National Republican., 1875-09-14
sHYLoCK DAVIS.

sHYLocK DAVIS.
An Ex.Contractor Essaying the Role Of Censor
-Ingsnious Carpentry: Mahogany Prices
for Pine work-A Howling Cheat Exposed
Facts, Figures and Documents.
1t generally requires some uncommon proyoca-
ton to draw the Sunday Herald aside frem its or
binary sphere Of duty ss public journal to COM
ment upon the character or acts Of individuals,
but when to such sprovocation is united the duty
Of exposing o fraud We cannot hesitate, and
must try to speak plainly. The duty Of exposing
the fraudulent pretensions Of H. s. Davis to DEM
ocratic Leadership and civic virtue has long been
neglected. The final provocation was furnished
when he undertook, in public meeting, to heap
abuse upon the memory Of the late Thomas b.
Florence. Whatever his faults or his weaknesses,
Mr.. Florence's career was one Of manly useful
ness, broad tolerance and true patriotism. He
spent long and busy life In laboring for the pub
lie good; generous to fault, unrsmitting in kind
ness to friend or neighbor, acquaintance or
stranger, breathing ever the atmosphere Of peace
and goodwill toward all the world, the very vir-
tues of Colonel Florence kept him poor. But his
friends can say with pride that in everything he
was the antipode OF Shylock Davis. Florence
spent fortune In charity, while Davis has grown
rich by his vices.
This man Davis, by trade carpenter. and in
his dealings shylock is Of obscure origin, sprung
from q class known in Virginia as "clsy-eater ~
and his tastes and habits correspond with his
breeding. Ignorant and imbruted, reeking with
the fumes Of whisky, and with q countensncs In
which q coarse, hard nature is visibly portrayed,
Davis spends much Of his time In the hotel halls
abusing, with invectiyes largely composed Of the
most horrible plssphemy, his fellow-men right
and left. The late Col. Florence rarely spoke
otherwise than kindly Of any human being. Who
ever heard from Shylock Davis Q word Of gener-
ous praise.
The Jackson Democratic Association is DO
litical organization, which has Q fine possibility
of usefulness, and numbers among its members
many respected and high. spirited gentlemen. It
has the misfortune, however to contain Mr. H
Shylock DAVIS, man VINO was q rampant Demo
who has boited the ticket rather than vote for An
officer too strict to pass his uncomfortable bills
and who now sets up as q censor Of Democracy,
bers Of the venerable jackson Association And
II matters not whether, like Colonel Florence.
they have held honorable places as representa-
uyes OF Democratic principles, and have private
and public record for honor and integrity that is
beyond reprosch, they will not escape, living or
Tiii6er. Lest By Persistent biowInS this foui.
a really hish.minded Democrat, unsslfshiy de.
public treasury, we propose to let q little light
shine upon his own record, which, fortunately, Is
fully preserved In the public archives, and Is well
Known 70 plenty OF reputable citizens now living
Davis has traduced Colonel Florence, because
in the regular course Of business he received pay
for certain public advertising, styling it "dis-
honest" money. As we'll might he charge that
his friend and co-laborer, John E. Norris esq.
with being bought BY the ring when he serves as
counsel to assist ring contractors 10 their suits
against the District, as charge Q newspaper with
being bought that receives only the usual and
paper that received advertising from the Board
Of Public Works or District Of Columbia, in the
days Of the so-called ring, Of which we have any
the regular ixed prices, as did acertsn carpenter
In his bills for work against the Govern nnent as
We will now proceed to show.
sHYLocK DAVIS AS A CONTRACTOR.
During the decade from 1851 to 1851 Davis was
employed trading in his Democracy, proclsiming
aloud what he had done for the party, and urging
his claims TO Government patronage BY Constantly
pestering officials from the President down. In
this way he managed to get quite large share Of
work.
One contract to which we here make reference
Will serve as an example OF how this censorious
and show what q tender regard he entertained
for the public purse. On the 9Th Of November,
n means Si private note Of MI
Patents Holt Q contract to prepare and nt up
with shelves, cases, &c, the west wing OF the
If iba Bs Ss 'a the
gallery, &C., for which he was paid the regular
prices as then fixed in the District. When the
q. HARNESS, who was then the United States
sworn measurer, and whose record for honesty
and integrity cannot be Questioned, was called
This he did, and found due Davis the sum Of
ell $685. After some controversy in regard to the
price to be allowed for certain srticles-thers
ured-Commissione Holt having reviewed the
case ordered settlement with Davis on the basil
Of the measurement Of Mr.. Hardness, which was
done. Davis, not satisfied with the allowance,
although IL was as much as he had been psid for
similar work in the east wing, asked an advance
81 two hundred per cent, or thirty cents foot
Builders Guide" and conceded to be most
liberal. He claimed an additional allowance ofs5-
ing alone. This claim was rejected by Commis-
sioner Holt, and was again appealed by Davis 20
the Department and referred to Mr.. Bishop, the
successor to Mr.. Holt as Commissioner Of Patents.
That officer, in 9 report dated December 30, 1859,
made when the transaction was Of recent occur
renee, stated that after q careful and thorough
examination he was entirely convinced that there
was no justice at all in this claim. This report
was nnally approved by the Secretary Of the In
sefi0r June & So dSSSi AZ subsequent period and
renewed bis application to the Department, and
on the 9th Of December, 1851, Commissioner Of
held that as the claim had been previously CON,
sdered and rejected by his predecessor, and that
decision had been approved by the then Secretary
been finally settled. This opinion was on the
2Sth Of the same month, affirmed by Secretary
Smith: subsequently,, but this time upon the
made another appeal to Secretary Smith, and OBJ
tanned a reference Of the measurement to three
persons named BY Commissioner Holloway.
While the ostensible reason was to have the
corrected # was really to get q re-
adjustment Of prices. The claim was now re-
ferred to Congress, and on the 18th Of February,
1888, Mr.. Hardness addressed q letter to Secre-
tary Usher, which was laid before the Finance
Committee Of the Senate, and upon that state
1tecksp ont IL tbat letter III psv,s ssa,sd
81 will give bond and satisfactory security to |
furnish seven eighths mahogany, executed In all
the sum Of forty cents per foot superficial, which
sum shall embrace mahogany and work, while
the committee have awarded Mr.. Davis forty
cents per foot for the work Of pine shelving.
81 will furnish the best Of i've quarter white
pine shelving for the model eases framed into
panels, flushed on the top surface and sunk
tw enty i've per cent. less than is claimed by Mr..
DAVIS Tor work only for plain four quarter shely-
II will furnish identicalIy the same shelving of
that of the model cases, work and material, for
the excess which is claimed for Hr. Davis for
W9fs on only ,S ever g Ehat hsys "a allowed him
Of the Thirty ninth Congress, speech was made
against the Davis claim by Senator B. Gratz
Committee on Public Buildings, in which he said:
SIN looking at It became satisfied that the
,laim was an unjust one. In consequence took
D great deal Of pains In making an examination
into Its merits and into Its history, and the more
examined IL the more thoroughly became sat
SIZED that there was no earthly title or shadow Of
ustice In the claim. 1t is now resurrected some
nine years after It has been passed upon and pro-
aounced unjust by the Government"
This claim was finally worried through Con.
yress with the aid Of q party by the name OF
Pitcher, whose notoriety was As general as 1t was
and whom Davis permitted to repre-
tent himself as owner of the claim.
In what light do such facts as these place the |
arrogant and ignorant fanatic whose foul tongue
respects nothing, not even the sanctity Of the
grave.
In the days when Davis was lobbying for con-
.racts he was as unmeasured In abuse Of all that
be fanced stood In his way he is of his fell
ow-men, living and dead, and as will be seen by
he following extract from letter to Secretary
dated May II, 1880, relative to work
n the Land Ofice, Davis could then, as now, VII
fly better men than himself He writes:
al should express my surprise at the receipt Of
he above note; but to admit that could be sur
prised at anything emsnating from Messrs. Moses
Kelly, T.. CLARK or ]. y. Harkness, except it be |
good or noble, would be to admit o |
Ialsehood.n
In the same letter in speaking Of Mr.. Smith,
Commissioner Of the Land Once, who succeeded |
Davis says:
"He became surrounded by 3 set Of men belong |
ing to one Of the low clubs Of this city, and by |
their opportunities for Of their favorites was
Induced to order the superintendent peremptorily |
TO take the work from me and give It to Mr.. |
nj ufalaD