The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-09-07

many others, he fell an easy prey 10
Grantism ; which, after all, is only an
aggravated form of modern Republi-
The two diseases are similar
type.
The time allowed me will not permit
than the shortest allusion to our
Investigations.
WAR DEPARTMENT.
In the investigation of the War
Department we disclose d the FOL
facts: That at the instance of
Belknap he was invested with
the power to appoint post traders, for
political reasons that these post
we're assessed for important
elections to the extent of $4,000 at a
time upon one individual that Gen.
Rice and Gen. Hedrick, two intimate
personal and political friends of the
sold out a number of these
posts, receiving annually thousands of
dollars from the appointees, without
Investing a dollar of money or risk;
that the Presidents brother was dis
gracefully connected with similar trans
actions that Marsh sold his appoint
ment to Evans for twelve thousand a
year, half of which was paid to the
Secretary of War, in quarterly install
ments; that 500 900 was fraudulently
paid out by Rufus Ingalls, to Cowles &
Breea that in the contract for head,
stones for the graves of u soldiers
there was gross fraud as we'll as irreg>
ularity, to the great loss of. the gov
ernment-the contract being fraudu-
lently awarded to an unknown jeweler
in Keokuk, whose only claim to it was
his intimate association with the Sec
rotary of War. Senator Sherman says
that Mr.. Pendleton was concerned in
one of Belknap's improper transactions
A Senator should be more care
full. The testimony shows that
the claim represented by Mr.. Pendle-
ton was paid upon the recommendation
of Mckee Dunn, a high republican
official, still in power. And the re-
publican member CT the Committee
~exonerates him in this language. The
Committee found no reason to condemn
the action of Mr.. Pendleton in this
matter" I allude to this, not because
Mr.. Pendleton needs defense. L do
so to show the lengths to which able
Senators may be driven to shield the
corrupt men of their party, by
attempting to asperse the character of
honorable men of opposite politics.
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AND Mr..
BLAINE.
But let us proceed The judiciary
committee was ordered, at an early
day, to look into the dealings of the
various railroad companies with Con-
gress. The introduction of this reso-
luton caused Mr.. Blaine and his
friends to hutter. Inner conscious,
ness was too great for repression. The
gradual production of the testimony
led to some Of the most remarkable
scenes But after all his flights of
physical oratory; his denunciations
of the Confederate House y his man.
ipulation of witnesses his adroit at
tacks upon the committee ; his cum
ming appeals for sympathy to the
country, MIR. Blaine was finally found
at the knees of Mulligan pleading for
the possession of his own letters, and
absolutely begging for mercy. Dess
peration finally drove him to falsehood
and fraud and when the country de-
nounced his captdre of the letters, his
only was in dramatic reading
of what he had undertaken to conceal
from the world. The letters of Mr.,
Blaine, ever as read by himself, oon'
denim him forever. While Speaker he
was a regular stock jobber in railroads
having Important legislation before
Congress. And in his early history
in Congress we find him a secret mem
Der of the Spencer Rife Company
and suggesting legislation directly il
its interest. His stock in the com
pany was paid for by his note FOL
$4,000, which was paid emily as hi:
dividends came in and in the settle
ment he was charged no interest fol
two years. Broken down in politica
character, he was soon broken dowr
in health. Yet this man had an actua
majority of delegates in the reeen'
cincinnati Convention. He was de
feated for nomination not.b by the de
velopments at Washington, but by thu
astuteness of rivals as corrupt a
himself. No principle of reform wa
involved when the agents of Roscoe
Coukliug cast the vote of New 1orl
for Hayes ; nor could the peopl
plume themselves upon a triumph o
virtue when Don Cameron was abb
to hold Pennsylvania from rushing t
the support of her favorite son.
The capture, by this House, of Sc
distinguished a leader as Mr.. Blaine
when coupled with the disgracefu
fall of Speaker Colfax, once Vic