what was called the granite, claim,
-
: ull he clnstructed being left To the decision
. Ihr Joint Committee Of Public buildings and
g. an j.. It was then that tue seneca iin'
IT,. Trumhull and Mprrll u vermont on that
E um.t;ce, honest men, codld not be influenced
'ae peculiar means used hy rn- ~ unscrn-
Irliu- sueculators. And Vet 50 sure were the
S.nec, Ring of securing this gigantic job that
t,,lr President wrote aud sent despatchcs to
ihe President Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
nal. telling him that they had such influence
b. lirb uAi 'iM circles a. would secure them the
tea. xRifI
I. .g-safy was for him to come down and make
.rincr ahatemcnt of the tolls. But lie counted
| W'Nor his host. The joint committee met
| 49, the supervising Architect of the Treasury,
| 30. uu g. that time, had approved the use OF
| Pee aud disgust " many u the members a.
| tic advocate of the very stone which he had
! tnsafsp often condemned. The committee
| .w rnush that little AFFAIR tMu!lett had Just
b..u upu ln'rd member ol the Board Of Pub
L.. ""fs-l. and isnominously Kicked sene "a
t..iGiu' should be constructed of granite.
HHr,NiSd DowN COMPETITIONS
The seneca Ring did not take that defeat
tHIy. liIt the public has already been made
Wait S.nd S"d bl bIiF, inenre m 10 break ''i dawn
lfe man who had contracted TO furnish blue
n"ne Tor me foundation walls and force hlm =
rive the joh TO the Seneca stone Company. IL
te lan-uasc ~ Senator Trumhuh. to have con
hrIgtrd this building Of seneca sand stone; =,
II ms We're of granite and white marble. woult
/ haye been an outrage. We wanted uniformity
II ~ color and uurdNlllly neither Oi Nlnch qudl
/ nrs the Seneca stone possesses. And yet, not
i rthstfndiny this decision of Joint committed
L oi Congress 50 positively prpnDunceo, We are e
L have. fpr the first time tn the history Of publi'
/ bhduys, an edihce which, II is hoped, Will la-
L p ase-, with it basement WALL OF the very
U'4nr.t Kind Of sandstone, ana its supcrstruc
Il i"te Of granite.
l Proposals we're invited for furnishing tn,
i t,utr, according to specifications 1" he deliv
II lrl pu the spot In the rough, tine prupg-als I,
9c opened on certain day in The ohlne 4 th'
/ tIperNising Architect Of the Treasury. Not
sorl was said about Eyni To- The slegsisfg ~!
y, the granite contract This was a fraud a
~ upon the Government as gP1n the me q,
.iHated to one or two Of these bidders (polltlca
te',Itrs that II tney. bid low enough for m
i granite, The cutting job" with fifteen per cent
/ 3l the gross amount Of every mans days worl,
would be thrown in, there is not doubt.
COMPETITION EXCLUDED.
When, however, the. day came for .oponlng th
II old-, anu the bidders had assembled - hear tn
Il result, hr. MIllatt coolly announced that tn
II tds would not he opened in the presence Of tn
'i i6a oe of the seSrearg I g Of 81 State. @ VIII
L s0Gll open them and announce the result In
L lw days. The bidders knew very well wha
Il itat meant that they were to be cheated on
L . q chance u fair compel ltion. Here 10 wher
/ w' influence of Cameron, liamln and Platt III
Il tarlet-lds member OF Congress for the Peter
L ,urg district, was employed. Flsh was weal
L md they were strong, and he yielded 70 thel
i node ~ reason ing. Cameron had railroad Job
1 nNirginin, and needed iayors Of her Legisla
Il 'ufe and flatt wanted to retain his pOs.tiu
L ud influence, which would he useful To Cam
L non. Plat too, was associated with one Al
4 1rrt Ordway a political ADVENTURE like hlmse ell
4 y The leases Of two granite quarTes. Hamli
l ta' urged on by his hackers from Maine, an
| turT tuai II he could secure that granite COZ
| raot and cutting job for his friends, that TIA
/ handling ~ the money and the dealing ou
| dparpuage In his district would carry a col
r.uuniing influence,
Iue state Department, after several DAYS, ar
1nmced through the newspapers that the con
Iar for furnishing granite for the new stat
L Dtuul'u. nj had been awarded. Do you SUI
/ pI>o Tor moment that II was awarded 20 th
Il owrst and most responsible bldderf NOthin
Ii the Kind, The lowest and most responsible
/ bidder, were entirely ignored, The contra,
M, through The influence OF simon Game rO
HtuiIn aud Plat, divided between Maine an
hf- fla. In truth, IL was awarded ~ polite.
'ay rites, AID for political purposes. Maine wa
lIrush the granite for the outside ba5emeI
/ "sIs, Virginia was to furnish the granite Il
.e suler,tructure. The Milne bidders, Roc
N'H Co., let me say here, we're Ia every va
responsible, and old granite men.
FAvORlSG THEIR FRGESDs.
Instead ~ compelling Bodwell & Co. TO dellyt
iItstpnc lu tho rough in Washington, a. spec
" ~ ~" contract, and ~ having the wur
uIh' lu Narhlu -tOu, as was Intended by Con
tt'. tine Supervising Architect OF the Trea
a. "o upon himself To give the cutting an
''H- .I 90 the same contractors at Is
teht. uu iIc grnE amount Of each workman
10y Irk, with the understanding, also, tn
.',. u' contractors, .hp nd compel the mon
L wow ten NruHa a daV instead az eioltt