Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-08-23
OFFICIAL CORRUPTION.

| g9oF UFFlClAL COkKUPIlON.
tralions-The Republican Administrations
| OF Lincoln and Grant Purer than those of
Washington and Adams. a
), In the House of Representatives, on
the 9th, Hon. Geo F. Hoar, of l1assa-
chusetts, commented on Lamar's speech,
which he said was in full accord with
the uniform tone of the Democratic
press, north and south, and in full ac-
cordwith the uniform current of speech
that prevailed among that gentleman's
colleagues when the question relating to
the position of the South had arisen.
That speech was bitter invective against
the Government under which the gen
tleman lived, and Of whose magnanim-
ity that gentleman was a conspicuous
instance. He trusted that the people
of the North would read that speech,
and would judge by it of the expediency
of committing the Government to the
Democratic party. He (Hoar) took
issue with Lamar's claim that there was
prevalent corruption or maladmin-
istratlon in public affairs, and he
declares it is his belief that the pc
riod Of sixteen years in which the Re-
publican party had held power was
| freer from corruption and maladmin-
istratiOn than the period of sixteen
years which followed the Inauguration
of Gen. Washington. In proof of the
public corruption during the admins
tration of Washington, John Adams,
distinguished General of the Revolu-
tionary War, who, while Quartermaster
General of the army, was in
partnership in firm which had the
supply of the army stores, and was
corresponding with that firm secretly
and in cipher. The case of Washing
toms friend who, while Secretary of
State, was detected in receiving money
from France as a bride, to thwart the
foreign policy of the Administration OF
which he was a member The case of
another Of Washington's Cabinet Off
GERS (Hamilton) who, being charged
with corrupt relation with
person whom he had put in
the Treasury Department, defended
himself by acknowledging over his own
signature his profigate relation to the
wife OF that person, and the case of an
other Cabinet officer of Washington who
wrote lie, tier acknowledging an act of
virtual d shonor unequaled by that of
Gen. Delknap. The difference between
the two generations was the D,ammond
light, which the press of the present
day turned ON all public transactions.
Thomas j. Hendricks, the Reformer.
1t is noticed by the people that 10Th
Tilden and Hendricks, in their letters
Of acceptance, put deal Of stress upon
the necessity of honesty and reform in
the national administration, aud how
much they were willing and ready to do
in that behalf. Hendricks eulogized Til
den as one of the greatest reformers of
the age, and he complacently intimated !
that he was in perfect accord with the
administrative reforms proposed by the
st. Louis convention But, unfortun-
ately for themselves and their party,
both Tilden and Hendricks, lave a rec
ord, and some of it is very bad, we may
say decidedly INKY. dor orr. re-. -.8il |
The Indianapolis Journal, published |
at the home of Hendricks. has been
porting over old records, and it has /
found something SO very bad that unless
the facts herein stated are utterly dis
proven, no voter can feel any confidence
in the professions of Hendricks as a
reformer. Like too many Of our public |
men he has been tinctured with an NOR. |
dinate lust tor money, and he has res
sorted to such devices as is too common /
among politicians. But which show
him to be utterly unworthy of the great |
trust of Vice President of the United
nc he
record: iJpc vA 'a-1' ." Ia" -aIi
1t is not pleasant duty to expose the true
inwardness of Gov. Hendricks and the hollow
ness of his professions Of reform, but it is a
duty nevertheless. The record of public man
is public property, and, no mat ter what it may
contain he must face it. We published the |
official record of Mr.. Hendricks connection
with the fraudulent claim of Charles w. Hall
and g.. A. Smith against the Government on
account of mules alleged to have been fur
nished during the war. The evidence shows |
that Hall and Smith were both rascals; that |
they attempted to defraud and did defraud the
Government out OF large sum of money, and |
that both of them were sentenced to the peni |
Tertiary After this Hendricks. then Senator
OF the United States became the agent |
and attorney Of their bogus claims against the |
government. By some hocus-pocus 1t was as !
signed to William Henderson, of this city. "a
cousin of MIR. Hendricks, but VIII ON the latter
lnlocently presented as a constituent of his. |
The claim was vigorously pressed before the |
War Department. while Mr.. Hendricks was in
the Senate, and after he retired from that body
he continued to urge it before the Senate and
the Department. Let It be borne in mind all
this time, that the claim grew out of a fraud on
the government, aud that both the claimants,
Hill and Smith, had been found guilty aud SEN
fenced to the penitehtiary. Finally, il 1871, |
eight years after the preparation of the fraud
in which the claim originated, it was paid into
Mr.. Hendricks hands-$7860. ads ai
Now, here Is the sequel. After Halls con-
vlction and sentence, Mr.. Hendricks undertook
to procure hif pardon from the President, and
was successful. After procuring pardon he
undertook to have him appointed to respon-
sible position in the New York Custom House, 1
and IN this he was also successful. So that he
actually succeeped in having Charles W. Hail.
convicted swindler of the Government, par
doned out OF the Penitentiary and appointed
to a position in the New York Custom House.
In view OF these facts. not one of which can
be controverted, we should be pleased 10 hear
some explanation from the Reform Candidate.
far From the Detroit Tribune.
We invite the attention of our read