The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-01
The Washington Ring in Full Blast.


petrated by the Washington Ring, It was
supposed some check had been given
to the system by which the public Treas
ury and the people of the District Of
Columbia had been plundored of many
millions by an organized gang of thieves.
The Republicans in both branches of Con
gress who had shared in the spois and
who controlled legislation, would not.
however, allow q radical measure of re-
form TO pass, by which protection would
have been made sure against repetition
of these inqritios.
They created, by the act OF June 20, 1874,
temporary government of three Com
missioners- and insisted upon retaining the
power of appointment in the hands OF tho
President, whose nrst response was to
nominate Boss SHEPHERD at tho head of
the commission as rcbuke to the inveetl-
CATION and rs mark Of his personal favor.
Though rejected by tho Senate. SHEPHERD
was still powerful enough to nominate his
own successor, and 10 is notorious that
the three Commissioners were appointed
through the direct influence OF the Ring,
namely, WV. DENNIaoN by HENRY ID.
COOKE, J. ii. KErcuAM by Boss SHEPHERD,
and the late IIENRY Il. Blow by Measurer
BABcocK, with the knowledge that Mr.
Blow could not attend TO the duties
The same act authorized the President
TO detail an officer OF the Engineer Corps
TO have control and charge Of the repair
and Improvement Of all streets, avenues,
alleys, sewers, roads, and bridges, vesting
him with all the power and authority OF
hf ~ .,f Ill l.,f ID,
Works. Lieut.. II. l.. HoxtE, Il young man
without the least experience or fitness for
this important service, was appointed
through BABCocK's agency; and he has
been a mere tool OF the Ring in carrying
out their plans.
The First and Second Comptrollcrs OF
the Treasury were or Gated n board to ex-
anime and audit for settlement all the un-
funded and floating debts OF the District
OF Columbia and of the Board OF Public
Works, and to discharge other duties par
ticularly described in the law.
The Commissioners, the engineer. and
the Board Of Audit started out by retain
ing in office all the clerks and other en-
ployees with whom Boss SHEPHERDS Ring
had worked during their possession Of
before the investigation, OF having made
false measurements, Of having tempered
with accounts, and OF having aided i'm all
the frauds were continued rs If moth ny
had occurred aud that, too, with the
knowledge that important contracts were
altered while the committee was actually
sitting and that others since then have
been manipulated by corrupt collision to
deceive Congress.
II was soon discovered that the change
of rulers was only in name; that the Ring
was still all-powerlul; and that the sup
posed safeguards were utterly worthless,
because there was no effort and no desire
to reform the rotten system. The Com
miss 'oners, instead OF economizing have
encouraged extravaganza; the engineer
has obeyed the orders of those Tho got
him appointed and the Board OF Audit
have allowed the most scandalOus and
fraudulent claims.
The act OF Congress by which this tenn
poIary government was established was
loosely and hastily drawn. But its purpose
and its limitations were well understood.
though less specifically defined than they
should have been. The Ring Republicans
on the committee DELAYED action until the
closing days of the session. and threw
every obstacle in the path OF safe and wise
legislation. But the clear understanding
was that only such contracts should be
completed as were necessary to the con-
venience of the capital, and only such re-
pairs made "a could not be dispensed with.
To do this work and nothing more, author
ity was given to issue bonds bearing inter-
est at 3.65 per annum, and Congress
endorsed them TO the extent of ten millions
of dollars for which the interest was pro-
vded.
All the wood pavements laid by the
Ring are rotten, and the concrete carriage
ways are fast going to destruction. Most
OF them are not over two and half or
three years old. In order TO conceal this
fact from the eyes of Congress, the Commits
soners are now patching the streets in all
directions, TO make temporary show and
to repeat the receptions heretofore prac-
tised. But this Is by no means the worst of
their misdeeds. They have inaugurated a
large scale OF so-called improvements
never contemplated by law at ALL which
must involve a cost of between three and
Ave millions of dollars. The contracts for
this work are given out without advertise
ment, at the old Ring prices. notwith-
standing the depreciation in materials and
labor and to the same contractors who
tiourshed under SHEPHERD. To make it
complete the surveyors who made the
false measurements for the old regime are
employed to repeat that process for the
new.
As the law did not actually limit the
total OF 3.G5 bonds TO be issued in terms,
these Commissioners have gone on as If
there was no restriction whatever and are
paying them out in contempt of the plain
intention Of Congress not to exceed the
estimate Of ten millions, which the Board
OF Audit had reported as sufficient 10 cover
all outstanding claims. So in point Of
fact, law which was designed TO close up
the affairs OF the Ring government under
Boss SHEPHERD, and to limit the debt to
ten millions, has been perverted into Il
means Of extending the former frauds and
OF adding several millions 10 the indebted
ness. We shall see If Congress will submit
to this barefaced jobbery and corruption.