Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-10-20
RADI0AL CORRUPTION.

Senator Thurman in a speech de-
livercd at Mansfield, O., u few days
ago, said Is there man here who
has not heard Of the Union Pacific
Railroad Company aud the Credit
MobilierY IL thore one OF you who
does not know, by sworn Testimony
taken before Congressional commit
tees, that BY the frauds of those com.
panios, principally ruled and governed
by certain members Of Congress, the
people Of the United States are abso-
lutely certai 10 lose not less than
ESQ, 900, ,000Y Has any one Of you for
gotten that over s435, 900 were used
by these companies TO procure the
passage of an amendment 10 the rail
road charter by the corruption OF mem
bcrs Of Congrcss-an amendment that
surrendered the most important rights
OF the Government, and In the end
entailed upon tho people the loss to
which have referred? lsitnecessary
for mo TO produce the proof taken at
the last session Of Congress that over
500, 900 were employed by the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company TO procure
from Congress- an immense public sub
sidyY Must | read to you the testi-
mohy given before Senate committee
few years since, TO show that bribery
Of New York Custom House officers
had become an established usage2 Or
is IL necessary to more than mention
the prosecutions by the Government
Of merchants, great and small, charged
with deflauding the revenue out Of
millions by smuggling or otherwise
not one OF which frauds or offenses
could have been committed had not
Government officers assisted in its CON-
mission? Have you not heard of the
practices OF the whisky rings, defraud-
ing the Government out of untold
amounts Of taxes, through the conniv-
ance and with the aid of purchased
revenue officials? Must | do more
than remind you that the official re-
ports OF responsible officers Of your
army and the statements of disinter-
ested private citizens have clearly
shown that through the fraudulent
practices of Indian agents and contrac-
tors, large numbers Of Indians whom
the Government is bound by treaty
stipulations to support have lately been
on the verge of starvation, and the
country thereby menacod with al In
dian war; Is IL not an indisputable
fact that the appropriations for the In
dians and the Indian Bureau are an
nually about s3,00O,000 more than
they were in 1860, and that through
the frauds and peculations of "1ndian
rings" in collusion with Government
officials, millions OF this money are
every year cmbezzled2 Have you not
heard how fraud, bribery and corrup-
ton existed in the Post Office Depart
ment, under the very nose, 80 to speak
Of the Postmaster.G General himself
frauds and ofienses 20 gross as to
necessitate not only the dismissal of
the detected officials, but also their
criminal prosecution in court of JUS
ticeY Have you not read OF the fre-
quent thefts in the Treasury, from the
abstraction of trihing sum of frac-
tional currency to larceny of over
$4,000 in lump2 Need ! do more
than refer to the long list of defaulters
in almost every branch of the public
service, and whose defalcations in the
last fourteen years amounted, at the
Lowest computation, to millions OF dol
lars2 Must | again remind You that
not even the Department of Justice
has been free from taint, and that,
under the late Acknowledgement, Off.
GERS whose duty it was to prosecute
the guilty were greater criminals than
the men they prosecuted?