The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-11-14
nr.of t,rants Peculiar Acts.

The scquittal Of Polhamus g Jackson,
hroLers. through whom the. money was
SambIed away which Major g. L. Hodge,
sctine paymaster- general of the United
States. had stolen from the. treasury, nag
not received adequate attention. OWING "
the excitement attending upon the .eiecuon'
The circumstances are remarkable.
Hodge became paymaster- genera, anu
had the onnoytunity TO steal TINS money
hat,as, tan0 600 and $500, 00O-because
Pr;cs whom President Grant, detying hon
DIVE Din %, T deoency, had made paymaster.
esty was habitually too drunk to attend
to the duty.
Grants appointment Of Brice was a
crime against the people meriting condign
punishment. Brice had been paymaster-
general, and had been detected in paying
large sums Of money upon forged papers.
The fact that he had so paid out the mon
ey, and the more important fact that he
had known the papers to be forged when
he maid it, were proved by the inquiry OF
committee of the house of representatives
This inquiry began in 1867. 1t was con.
Quoted by Republicans, Mr. Lincoln, of
New York, being chairman of the commit
tee. Secretary Stanton detailed two clerks
to assist the committee, and gave its mem
hers access to the records and documents
of the war department Before the in
ouiry was concluded, however, President
johnson turned out Stanton and appoint.
ed Gen. Grant to be secretary OF war dd
interim. ---as a. rs.
Grants first act was to take away the
clerks whom Stanton had given to the
committee, and to get through the house
Of representatives a resolution which, with
ont naming this particular investigation,
effectively stopped it. The com mittee
went to Grant, told him all that they had
discovered, described to him the transac-
tions of Brice, told him that it had been
proyed before them that he was not only
dishonest, but habitually drunk, and una
BILE to do the duties of the Office, and APP
pealed to him in behalf of the Republican
party and of its good repute not to take
Rrice under his powerful protection. L!
ali this Grant turned deaf ear, and al
though the committee had nearly com
pleted the taking of testimony, and then
renort was actually drafted, they found II
impossible to go on.
Finally, however, after Johnson i'm
neachment trial was over, they went to HIN
and laid the facts before him. lie tolc
them that the only thing he could do in hi
circumstances was to retire Brice, since b.
had now reached the legal age for retire
ment. This was done accordingly; but a
soon as Grant was inaugurated, his yer
first official act as President was to issu
an order annulling johnson retirement {
Brice and restoring this payer OF forge
claims, this robber of the treasury, til
drunkard, to authority as paymaSter- gel
eral.
Accordingly Brice came into office aga
in this manner but not being able even
seem to perform the duties, Hodge W
put in his place, and stole the half MILL
of money which the government has NJ
vainly endeavored to recover from Poll
mus & Jackson Hodge was tried, tou
guilty, and sentenced to the Albany pc
Tertiary for ten years but Grant prompt
pardoned him out.
Thus it is that Grant prefers his ov
cronies, even when they are thieves al
drunkards, to men just and honest; al
thus the public service has suffered al
the treasury been plundered through |
wilful cooperation with its robbers.-N.