Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-08-10
nANFORD,S SPEECH.
TCONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE

the length and breadth of
the land, and ask whether the en-
ployment of skilled and unskilled Ia
Dor, the various watchmen about the
public buildings of the country, are not
employed and put in their places by
reason of the fact that they belong to
the party in power? This House of
Representatives furnishes notable eX-
ample of political influence in the en-
ployment of subOrdinates. Why, Mr..
Speaker, the Clerks desk had been fill
ed for twelve years before the Demo-
cratic party came into power in this
end of the Capitol by gentleman whose
honesty, integrity, and great knowl-
edge of the business in which he was
engaged made him so eminent | am
speaking now of the Clerk of the last
House of Representatives. that his su-
perior as a Clerk was never known in
the history of the Government. And
yet he was displaced on the very first
day of the session. 1t may be said this
is to some extent a political position,
and Itconcede it. 1 do not complain
that the majority put party friend in
that position. 1t was their right to do
it, and no man of any political party of
the country expected them to do any
thing else, and / am gratified to say
the pesent incumbent is in all respects
q perfect gentleman. They not only
did this, but they went through that
office and cleaned it out almost entire
ly. They began with the Doorkeeper's
department, and they went through
that in tie same efectice, efficient, and
thorough manner. They did not stop
even until they got down to the bath
rooms of the House of Representatives
and removed from his place an old
man who had been there for years and
years in charge of the towels and the
soap and the baths of the House, and
replaced him by young, vigorous gen.
tleman from some State out West, who
was in sympathywith The party in pow
er. So with the post-Office of the
House, and so with every other place
that the party in power in this end OF
the Capitol could touch. Political in
f1uence and political power were felt
.all along the lines" And now it
does not come with a very good grace
from a committee of the House of Rep
resentatives in a majority report to
complain that in the navy-yards and
elsewhere throughout the country the
Republican party have yielded to the
pressure of political influence, and that
The politicians in some instances have
directed the employment OF labor in
the various navy.yards.
But must pass from this subject,
and in fact from the entire subject in a
few minutes more. | have only time
to call attention to these matters in a
brief and hurried way. There are
many things complained ofand magni-
fed largely in the report of the major
ity the testimony of witnesses, being
quoted, and conclusions drawn from
their testimony that fair and full
reading of the testimony will in nowise
warrent. l have alluded to some of the
chief matters of complaint against the
Secretary of the Navy. He is charged
with conniving at fraud, with being
guilty of wrongs against the Govern
ment, with having betrayed the great
trust reposedin himfor the benefitof the
whole country, and with having used
it for the advancement of his personal
friends. These charges are freely made
throughout the length and breadth OF
the report. The matters that l have
alluded to are specimens of the charges
made, and take it that upon a tul
reading of the testimony, if any gen.
tlemen shall ever see fit to read it all,
they will learn that the Secretary OF
the Navy has conducted the affairs OF
his Department in the interest of the
whole country; that in the repairs put
upon the Navy, that in the use of the
different appropriations, and that in
the general direction of the Department
he has not departed from line of hon.
esty and faithfulness toward the coun-
try.
These charges made by the majority,
this indictment made against the Secre-
tary of the Navy may be demanded for
partisan purposes. But this report af-
iects the Secretary of the Navy in his
honor. 1t affects him as citizen of
our common country. And it not only
affects him but 1t affects the various
Bureau officers, men who are in uOwise
identified with the Republican party,
Hanscom, Chief of the Bureau of Con,
struction, Jefers, Wood, Bradford.
These men are in no way identified
with the Republican party in its man
agement. They are men who have
grown up TO their places in the various
Bureaus during long life of service in
thetDepartment.
Take Bradford, the paymaster, if you
please; and want to remark here that
If there is any officer of the Govern
ment that to my mind has been guilty
of single suspicious act, 1t was Brad
ford, the paymaster, in introducing
and bringing together Cattell and
Matthews at New York. Mr.. Polk
sent in his name to the Senate along
with the names of his Cabinet. He
was recommended by Andrew Jack
son, and was for long time a citizen
of Tennessee, being native of the State
of Delaware, and never was identified
with the Republican party, so far as
know. And so with these various Bu-
reau officers. They are not identified
with the party in power in this Gov
eminent, but are, as l believe, honor
able men. Some of them have gone
up from the workbench to the heads
of Bureaus. Some of them have seen
service upon our ships of war in time of
action; men who are gallant officers;
men who have conducted themselves
for twenty-five and thirty yeats with
honesty and integrity. And yet you
strike at them and strike them down
upon the veriest suspicious and sur
misses.
You strike at the Secretary of the
Navy likewise. He has spent seven
years in the position of a Cabinet Off
Ger. He is still young man, and he
may well feel proud of the position he
occupies and has occupied so honorably
for SO long time. Perhaps in the de-
elaration l am about to quote may be
found the animus of this report. 1t is
declared in the platform of the st. Louis
Convention that the Secretary of the
Navy has been enriching himself and
his friends by selling his offices. 1
know that the Democratic party of the
country are hard pressed; know that