National Republican., 1877-08-25
THE TREASURY RING.
Icbn,irred ftom f,rs nnc,.l


hasbcen and Is the cause of much reflection upon
both yourself and the Republican party. II has
become so well organized and $50 powerful they
Its head and front Il Assistant Secretary Charles
Conant, and everything Is accomplished through
him. lie has the impudcnce of the devil and
rrinnent and control ofthc employees in the Treas
nry Department Is concerned. not only In Wash.
lngtOn, but Throughout the United states The
| nrords of the nppointmcntrogm will show that
| Mr.. tOnnnt makes more appointments during
twenty four hours absence of the Secretary than
| occurrence Of this kind can there be found. By
such and other actions Mr.. Con ant makes himself
70 all intcnis and purposes, the Secretary OF tho
9TH following Is a list Of the ring. write them
| In the order of their rank In the same;
Chs. ], Conant Assistant Secretary; J. W. Por.
stn,joicry Division; Daniel Baikcr, chief Of Loan
Division; "; y Morgan, chief q Mail division; =
kimball clerk TO the Chief Clerk Of the Depart.
mcnt; Elisha >. pabcock, stonographcr to the Sec.
tcorge n iamphere, Assistant appointment clerk;
., +, Evans Special Agent; Wm Fletcher, Assistant
chief Of Loan Division native and subject of
"The 6rst six, together with AK Tinglc. being
the heads OF divisions, are the leaders the others
are mere tools who follow instructions without hes
itatipn. They arc most Of them, good officers, and
und d,rstand the duties Of their respective Offices
we'll but who go beyond their prgrogatiye when
Department. Their organization Is so perfect that
they obtain full information Of everything go.
ing on in the Department They Of fcoiirsc know
and they have +, $. Kimball stationed as clerk to
the chief clerk of the Department and who has
been kept In this position In spite Of every effort of
the chief clerk to remove him, TO inform them OF
everything going on IN The different divisions, as
Department. and Is therefore able 10 post the ring
thereon. do not think Mr.. SumnerI kimball,
the chief clerk; is 1. ncm6Sr Of The ring.
Of the Secretary, who keeps them fully posted rs to
all that Is going On in the sccrctary's oiilcc
ing special agent Is the brother r-naw OF Mr. 4. l..
Sturtevant. The latter 1 consider the most active
worker Of the ring. SINCE Tinge's appointment the
iatlngto customs employees within IT, and suppress.
ing any that may be Injurious TO their friends has
Mi reports in envelopes ruled with red lines like
the incloscd sample, and another order Issued nj
the Department, that all letters arriving NJ the De.
with red lines shall be sent unopened To the Super
ytsng Special Agent, who could, II desired destroy
he s same and and deny was S eyer % resesvsd While
ports opened In the usual rooms and scanned by 30
| many eyes, yet without some check. the system Is
acknowledgment 81 the receipt Of each report
made and In due time the action taken thereon
nthsrwise the systs,m, could Se sbSsed as stated
the case. Special Agent J. r. Evans Is trcachcrous
and Is kept In Washington as willing tool to The
force force w was '"n made ' he "' was ' dropped. but but
| the ring rallied at once and he was
reinsiated before the announcement Of who com
posed the force made lie was sent to Balti-
| more IN September last to aid me In making
report on the port but more Il suspccD to show the
lie was 10 anxious 10 be the author OF the report
| that he took my memoranda made during the
summer and my data for the report to washington
and wrote the report, and brought 1t over to Balt
more for me to sign. There were so many errors
in 1t that we were obliged to rewrite nearly the
| thirty hraa thirtnpn of which I'm IN v
handwriting and twenty In Mr.. Evans. ! took the
report to Washington and delivered 1t to Mr..
| might change It, aud the other day while in Wash
| ington asked Mr.. Tingle for the report. found
t consisted Of lh,yys Psses ony two Of
to the expenses Of the port about $1,000 and add.
was s OF our Joint report ffRis was dons Win the
knowledge and consent Of Mr., Tingle. l have
heard II claimed that Evans is a Democrat
| "As stated In my former report 10 you, Ia q. Mar
tin claimed that the Appointment Clerk, with the
aid Of assistant secretary could the depart
second only to Mr. Cohant IN power pow s in the ring ring
his full sympathies are with 1t, and II would be as
well to have L. q. Martin there as Mr.. Porter
Clerk was as 50 apPontcd W by % Martin, and * mepe
tool 70 do his and tho rings bidding. Although
one armed soldier, he has by his actions in con,
nection with this ring. forfeited any protection
"The ring as It stands to-day, is all powerful
l N u
and his administration, and imperii the party ir
power. Being In position 70 know everything tha
always in position 10 meet every question
that arises IN opposition to their interests. They
will dare anything. Your friends have beer
pesiaiiy recommended by You, and their rins
| friends given the preierenee Your order for rein
as regards Martin, and VIM J. Pollock of this city
dropped Instead Of Martin. They afterward be
Martin out. ! am told they have provided another
place for Martin, and that he Is still on the pay
rolls Of the department. but ! can not ascertain
payment Is made I will then examine the vouch
ers and report to you.
THE principal members of tho ring being I'D
! yanced to the positions they hold by Secretary
Brstow, naturally enjoyed his full confidence, ant
they have already secured the confidence Of secre
manner in which thcy accomplish their ends. viz.
! | in systematic manner Being fully posted be
S6nt hsGpSa s bs s hssa toS 81 T hs pss
in more or less contact with the Secretary. They
then call in turns upon some business othsr ant
5 compished. With an Assistant Secretary and Ii,
Sbos 20 Sss hsS generally
sS 10 S 'SS aSS % M Snv ESnsas kss sh
They are smart enough to have the Secretary issu,
, Instructions himself when possible.
As an illustration in Mr. Bristows tims they were
In the habit OF handing him his kilograms opened
When Secretary Morrill, took his scat; or shortl.
8 afterwards Mr. Conant went 10 him and stated tina
as he wss quite busy hc could relieve MIN some b,
, opening his dispatches and sending In only thos,
J that required his personal attention. This wa
7 plausible and the authority was given. In shor
time the Secretary received Letters asking if certain
e dispatches had been received, and why they wsr
: not answered, and upon Investigation tho dis
!. patches were found In Mr.. Cminnts desk Som
trouble was made about II, but have not beei
able to learn how the matter was settled.
In proof of my claim that Charles y. Conant
| n bad man. and by his acts your enemy, and Is tn
| controlling power In the Treasury Department to
: day, have 10 say, in addition TO my statement
@ made to yon In writing N Long Branch, that h
had Illegally Appropriated money opt of the Treas
y ury &c; that he h always quoted by custom on
Il Gers instead Of Snnakinp Of the 4ncretnrY the