Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-03-10
The Attempt TO make Political Cap

The Attempt TO make Political Cap
An attempt has been made by the
more partizan democrats, to make po
litical capital out of the fall and dis
grace of the late secretary of war, from
the fact of his holding office under re-
publican administration. 1t now comes
out that nearly all of his aids and abet-
tors in his corruption are democrats and
that Belknap himself was never any
thing but democrat previous to becom-
ing secretary of war. 1t is also worthy
of note that a majority of those most
rampant to turn this dishonor to account
against the republicans. are of the some
eighty members of the House who are
fresh from the fields where they repudi-
ated their oath to the United States, on
much grander scale than anything
Belknap has done. 1t may also be men
toned that several of these fresh con-
verts to virtue (?) were selected to be
Immediately sent to New Hampshire to
canvass that state for the democrats, and
tell the people how they caught Bel
KNAPP" but more wise democrats who
had never repudiated their oath to the
United States, saw how the thing was
being overdone and put their foot down
upon it, and the result was the first men
proposed did not start for the old granite
state Another thing has come out.
Hester Clymer, the democratic chair
man of the committee on expenditures,
has allowed an important witness to es-
cape to Canada, witness who was him
self corruptionist. Nor is this all. 1t
now appears that distinguished demo-
cratic candidate for president is involved
in this same scandal
The following dispatches from Wash
ington, published Wednesday morning
of this week, tell their own story -
Meanwhile other developments con-
corning Mrs. Belknap's operations have
been made which the democrats do not
relish, as they involve George H. Pen
dleton, one of their favorite Presiden
tial candidates, and place Mr.. Clymel
in an unfavorable light 1t appears
from the records of the Department,
that the Kentucky Central Railroad, af
ter having been paid the usual military
rates for transportation dnring the war
filed a claim through Pendleton for thu
difference between these rates and nine
ty per cent of the regular rates tn,
amount being S14S,533. Secretary Stan
ton twice refused to pay this, after tive
adverse reports from Quartermaster Gen
eral Meigs. In the fall of 1870, Pen
dleton wrote Belknap. asking him to re
open the case, whichswas again referred
to Gen. Meigs, who again reported ad
versely. Belknap then referred it tt
Assistant Judge Advocate General Nc
Kee Dunn, who gave favorable opin
ion and the case was reopened. TIL
claim was then approved by BelknaE
under whose instructions the warrant
were rushed through the Treasury ID,
partment in one day, and the none
paid to Geo. II. Pendleton June II, 1877.
OF this money Mrs. Belknap has state
in the presence of democratic friend
this winter that she received some $50
900.
NICE LITTLE PARTY.
Soon after receiving this money Mr.
Belknap, then Mrs. Bowers, made Il
tour of Europe with Hon. Hester Cl
mer, Mr.. and Mrs. Marsh, Hon. Geor!
III. Pendleton and others, and the RAJ
road claims was freely talked of in Il
party. The railroad claim was also O
lGded to last week at an interview
the Arlington Hotel between Mrs. Mars