Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-07-16
Hon. John Q. Smith.

supporting J. Q. Smith, 'the only Con
gresham from Ohio who could be IN
duced to vote for the continuance OF
Shepherd in Office,
As the Register appears to be ignor-
ant of some matters about which 1t
talks, and desires certain explanation
from the editors of the Herald, we
present the following as our explanation
and hope it will be satisfactory to the
minds of our enquiring neighbors:
From the Hamilton Telegraph
John O. Smith and BOss Shepherd
The Butler County Democrat last week said
this:
Upon the exposure of Boss Shepherd of the
Washington ring, Grant boldly nominates
him for high Office and sent his name to Con-
gress for confirmation. The Congress was
struck dumb with such q bold piece OF work,
such an insult to them, and outrage upon the
Nation. and refused to confirm the Boss
John Q. Smith voted in favor of the Boss, and
the Telegraph supports John Q Smith for
Congress, dc"
In another place the Democrat asks: "Does
the Telegraph endorse the vote of John @
Smith for Boss Shepherd2" and in other artie-
les of the Democrat of last week the charge is
as boldly made that John Q. Smith voted IN
favor of Boss Shepherd.
Inreply the Telegraph has to say that when
Grant nominated Boss Shepherd to be one o
| the ad interim Commissioners for the District
/ of Columbia, he sent Shepherd 3 name to the
Senate, where it was very properly rejected
/ The House, of which Mr.. Smith is q member
| has no Jurisdiction over the Nomination.
of the President; yet the Democrat very bold
ly charges, in the first of the extracts We hsY'
| given above, that Smith actually voted TO con
1 firm Shepherd as one of tie Commissioners
| What Mr.. Smith did do, and for his actor
therein he is fully prepared, when the time
| comes, to vindicate himself, was to Vot'
against the District bill reported in the
| House by Wilson, of Indiana, that provided
for an ad iRteTHin government Of the Distrle
| until Congress should assemble next winter
The committee appointed to investigate the
affairs Of the District had made their report tx
the Senate and House. That report steteC
that the greatest frauds had been perpetrateC
in the District; that the appropriations Votet
the District by Congress had been expended
that, the treasury of the District was no
only bankrupt. but that q debt exceeding
twenty millions of fdollars had been piled Ol
the District by the Board of Public Works an
other branches of the District Government
All this in direct violation of law. The re
port denounced the paving, sewer and stree
| contracts as the greatest sWindles, and tn
payment of those contracts as illegal; yet tn
bill, against which John @. Smith voted, mad
the United States responsible for the paymeT
of the very contracts the same committee, i
it's report, had denounced as most iniqnitoui
One item in the bill provided a revenue
81 300, 600 to paw the July interest on a bono
ed debt Shepherd had saddled on the DistriC
in order to fill the pockets of his contractor
Those who are anxious to know why NJ
Smith voted against the bill will satisfy thei
anxiety by reading the remarks of Mr.. Cannon
of Illinois, who, with Smith, voted against i
Mr.. Cannon said:
''Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to coneurrin
in the senate amendment for the followin
reasone: do not believe it is good policy
good legislation to appropriate money for Il
} District of Columbia until we know to q ee
tainty the proportional share the United Stat
ought to pay on account of Government pro
? erty in the District. Why, sir, the Joint s
leet Commi ttee to inquire into the Affairs
| the District of Columbia reported few day
: ago and recommended legislation by which Il
, United States should guarantee over Sc, ,0OO
: 600 of bonds to be exchanged for that amour
t of the n-funded indebtedness of the DistriC
At the same time the committee tell US tn
such Indebtedness was contracted by the Di
triet ring without authority of la " and in ii
teeth of the act of Congress organizing Il
District government and that the same is vol
Congress saw proper to pass the bill. At Il
|
Indebtedness grew out OF the rankest kind
jobbing and fraud, and instance one ca
; wherea contract was awarded for paving,
the amount of $400, 600, for the alleged pr
eurement of which the contractors paid $97
: 600. And this is the kind of indebtedness
at least in part, in exchange for which Il
holders are to receive bonds guaranteed by Il
Y Cove rnmsnt!
sBut we are told that many innocent perso
, who have done work are the holders in part
v this Indebtedness. A sufficient reply to tn
=, / is that all persons are chaFgeable with a know
edge of the law, and the rule everywhere
{ that if men become the creditors of O muni
, pal corporation, the corporation having no pC
Al er to contract the indebtedness they haYe
- remedy. But am credibly informed that
large portion of this indebtedness has be
aG bought up by spectators at forty and fl
d cents to the dollar. They having full knov
edge of the law in the premises and going IL
the speculation with their eyes open. with t
intention of getting this or some other legis
es tion and no doubt some of them being the We
persons who are responsible for the frau
y committed in the teeth of the law-if
e. my way they should never realize one ce
from the venture. However. if there is no W
~ to distinguish between these men who we
g. in upon the ground floor and helped to r.
this structure in the teeth of the law, haVi
~ "fraudA written upon their foreheads SO ii
q sshe who runs NAV read" would at most
le worth, and in my opinion if they receive al
n thing a commission should have been appoi
ed to inquire what the work was reasonR
OF worth, and only that amount paid. For Il
reason voted against the bill offered by
Joint committee a few days ago. On top
that legislation we are asked to appropri
. 81, 100000 more, a large portion of which il
d go into the pockets of this ring of speculat
i in payment of interest on bonds and othsrwi
y" l will not vote for it; will not vote one d
n lar of appropriation of the District until
rights of the Government and of the properi
u holders in the District are settled, and WI
ID that is done am willing the United Sta
should pay according to the property owl
by the Government in the District and not
cent more. And then the owners Of persO
n as well as real estate in the District shol
no pay taxes. It looks to me like this fraudul
Indebtedness by this legislation is in effcct
s. be fastened upon the United States and NJ
O | the District; and I hope that in our anxiety
adjourn we shall not hastily pass this
0. We had better stay here indefinitely than
do it and give notice now that shall
for q vote upon concurring in this amendmC
and appeal to members to give US vote
a. the yeas and nays so record can be made
the same,"
1r These remarks, heartily endorsed as t
" were oy Mr.. Smith, will satisfy any hoI
man Of rhe reasons that induced Mr.. Sm
er and those voting with him to oppose the
Their intention manifestly was to have the
IN the shape 1t was offered by the commit
We voted down, and again brought forward Y
en- such amendments as would not make the 7
he pie ofthe United States pecuniarily respo
n bic for the rascally debts of Shepherd and
Ill. ring.
'ut .---
he A Relic of the Nathan Murder
ISL.