The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-07-17

Please let the gentleman (your inform.
anti reduce his statement to writing, and
bring it to me, andI viii then arrange
for q meeting with him. X r.
William G. Barrett" was the alias of
Britt In obtaining witnesses. When they
saw this note the reluctant witnesses
consented fc make the desired affidavits,
which they took TO Benson, who caused
them to be altered 80 as to make the af-
fiants say they made these sffidaviis
without any inducement or promise of
reward" Benson, in conversation, told
Coleman what he wanted him to swear
to, and that he and Brit "would be taken
care Of" Benson took no steps to in
form himself of the method of enrolling
bills, so as to test the probability of the
truth Of Coleman. Holt and Boyd's
statements. (.Walter Holt had been ia
ken to Alexandra by Britt, and there
induced to make like affidavit.) Ben.
son, before the Glover Committee, ad.
mitted be did notknow whether the sto-
len proviso originated in the Senate or
House, or to which house the manu-.
script bill was sent from the conference
committee. He took no steps to learn
the character of Britt or of the witnesses
used by him. The afidavits themselves
were found by the committee to afford
convincing proof OF the utter improba,
bility of their statements. Britt told
Sherman Conant, U s. Marshal of the
Northern District of Florida, that he
had summers job, and that was all he
wanted. Benson tried to induce clerk
in the Treasury to get Senator Conover
drunk and obtain confession from him.
Solicitor Rayner testified that both he
and Chief Brooks said Benson had no
case against ConoyeE Ty
Chief Brooks, becoming disGusted with
Britt, dismissed him; but in Brooks's ab.
sence, Benson. as acting Chief, re EN-.
ployed him to get testimony in another
case. Benson publicly denounced Solic.
itor Rayner for refusing to send these
worthless charges to the Grand Jury and
carried this so far that Judge Rayner felt
obliged to suspend personal Intercourse.
with him, and ask Secretary Sherman to
dismiss him. ',..t..
Solicitor Rayner being resolved to ex-
ercise his power as the head of the Sc.
cret Service, and to make honest rulings
in Treasury law matters, the treasury
ring were anxious to GET rid of him.
The Secret Service wanted Asst Solicitor
Robinson in Rayner's place, and laid a
plot to work the latter's removal. Ben
son employed Britt to go to eY Governor
Gibbs, who represented the surety of
EIuparA u naulnn n Annoaoad Indian
agent, and try to get him to induce Ray
ner to write letter to the District Attor-
ney of Nebraska, demanding the accert.
anee of compromise of claim of $11.
600 for $l85 so. Britt offered if this let
ter was written to take it to the District
Attorney at Omaha himself. Had it
been written. however, it was to be
shown to Secretary Sherman to secure
Rayner's removal.
The report states that the Secret Ser.
vice appears to have been used largely
for hlackmailing purposes and persecu
tion of private indiViduals, and that men
are employed in it without any test of
qualification, provided they have what
seems to be information against persons;
and that persons of character and repu-
tation who have felt the force of its in
fuence, have as rule declined to put
their grievances before the committee,
preferring rather to suffer in silence
than to encounter the plots they felt sure
would follow their complaints. Solicitor
Rayner testified: within eight months
l know of eight or ten private gentlemen
who have violated no law, whose names
h we been entered there, and they have
been reported on in the most terrible
manner" Wild, the Secret Service
agent at New Orleans, was dismissed
from the Department of Justice for tax
ing money from claimants in a case he
officially examined. The contract made
by him with the claimants, and the
check paid to him, are in the Department
of Justice records. Yet he is now enga
ged to "protect" the Government and
the public against counterfeiters and
swindlers in several States. The report
recommends the abolition or thorough
reconstruction of the Secret Service.
In 1862 Congress provided for Treas
ury special agents collecting captured
and abandoned property at the South,
and for turning into the Treasury the
proceeds of such property, to be return
ed to the owners on proof before the
Court of Claims of ownership and free
dom from completely with the rebellion.
Under this act IT'S 600 bales of cotton
were collected aad sold, the proceeds he.
ing, as pear as could be ascertained, $96,
500 900. OF this, SO 3l0,787 were eaten
up in "expenses," leaving over $27 900.
600. Of this, $9,545 600 have been re.
turned to owners under judgments of the
Court of Claims, ST. 1923 900 hy the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, 1922 600 under
special acts of Congress, and $lS8, 900 I'M
der the act of May 18, 1877; in all $ll-
64S0O0 This should leave on hand over
SIS 500 600, but the Secretary ofthe Trea.
sury's report shows but about SO 900 600
on hand. What has become of the other
six and half millions the committee
could not learn.
This great raid and seizure of 175,000
bales of cotton, however, was not the en-
tire spoliation. Contrary to law, thous,
ands and thousands of bales were seized
by Qusrtermasters and other army off
cers and sold, the proceeds never reach
ing the Treasury. In one year, May,
1868, to May, 1854, the chief quartermas-
ter at New Orleans, Col. S. B. Hoabird,
received 12,7 ,779 bales, worth at least So
500 900, yet he only acknowledged 1884
OOO net proceeds, and states that this sum
was spent for army purposes by order of
Gen. Banks.
Also, contrary to law, Admiral Porter,
while patrolling the Mississippi and it's
tributaries, seized large amounts of cot
ton on land, and shipped it to Cairo as
maratime prize of war. The Supreme
Court has decided that this cotton was
unlawfully taken by Porter, yet the
Treasury refuses to retdrn the money to
the owners.
When the committee on the treasury
called in 1875 for the production of the
original records of cotton seizures, a Cab.
met meeting was held, and an Executive
order was issued by Grant forbidding