The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-02-17

DARING BANK ROBBERY.
THE NAMES on MEN W'H0ROBBED
'' THE FREEDMEN'S BANK AT
WASHINGTON.
SHEPHERD, BABCoCK AND GRANT IN THE
RINGIlI
[CoNTINUED.l
GRANT HAS NO scRUPLEs.

'' GRANT HAS NO sCRUPLEs.
The Washington, D. c., Gazette, con-
tinuing its narrative, says:
"These Seneca Sandstone Christians
found in General Grant man of differ
ent character. To him nothing came
amiss in the way of a present. When
they talked Seneca sandstone stock to
him they found him with open pockets,
ready to be stuffed full. He had no deli
cate sensibilites to offend, no conscien-
tious scruples concerning what was right
or wrong in a President. He accepted
the offer for what it was worth and told
his military family to do the same-and
they did. 1t was not his fault that the
enterprise was not profitable.
"A more grasping, mercenary, and
corrupt concern than this Seneca ring
was not to be found in this or any other
country. 1t swindled the rich and the
poor alike. 1t spared neither widows
nor orphans. VIM. H. Seward and Char
lotte Cushman, the acress, were alike its
victims. 1t will convex some idea of the
number Of innocent persons swindled by
this concern when we say that common
stock, representing more than three hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars was
showed on the market. Then began the
issue Of first and second mortgage bonds,
which, it is said, amounted to as much
more. Itis difficult to tell what became
Of the first mortgage bonds. We know
too well where large portion of the Sec
0nd mortgage bonds are. They were
used to get the poor black mans money
out of the Freedman's Bank. None of
this miserable stuff was worth the paper
it was printed on. This Seneca sand
stone ring carried its corrupting influ-
ence into every department of the Gov
eminent. 1t concocted schemes involv-
ing millions of dollars, and even dictated
to Congress how it should vote away the
peoples money"
Now, let us see who are the men that
composed that ring:
ULYSSES s, GRANT, President of
the United States.
John L. Kidwell, apothecary, and so
patriotic during the war that he was
caught serving his country on both sides
Henry D. Cooke, treasurer Of the ring;
also very pious. Income few years ago
so large that lie could not spend one
third of it: not so large now.
Gen. Frederick T. Dent, commonly
called Jerry Dent officer of the regular
army, brother-in-law of the President,
and speculator generally.
%, E. Babcock, major Of engineers regu-
lar army, private secretary to the Presi-
dent, president of the Columbia Lying
in-Asylum, measurer general to the late
Board of Public Works, engineer of
Washington aqueduct, special partner to
Boss Shepherd in real estate and that
sort of business, and Commissioner of
Public Buildings and Grounds.
x-Paymaster General Benjamin W.
Brice, the friend and benefactor of Ma
jor Hodge, who absorbed nearly half a
million dollars of the peoples money
and in way not yet explained.
Surgeon General JAMES X. Barnes, U.
s. Army, and one of the trustees of the
old Soldiers Home.
Add to this the names of William S.
Huntington, deceased Lewis Clephane,
John o. Evans, and Hallett Kilbourn,
and you have not only the ring complete,
but the men who were most conspicu-
GUS ia organizing all disgraceful rings
which have since fourished under
Grants Administration; robbed the
treasury, and plundered and oppressed
the people of this city as people never
were oppressed before.
Here you have the bold, designing
men, with A. r. Shepherd at their head,
who first bought the Stowe and other
patents for wood and poultice pavements,
formed that notorious concern called the
Metropolis Paving Company, and, with
Shepherd as the great active spirit in the
Board of Public Works, divided up the
contracts among themselves with charm
ing deLberation. We have the men here
who for more than three years corrupted
whatever they touched, and literally,
with the aid of such Republicans as Gar
field and Parsons of Ohio, and Demo-
Gratis of the Eldridge type, held posses
sion of Republican Congress. Here
ZOO, we have the men themselves the
contractors, who went into Republican
Congress and gotauthority TO pave Penn
sylvania avenue with wood, the cost to
be charged to the property holders. If
these men had any sense of shame the
present condition Of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. would bring a blush to their faces.
But they have not Here, too, we have
the men who got Republican Congress
to destroy our simple municipal govern
ment, with all its safeguards, and give us
in it's place personal irresponsible and
confused piece of machinery misnamed
government, under which stealing was
protected, and the property of the tax
payers of this city placed ds completely
at the mercy of band of robbers as
ever town on the Mexican border was.
To be sure, Mexican banditti plunder a
town outside oflaw. Our banditti not only
kept inside the law, but had the Presi-
dent ofthe United States help them in his
message to Congress. And he Sc, med to
indorse them, now matter how much
debt and disgrace they brought upon the
city of Washington.
Here also we we havethe men who in
a little more than three years involved
this poverty stricken city in a debt of
nearly $25,000,000; who wrung from the
taxpayers more than three millions for
Especial improvements" many of the So