The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-01-06
Williams Conlrma ion.

A Washington correspondent has the
following:
The enemies Of Mr.. Williams have Sc.
cured his confirmation. They have gone
too far, and made charges which cannot
be proved, and some of which have becu
actually disproved. Most of the charges
OF using his present Office to punish pc.
itical and personal enemies in Oregon
are not proved, to say the least, aud as
they have fallen to the ground It leaves
the Encouragement ~ stronger position
before the Senate than if they had not
been made. The simple truth is. that
the case rs 1t stood before the recess was
he strongest against Mr.. Williams that
could have been presented. 1t was
nomination "Dot fit to be made aud on
his ground alone it should have been re.
jected Whom tho attorney general was
'urtber accused Of villsiny and corrup.
lion, be was saved The $1,000 land.
,ulet" business is bad enough. but he
.annot be rejected for that alone, without
'urnirg adriit ut least ouc-haf Of the
cabinet aud bureau officers. The US.
age is bad one, and in the case Of
tual theft Of $1,000. | cannot see it in
any other light. lfTweed was guilty of
'heft in dividing profits with contractors
who we're authorized to double their bills
for that purpose, then the purchase Of a
family carriage out Of the contingent
fund WAS a theft. But the abuse exists
in all parts Of the government, and why
shall Mr.. Williams be made a victim if
the others 60 free ? His carriage is the
incest, perhaps, but what shall we do in
the case of the secretary of the navy, who
is in the same predicament Or with
Commissioner Douglass, who drives fine
span Of horses for his private pleasure
Uncle Sam footing the bills 1t is Just
as bad at the capitol the leading officers
of both houses keep fine teams, nominally
for the use Of Congress-reqlly for cir
own pleasure. An old member said to
me, yesterday Il walked down from the
treasury, one warm morning in Deem
Der, all the way, and as was sweating
and tugging along, "a fine, fleet team
passed me, driren By ono Of our su5ordi.
nate officers. and horses, harness and car.
riage were paid for by the United States,
and all the expenses connected with keep.
ing up the establishment | knew that
the whole thing was simply "a steal and
| told the chairman of the committee on
appropriations that it was wicked in him
and his committee to allow such things
to 90 Onto make appropriations for such
lollles and he asseuted, but, like the rest
of U.s. he hated to make himself odiou-
among of6ce-holders by taking bold
stand for honesty and economy. The
use Of horses and wagons by Congress
and the departments is unnecessary, but
the line can easily be drawn if men III
offices honestly desire to do so--betweeu
the legitimate and illegitimate use OF
horse flesh. The business OF bureau is
to be transacted, and if any part Of it
needs horses and wagons their use is
proper, but it is not proper that the
pleasurc.driviDg Of the officer and his
family shall be done with these teams
These abuses are now likely to be correct.
ed, and in the right way. Congress will
prohibit them in one o. the appropriation
bills, and this is better than singing out
one man for condemnation.