Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-03-23
Goodbye.

If it be allowed that DemocraSs
who have been engaged in crooked
ways, have thereby committed politi-
cal suicide, then there are few
lace democratic candidates for Presi
dent now than there were few short
weeks since.
First comes Samuel j. Tilden, of
New York. A st. Louis special to
the Chicago Times, relates, as the
head lines. in the Cincinnati En-
quirer expresses it, show he horn
swoggled the Terre Haute and AL
ton Railroad out of $3.50, 900 and kept
it." The particulars are too lengthy
for our columns. Sufficient to say,
they make out strong case.
Next comes Hendricks, of Indiana.
The Cincinnati Gazette exposes
some of his crookedness in letter
from indianapolis prefaced with
these startling head-lines:-"Gov-
ernor Hendricks-how he obtained
a portion of his wealth-he is charg
ed with being party to grand
swindle-he offers to pay $4,000
"hush money"-his greed for money
induces him to break his word and
his contract" Then follows the evil
dence, which is severely damaging to
Governor Hendricks.
But here we pause-for the next
victim is an Ohio son-sur-named
by his admiring friends "Gentleman.
We refer to Geo. H. Pendleton, the
great light of greenback Democracy.
1t appears that the Kentucky Cen
tral Railroad had claim against the
Government for transportation dur
ing the war, amounting to $l4S,385.
1t was in connection with this claim
that Mr.. Pendleton was charged with
using corrupt means in securing its
payment 1t was paid by Secretary
Belknap, and it was limited that Mrs.
Belknap was paid for helping it
through. MIR. Pendleton was called
upon to clear himself of the imputa-
tion perhaps of corruption. The ex-
animation cleared the transaction of
fraud or corruption, but it still left
Mr.. Pendleton in a position, which
the Chicago Tribune remarks, she
can not successfully defend, politi-
cally or commercially"
After stating that the claim had
been rejected by every Secretary
holding the War Office up to the
time that Belknap entered upon the
duties of the Department, we shall
permit the Cleveland Leader to tell
its subsequent history:
"As President of the road he con-
tracted with himself as attorney to
pay himself fifty per cent. of the en-
tire claim for collecting it. With
this fat contract in one pocket, and
the claim in the other, he took wing
for Washington, ''saw' Belknap,
talked over family matters, remind
ed the War Secretary, no doubt, of
how he, ex-candidate for the Presi-
dency, had in 1870 taken the subse-
quent Mrs. Belknap into his party at
Paris and chaperoned her, so to
speak, during the tour to Rome and
Pompeii, and had subsequently given
her, all blushing and beautiful in the
bloom of early wldowhood, to be the
bride of the Secretary himself At
this it may well be supposed that
the susceptible head of the War De-
partment yielded; at all events he
did yield, the claim was paid, and
Mr.. Pendleton with $150,000 In his
pocket, took the rail for home. The
most interesting part of the process
the division of the swag-was yd
to come. There were four parties
the clalm-first, Mr.. Pendleton, d
attorney of the road, to whom b
paid $4,000, half of the entii
amount; secondly, the estate of Bow
ler, his brother -in-law, who had owr
ed three-fitths of the road, and
which was accordingly paid $45, ,00q
and, thirdly, clerk who had prepa
ed the case and made Intellectual
forts to secure its payment TheI
was nothing mean about Mr.. Pendl}
ton, and he gave this clerk $l5,00I
To complete this remarkable trans
action, Mr.. Pendleton then paid hin
self by way of salary, as Presided
Of the Railroad, part of the remain
ing $4,000. Whatever there was
left after all this liberality, went into
the treasury of the company, which
was no doubt glad and thankful to.
get it,