The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-11

less character OF the pavemcnts with which
miles upon miles OF streets were being
| covered, were demonstrated and notwith-
standing that the people of the District
were being robbed of millions, and the
| United States likewise defraudod of vast
sums, the President continued to sustain
and defend the men whose guilt was pa
tent to the whole world.
Ii Is not necessary, in order 20 convict a
man Of defraudng the Government, that
| the prosecution should show what DISPOSE
| ton he made of the money. When it is
| proved by indlsputable evidence that by
| false and fraudulent vouchers he has OBJ
| tanned million Of dollars from the Treas
ury, it is not necessary in order to secure
his conviction that the money should be
traced 10 the banks in which he had de-
posted IL. 1t was therefore altogether un-
necessary, in order to determine the guilt
OF the men who by fraudulent measure
ments robbed the Government of q
million of dollars that IL should he de-
mcnstrated that they divided the money
among themselves, and with IL bought
ground and erected rows OF houses. IL
was sufficient TO prove that the measure
meDts were fraudulently made, and that
the money was obtained thereon.
III any person makes or procures TO be-
made any false and fraudulent voucher,
which Is used in obtaining money from the
United States, he is punishable, on convic-
ton thereof, by a fine Of two thousand dol
In RAJ n 70 rfa Of MI
OF damage sustained by the Government.
1.-THE person so offending is an officer of the
army, he is on conviction thereof punisha-
BILE by fine and Imprisonment at the dis
erection OF the court martial which tries
him.
The facts in the possession OF the Presi-
dent not only proved that the Board of
Public Works had, with the assistance and
connivance of Gen. BABCOCK, defrauded
the United States out OF large sums of
money by means of false and fraudulent
vouchers but IL was also shown that the
executive head OF the Board of Public
Works had large transactions in real estate
with Gen. BABcocK. IL was further shown
from Official sources that both these men
had suddenly grown very rich. Under cir
fearlessly upright man, occupying the Office
Of President, have acted? Gen. BABcooK
was an officer Of the army, aud he oerti-
fied TO the false measurements in his on
cial capacity, under a special act Of Con-
gress requiring him 80 to do. Clearly there
was but one path for an honest President
10 pursue. He should have ordered u court
martial to try BABCocK for defrauding the
Government.
As TO the other man, ALEXANDER r.
SHEPHERD. a different but equally sum
mary method should have been adopt
ed. The Attorney General should have
been directed 10 instruct the District
Attorney TO bring the facts to the at
tention of the Grand Jury; or II, as
was well known to be true In this instance
the District Attorney and the entire legal
machinery of the District were under the
control Of the suspected party, then 1t
was the clear duty of the President to
submit the facts TO Congress in a special
message, and request ihp1edhte action
thereon.
But an entirely different cou SO was pur-
sued by GRANT. Instead OF mamfesting n
desire to vindicate his own honor and pro-
tect the helpless taxpayers of the District,
and punish those who were robbiug them
and the United States NJ the same time. he
drew the rogues closer TO himself and law
ished on them the most fulsome praise
IN his messages TO Congress. For the
robberies which have been committed by
the Washington Ring, GRANT is directly re-
sponsible, since they could never have
been successfully accomplished but for the
underwriting support he gave the II ny rob-
bers III their conspiracy to defraud the
taxpayers of the District and the Treasury
of the United States.