The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-16
IN MEMORY OF DELkNAP.
7B3, Oss GravestOnes to Commemorate
His Moral Death.
from the New York Sun. Ind.l
BELKNAP's GRAvEsTONEs.


The charge OF fraud In the contrac
for headstones to soldiers graves in ma
tional cemeteries, has been made afresf
since Secretary Belknap's disgrace Thu
act to establish and protect nationa
cemeteries Is dated February 20, 1867
Belknap secured On amendment OF
March 3, 1873, assisted by Samuel j
Bridges, q friend in KeOkuk, Iowa
who had then recently in bust
ness. The amendment authorized
the Secretary to advertise fol
and accept bids for furnishing and set
ting suitable headstones, the contract
4 to be awarded to the person whose
samples and bids should best guaran.
tee durability, decency and cheapness
according to the Secretary's judgment
The number required was for known
names, 147 1874 unknown, 1O5, 1894; total
253, O88. The bids were to be opened
September 6, 1873, and the lowest was
that OF the Knoxville Marble Company
for which Horace Maynard is said to have
interested himself actively; but this
bid was rejected on account OF
the inferior quality Of the samples
shown. The next lowest bidder was
Charles s. Jones, of Washington, to
whom, with his associates, Samuel j.
Bridges Belknap's friend and neigh
/ \
Sage, the contract was awarded. The
third bidders In order were Walsh
Brothers, Of New York city; and Mr..
Maurice F. Walsh, who was then an ac-
| tive partner, but is now only special,
Is responsible for the following state
ments, the truth of which he processes
to be able to prove before any compe-
tent tribunal:
There were seventy-twO Of these
cemeteries named in the advertisement
Of the War Department, and Mr.. Walsh,
| who was one Of the heaviest importers
Of Italian marble in New York, deter
mined to become bidder. Believing
that nothing but italian marble would
come up to the specifications, he made
arrangements to have the chief part
Of the work on the monuments
done in the city of Carrara, Italy,
where stone-cutters could be hired for
for forty or fifty cents day, instead of
four dollars, as was paid here, and to have
them shipped to points nearest to the
cemeteries. He visited the seventy-two
sites, and made close calculation Of the
cost of transportation, which was to be
the opening OF the bids in the Quarter
master Generals Office he was present,
having put In three separate bids In his
own name. They were opened and read
by Capt. McGonigle, and the bid Of
Jones Il Co. did not appear until after
the others were read. Apparently
the figures were fixed up, and the bids
thrown into the basket after his was
read. Walsh accused Capt. McGonigle
Of unfair dealing, and went to see Gen.
Meigs on the subject, but Meigs declined
to believe it. He nevertheless admitted
that Mr.. Walsh's samples were much
o,,YNovinr and .,vnrnocn6 n vsyich that thu
Secretary of War would adopt his bid
After remaining in Washington for a
day or two to see Secretary Belknap,
but in vain, Walsh returned home, and
the list of bids was published soon after
ward. Then he went TO Washington
again, and sent in his name to Belknap.
He tells the story Of the conversation
thus:
"When Belknap found out who I was
he turned around in his pOmpOus way
and said, Nov. i you come here to
said, No, Mr.. Secretary, l didn't come
here to fight; simply came here to re-
monstrate against my not getting the
contract, when have offered the best
stone and made the lowest bid that COM
piled with the terms OF the contract.
My lowest bid was $923,271 Is for the
third quality of the best marble
in the world. Out Of that, $2OO,OOO
comes back to the government in the
shape of duties, leaving the amount to
be paid only $723,271 Is. My next bid
$780, for the second quality Of the
best marble in the world, and my last
bid for the first quality OF the same
marble was 1894, JAG 81. Wouldn't that
suit the people?' He said, I don't care
anything about the people you must suit
me- said, Tho act of Congress compels
you to give it to me- He replied, L don't
care anything about the act of Congress;
the President gives out this contract.
He will not have foreign stone over the
graves OF American soldiers I said,
This is very lame excuse. Mr.. Secre-
tary.' Then Belknap turned round to
people filed good and sound securities p
Yes, sir every one Of them,' Col.
Mack said. That was the end of the
conversation"
Mr.. Walsh says that there has been
no attempt made to fulfill the require
ments of the law. The advertisement
required that the part Of the headstone
above ground should be polished neatly,
which was not done. The tops were to
he slightly curved. This would have
made them cost from ten to fifteen cents
apiece more, duu WIS uOJ uOue. Lie
figures and capital letters on the face
were to be two inches high Those
they have cut are not over three
eighths of an inch high. The por-
ton below ground was to be rough |
dressed. AS they were sawed out in mass |
this was not done. For the same reason |
they have disregarded the requirement |
that below ground the stone should be |
ut least half an inch wider and thicker |
than above. The marble slabs were to |
be white, fine grained, Of good texture,
hard, Of uniform grade and free from |
oxides. The only marble that comes up
10 this description is Italian marble, Of |
which they have not put up q single block |
and what they have put up is already dis
figured with oxidiZed stains. The gran
tie was to be good granite for building
purposes, and they have not put up any |
granite at all. In fredericksburg Gem
etery the headstones are bedded in
cobblestones. This work /
vas three times rejected; but they sue
seeded through influence at court in
having inspector after inspector re-
moved until they found one to suit
hem.
Soon after the contract was awarded
Morgan went to see Mr.. Walsh in New
York, and left note making an APP
continent at the Merchants Hotel
Mr.. Marsh refused to go. He subse-
OF 10, l