The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-10-19

bis action as siftadvised, unfortunate and inecmpls
ible with the duties of his official position. - and thu
House unahifhously adopted it
THE GENERAL ORDER MONOPOLY.
The New York Custom House has been one Of the
chi bureaus Of corruption under the Grant admins
ira Z n. The system of warehousing goods which had
bten in vogue for years and given entire satisfaction to
New York merchants. was changed in 1870, and an ex-
tortion monopoly given to one of President Grants
proteges. This monopoly was obtained through the Pres.
1dent and his Secretaries, Babcock and Porter. Charges
imposed by this firm of Leet and Stocking sometimes
amounted to more than the freight on the same goods
from Liverpool to New York. Their profits from these
extortions were estimated as high as $300,000 a year. in
gold. Stewart, Dodge. and other eminent merchants.
protested in vain. Under Collector Murphy many other
abuses grew up. Horace Greeley and other witnesses
showed. before the Investigating Committee, that the
Custom House patronage was used to control the Re-
publican party. Public indignation compelled Muir
phys resignation. but the President wrote him a fulsoms
letter of compliment
PRINTING FRAUDS
In 1874 the management of the Government Printing
Office was investigated by the Republican Senate, and
and although charges of fraud were sustained, Printer
Capp was whitewasled. In 1876 the House committee
on printing, whose chairman. Mr.. Vance, is a practical
pTlutcI, III u tnOTOuSn luNOStlRullOu. Ills 6uoWcut
on the testimony Of the best experts in printing aud
binding in this country, that Clapp oyercharged from
30 to 300 per cent that owing to the enormous
supply OF type and materials, books OF LOCO pages
were kept in type, and when q new edition was ordered.
the Government was charged q second time for conn
position that full composition is charged every year IN
this way for the Army Register, which Is kept stand
ing, and in which only a few changes are annually
made that bills were made for articles not purchased.
The Investigation proved that while the Government
Printing Office cost from 1868 to 1875, exclusive of taxes
insurance and improvements, $21, 16l, 400, or an annual
average of 1874, 49,, that the work could have been
done honestly for 90 per cent. of that amount. or about
$l3, 100, 900, the waste and fraud amounting in thirteen
years to 5000. 900. The House legislaled Clapp out Of
Office a new Office was created to which the President
appointed Clapp the nomination was confirmed by the
Senate, Notwithstanding all these disclosures.
THE aANBoRN FRAUDs
In 1872, Secretary of the Treasury Richardson made
. contract with JOHN D.. Sanborn for the collection OF
taxes withheld in all 1000 cases, for collecting which he
was to receive fifty per cent. of the whole amount. Tho
contract was made without consulting the Commission
er of Internal Revenue. or any officer of the Depart
ment. The amount collected by Sanborn was $42 100o,
the amount retained by him was $2lS. 500 the amount
that the Government overpaid S2O9. 900. The ways
and Means Committee of the Republican House ~
ported that probably all of this amount could have been
collected in the usual way. B. F. Butler, now leading
Republican candidate for Congress from Massachusetts,
was Sanborn's champion in Congress, and is generally
supposed 10 have been his partner in the transaction
THE HOUSE ApPoNTERs.
William A. Wheeler, Republican candidate for Vice
President, recently repealed several already refuted
falseloods with respect to the appointments made by
1913 appointments on the roll of the doorkeepers. u
served in the Union Army, 10 in the Confederate Army.
2 in the Mexican War, ii are cOlOred, and So are none
combatants. ~page-boys, SC. The former Republican
House had 153 appointees, one of whom states that there
were only IL Union soldiers among them
PUBLIC MONEY IN KLRcTIoNs
The House Committee on the Department Of Justice
examined at length the accounts of John L Dayen-
port, and found an expenditure of $94, OOn, which he
attempted to account for by receipts for work on regis
tration books. The receipts were obtained and furnished
by Davenport after the investigation began The COM
nittce further report that they found other evidences
of improper use of the Secret Service Fund Of the
Government for political, social and other purposes
1t was evident that that fund was used to influence
elections in New Yok City. They feel compelled to 70
Alderman and WilIans, who supplied Davenport with
the 1884, 600 from the latter fund, diverted IL from fts
proper purpose to one entirely foreign to the objects
Of the law.
FURTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ADNuNrsrRAT1o1
Presenttaking by the President. and the appointment
of the present makers to office; the wholesale appoint
ment of the Presidents relatives. to office; the consort
ing of men of high position with men of known cor.
ruption, as of Grant with Shepherd, Babcock, &c, and
of Hayes with Blaine and Chandler; the failure TO re-
deem asingle pledge of civil service reform, though i has
been promised in every national platform. every Prest-
dental message and inaugural speech since 1858; the
failure to take a single step towards resumption OF spe
Gle payments, although II has been promised In every
national platform, every Presidential message and inau.
gurul address since 1868; the systematic disregard OF
Indian treaties; the violation of all official decency by
placing q member of the Cabinet atthe head Of the Ma
tional Committee; the dismissal from the Cabinet OF
the only Republican who had distinguished himself by
the pursuit of thieves; the retension of Schenck, Ortiz.
Kramer. Sickles a Hudson in foreign posts. the former