The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1876-05-20
Our Washington Letter.
Washington, d. c. Nay 5, 1876.
THE COTTON BUREAU,

Washington, d. c. Nay 5, 1876.
THE COTTON BUREAU.
An attempt is being made to iuves-
tigatc the Bureau of Captured and
Abandoned Property in the Treas
ury Department, and should it prove
even moderately successful, there must
come therefrom what even in ordina-
~ times woul dbe called astounding
disclosures" Int what, ia these days,
will only add more names to the
thieves catalogue. and more portraits
to the R"gues' Gallery. Rotten as
was the Internal Revenue Department
with Whisky Ring rascality, it is
doubtful if it approached the measure
Of that which was perpetrated under
cover Of picking up captured and
abandoned property, by which men,
with permits, traversed the South,
with car and steamboat, and wagon,
and carried off hundreds VI millions
worth ofcotton, and other things be-
longing to private parties. There is
one Camp who ought t" be called be-
fore that committee, if he has not
been-a man who had permits to
bring cotton and tobacco through
who made u $lOO,OM lanl of the
latter in Arkansas, in which it is said
an Assistant Secretary Of the Treas
nry had a third interest, and 4 prom
inant railroad man in Baltimore, now
deceased, another third. lfTreasury
officials were partners Of the agents,
it may readily he inferred that the
temptation to wrong doing was strong;
and when man on $500 a year
salary manages to save several hun
lred thousand dollars in a few years,
the world is apt to think that he
has either "s!ruck a Bouanza," or has
been very econamical. 1t is also said
that a proprietor Of a Washington
newspaper managed, as chief clerk
of that Cotton Bureau, to amass IL
large sum through the skilIful man
ipulat,ons Of one of the proprietors of
Wizards Hotel, who roped in the
claimants and secured the dry.
TRICKS or TRADERS.
It is 4 pity that the bill Of Mr.. Par
sous, of Kentucky, to regulate COM
merce among the States has not been
pushed through Congress yet by the
appropriate committee. 1t was an
effort to correct the rascalities Of
traders whicl. lie ut the basis Of the
general decentralization of the country.
The trading. politicians are the tit re-
representatives. Of the trading popnla-
ton. What with scant measures.
short weight, adulteration, and Il .
like, the people are cheated in every
thing they buy. Mr.. Parsons bill
required the use Of standard articles
and full weight and measure, infict-
ing penalties for fraud in either.
While we are trying to reform the
country, and make the politicians
honest, let IT'S also try to make theft
constituents honest, by reforming the
morals of trade.
POLITICAL.
The Northern Republicans, how.
ever willing to subject the intelll'
gence, culture, and all that is good in
the South to the domination IF car
pet. bag thieves and ignorant negros
have still among themselves q decent
regard for public opinion, and ar.
becoming generally ashamed Of thci
party management. Hence, the!
have organized a reform Club in B"s
ton, and now New York follows suit
There has been q secession of licl
responsibility from the Union Leagu,
Club, and an address to the public
calling for the formation Of Repub-
lican Reform Club, signed 10y judge
Ernott, Hon. w. E. Dodge, job,
Jacob Astor, Isaac Sherman, A. A
Low. and a long list Of others equal
" prominent names. Although thes'
men think a legislature of negro field
hands, q majority Of whom canno
read, and never handled ten lollav
at a time in their lives before thei
election, good enough tor Souther,
State, they want what they cal
gentleman for home rule and person
al association. So they take cracl
at Conkling, Morton, Blaine & Co. il
the following neat style by resOlvin,
ITO signalizc the opening of the ne,
century Of our national existence b.
having nominated by the Republica
party for President not a mere politica
partisan, but statesman Of tried char
acter. in sympathy with the hest sent
ments of the people on all public ques
tions, conversant with the affairs of 90,
eminent, discriminating and Independent
in the choice of public servants, one VIII
will thoroughly reform the public ser
vice, and whose name alone will he
guaranty Of official integrity, Of wise an
prudent administration, and of fearles
enforcement Of the laws"
So they are getting sick of Grant
ism, at last, although they have cod
died the President. drunk or sobe,
and, to I've near him, have abasc'
themselves before him and associated
with low fellows like Tom Murphy
and his gang. But Jayne aud Butte
were too much for Dodge and res
probability. How would they like
black carpet. bagger rs collector q
Boston or New York ! This move
ment is opposed to tile Custom Hons
Ring and Conkling, and is supppose'
to BE- in sympathy Will, tho call o
Bryant, SEIZURE and Woolsey for tn
18th inst. Mr.. Bryant's paper, tn
Erening Post says the conference
"designates Bristow, or Evarts, o.
Adams as plainly as ever sign pos
at a cross road designates the way Il
town. It does not designate Conkling