Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-07

iDgton, which latter wss largely instru
mentsl IN bringing the matter to an is
sue. These charges were presented L
the military committee.
Questjon-Wbat was the result?
Ansver-The rssult was that wa
cashiered.
Qusstion-Did President Grant know
OF these charges against Balknap?
AnsweF-Prt sident Grant has known
OF these charges for years; he knew al
much nearly two years ago as he know
to-day.
Ques!ion-When did you make an ef
| fort to renew the charges?
AnsTef-Some two months ago l re-
newed the charges, employing the same
! counsel. wss backed by all the officers
| of the fort, and furnished list of wit.
NJ nfsses fT the committee, and aided IS
far as possible in collecting the evidence
by which he was convict d.
Grants Surprise.
New York Timesl
Thetirst intimstion President Grant
had OF the fall Of the war minister was
| compsuicated to him about nine O'Clock
| in tSs morning by General BeIknsp
himsef, who called st the Executive
mansion and handed to the President
| his res ,ba.on. Seer etary Chandler
| was lrsssnt a. the same time. Tae
! President manifested the greet est sur
| piise at this unexpected action, but be-
| fore he could ask for an explanation
| General Eslknsp made statement oil
| the situation, and urged the President
- OF al
| This the President did in the brief letter
which was read in the house, and which
now forms part CT the record in the case.
| General Bslk1ap, upon receiving the
letter OF acceptance, in company with
| Secretary Chandler, Immediately left
the White House, Senator Morton en-
tering as they emerged. The President
informed Senator Morton OF the inter-
VieW with Ralknap, and expressed pain
and surprise at the revelations. ThesuO.
ject appeared so painful to the President
that Senate Morton st once diverted
him from itby making known the busi-
nesI upon which he was called, and
took his departure. Toe senator says
he never ssW the President so much dis
turbed as upon this occasion.
An Old Story.
From the New York Tribune, editorial page,
10th February, lS72l
Another of the multiiarious ways and
means Of 1secing people is brought g.
light in our Washington dispatches p
day. Indian traders are rapaci0us aGd
dishonest enough, but the milita-y
traders who constructively sell goods at
the military posts on the frontiers, and
live in "brown-stone fronts" in New
York city, are worse il that he possible
1t seems that one of the beauties Of the
semi.miiltary administration OF affairs
under which we live permits the ap-
pOintmeni Of p1ryeyors, suffers, or ira
ders, with exclusive privileges at the
military posts remote from settlements,
and that these # sders, whose monopoly
is compile and amply intrenched, farm
ont their Lrofi able appOintments.at at rates
which pay them V,ry handsomely for
the 'inhueuce" with which they secure
the Job from headquarters, It must be
apparent that q New York concern
which gets forty or fifty thousand dol
lars year for letting out traders post
at frontier fort, makes that amount out
of his political influence. The trader
who buys the selling business OF the
firm makes enough to pay his bonus and
his profits. Result: robbery Of officers
and soldiers. Viii some humane and
enlightened statesman, not afraid Of be-
ing called an adversary of the admin
dstrdtiOR and the Republican party, see
if this swiadle cannot be broken up forth
1Uith?
From the New York Tribune, February l6,
1872, Washington Dispatcnes.l
WASHINGTON, February 15.-Army
cf6eers yh0 ars stationed At posts in the
vest co aplAin OF ths extortions prac-
ticed b. the pest traders, and Of the
groJs ABUSES prscticed under the law
which authorizes their appointment.
These traders are given the exclusive
privilege Of selling goods upon the mill
tary reservations 10 the officers, soldiers,
emigrants and Indians. The privilege
is so valuable that it is obtained by po-
litical or family iD6uencs at Washing
ton by men who never go 10 the posts or
engage in the business, but farm out the
privilege to actual traders for sums
amounting, in some cases, to ten thou.
sand or twelve thousand dollars 8 wear.
The traders occupy relations to the army
similar to those the suffers held during
the war, with this exception, that the
suffers We're under the control OF the
pjst commanders, and the soldiers were
protected against the rapscity by the
power of council of officers to fix a
tariff Of prices at which goods should be
sold; whereas, the traders are appointed
by the secretary of war, and, having no
competition, and being under 70 con-
tr |, charge any price they please. Tne
suffers were abolished at the close Of the
War, and the commi5saly department
WAS required to furnish the necessary
articles formerly kept by the suffers, and
to sell them to the soldiers at cost price.
This law the cOmmissarieS found irk-
some, and they have always managed
to evade it. Soon after it went into ef-
feet, the sdjdtant-geneTal issued au
order allowing any one to trade at
military post who should show fitness to
the department commander. This was
8 good advantage for the troops, for it
gave them the advantage of cOmpeti-
ton, but it did not suit the traders who
have always sought exclusive privileges.
It lasted until tie summer of 1870, when,
on the recommendation Of the secretary
OF war, section was put into the army
bill authorizing the secretary to appoint
one or more traders st each military
post for the convenience of emigrants,
ireighters aud other citizens.
The section was plausibly worded,
and passed without objection.
Under it the secretary appoints but one
trader at each post, and refuses to ap-
point more, so that this single trader,
having q monopoly OF the business,
plumbers the officers and men by charg-
ing them outrageous prices. There is
no escape from his rspacity, because the
officers have no control over him, SIS
they had over the sutier. There is good
authority for stating that Jraders' pri-
vileges are systematically fsrmed out by
those vino obtain them from the war de-
psrtment. The secretary is not charged
with being cogniZ ant Of these practices,
and probably hes not been informed Of
them. One o. the mcst outrageous
cases Of the kind is described in the fol-
lowing letter from an officer stationed at
Fort Sill, Indian Territory:
81 have incidentally heard that you
have desire to know whether q bonus
is required ftom the traders here for the
privilege OF trading, and have been
urged to write you the facts in the case.
AS there seems to be no secret made of
the matter, and "a, in common with all
others here, / feel iC to be great wrong,
/ think you will readily excuse the pre-
sumption which my writing, unasked
by you, might indicate. have read
W