The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-01-15
The Attorney Generals $1,000 Car
rfaRa.

Grants Attorney General and nominee
for Chief ] ustice, Williams, with his fam
lily, ride in a 81 SEQ royal carriage, or
landaulet, at Governmeut expense, q
voucher therefor having been discovered
IN the Treasury Department. The New
York Herald says: - li-'
The investigation of the charges agaiDst
Attorney General Williams promises to
bring TO light practlces IN nesrlyIit not
quite all the executive departments, which
are certainly not consistent with 8 strict
economy, if indeed they are with honest
administration The payment of $1,000
for carriage for the Attorney Generals
family Is but an ordinary affair In the
Treasury Department some of the expen-
ditures are of the most 1extraVagant char
aeter. Our Washington correspondence
instances $4,000 for Temporary clerks,
$55,0O0 for stationery, $40 600 for furni-
t1re and carpets, $50, 600 for coal wood,
gas, tumblers, hatchetsg pitchers towels,
&c. $4,000 for newspapers. repair of
wagons, care of horses, brooms, brushes,
matches, soaps, &C.; and it is stated that
the names of private servants are borne
on tbs psy-rolls Of the Government.
There seems TO be a complete system of
picking and stealing, high and low. Is it
any wonder that .Congressmen speculate
in Credit Mobilier and vote tksmselVss
back pay IN such an stmosphers Or that
every day brings news of the absconding
of defaulting officials?
It is, of course, understood that the
Attorney General is onIy following out
the usnaE custom in sending hIsHcarffiaze
bills to an accommodating auditor in hls
department and placing his servants on
the list of Government employees. 1t is
all perfectly regular, according TO the sys-
tenn established by this administration.
The President, indeed, has an idea of in
definite expansion IN the same way.
Washington is city Of which the nation
is to be proud = and naturally must ex-
peet to pay for its pride Over Governor
Shepherds trlply graded roads the dashing
equlpages Of Cabinet officers, bought with
the public money, roll under the guidance
OF coaehmen drawing salary as Govern
ment clerks. The Supervising Anchitsct
of the Trsasury Department designs new
stables Tor the President, and they are
built and paid for out of the unexpended
appropriations. The erection of mansions
for members Of the Cabinet is strongly
urged IN the message, and next year it is
not ImpossIbls that the acquisition of
landaulets and horses through the Depart
ment OF Justice will require the addition
of cabinet stables to the Presidents plan.
The stock farm and the paddock may
follow as adjuncts of,the Executive De-
partment, and the establishment Of mile
track could not fail te find favor with the
present inVectors in Washington real es-
tate - --.-- -..- r-.--C l. t--.-s d.
The Springfield (Mass.) Republican
says although Williams excuses the use
of public money in the purchase of the
carriage, on the grounds that all or near
lY all the high officers Of government, his
associates, helped themselves in this way
out of the public till, 1t is clear that the
matter cannot be left where IL IS. 1t is
clear that the time has come for finding
out exactly what this Contingent fund.-
is supposed by the officials at Washington
to be for. and TO what uses they have been
putting it. The discovery Of this little
Vousher.s the reported explanations and
excuses of Mr.. Williams, the assertions
and figures of the special correspondents
on thespot, have piqued the public cu1Ssi-
ty The people are not gong TO be con-
tint with any vague assurances that it is
all right, coupled with improving moral
reflections on Lhs Wickedness of Indepen-
dent journalism They have not pet had
time 10 forget the Credit Mobilier. hit
Is attemplsd to quietly smuggle Mr.. VII
liams and has fandaulet cut of sight and
to hush the whole affair up no one need
be much surprised if there is storm,
compared with which, that evoked by the
grab will seem quite zephyr. They WiIl
demand and WI have the right 10 de
mand, that the executive departmentsl be
now flooded with daylight from cellar to
attic. Is their money which is beng
handled inside. They are paying heavy
taxes for the support Of their goVsTnmenf.
They have Just been notified By the SscIe-
tarY OF the Treasury that. unless they are
prepared to put their hands still deeper
into their pockets, he don't really see for
his part how be can make both. ends mseta
They hear of thus and the other head Of q
department shaking his head at the sug-
gestion Of economy and saying he can't
see where his estimates can be cut down
without serious detriment to the public
sarVlce. Under these circumstances they
have the right 70 know Rhers thkirmoney
goes and for what, They have > rghtcto
beInqnisltlve about the Contingent tund-"
They have right to be eoneerned when
they are told that some Of their most trns-'
ted servants have not ancceeded in keep
ing their hands from picking and StsElihg,'
as the catechlsm eDloina and to insist
upon knowing the truth. " - F1e llu
q It is to be hoped that Mr. Dawes and
the Gongressmen who fights under his
flag, the flag Of honesty. .retrenchment aud
reform, will be equal to their duty and to
the just demands Of the people. II they
are, and if investigation leads-as it very
well nsay-to remedial alegislation,.w we re-
pear that the Williams lGndaulet IS likely
TO &c into history. Hths jar ofIts wheels
topples down this, huge fablc Of ofheIal
perqulsities, rotten IN every Joist and
oozIng corruption sat every chink, 1t will
have rendered the republic q greater SER
vice than any land or water vehicle since
the AaynoWer. 4-.lzl8 - g3Za .lo -i --