The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-09-02
eARF1E1p,s pAvEMENr LIES.


Garfield labored hard for his S5,OOO he was
useful servant to the Pavement ring, But his de-
tense shows how he falsifed. In the speech ad-
dressed to portion Of his constituents in 1874
now revived, enlarged and circulated by the Re-
publican Congressional Committee, he usea these
words:
"'But' some one says, the pavement was bad
one; il was a sWindle.' Who told you thar Why,
man that went to Washington to testify, and
that had different pavement of his own he was
bad one. And am here TO day
tOsfirm that it is the best wo d pavementthat was
ever laid"
Boss Shepherd, OF the Board OF Public Works,
inauguIated this swindling scheme in 1872 and
invited proposals for wood pavements These
bids were referred to an advisory board CT engi'
neers, composed of Gen. M, G. Meigs. Gen, A. A,
Humphreys, Gen. j. X. Barnes, Major o. E, Bah
cock, and F. L. Armstead The ring was not COM
mitted to accept any report thus made and this
board was organized to deceive the people, by a
pretended caution on the part OF Shepherd to se-
sure the best pavement
Gen Meigs and his associates reported unan.
imously against the DeGOlyer, and In favor OF
what was known as the seeley process. That re.
pOIL III u nhIltE OI EeCOIuI uuu ~ ASoAAy
cause OF GaTfed's subsequent connection with
the contract. 1t was then that Chittenden ap
peared at Washington to overcome the objections
to the DeGolyer 4 Mcclellan pavement, and 10
conquer the prejudices that stood agalnst H. he
was armed with an argument Of 100000 the most
of which went into the pockets OF the ring chiefs.
The remaining part was distributed between Gar
field, Parsons, and Rev. Brown, who, like Gar,
field, united in his own person the professions OF
iObber and preacher.
SGarfeid knew all about this advisory board,
for in the same speech he referred to them az VII
nesses to show how fairly the ring acted In regard
to prices for proposed pavements, he says:
"'In order to settle that question Che pavement
they wrote to all the principal cities and found
out all the methods pursued by them, and finally
appointed four leading officers Of the army-Gen
Humphreys, Chief Engineer; Gen. Melgs Qlar'
termaster, General; the Surgeon General, and Gen.
BabCock Of the Engineer Corps; and these four
men sat as an advisory board, having no power,
but merely to advise. They took up all kinds OF
payements ever made, and looked over the whole,
and as q result recommended this: we recon-
mend you, instead of letting this work to 6e done
by the lowest bidder, to fix a tariff Of price y0a
viii pay for different kinds of pavement-fOr
stone 80 much for gravel so much for atphaltum
so much, and for wood so much.''
"While parading this advisory board for spe.,
eial object, he suppressed the fact that they had
unanimously reported against the DeGOlyer pave
ment before he was bribed to aid it, He cannot
reject his own witness, and that testimony I'M
peaches his integrity. Boss Shepherd had pre-.
pared raid on the Treasury, and he wanted Gar
fields assistance to carry 1t through as chairman
Of the appropriations The way was cleared for
that plunder by the bribe OF five thousand dol
lars in the DeGolyer contract and when that was
paid Garfield became the slave Of the ring, for
whose benefit he passed three and half millions
| In six weeks the succeeding winter. This Is the
whole story in very small compass, and all the
lies eVasiOns, lodges, and Subterfuges OF Garfield
only make 1t appear more transparent
with brazen etfrOnterY he told his constitu'
ents am here to-day to affirm that II Is the best
wood pavement that was ever laid That was on
the 10 Of September, 1874 when its rOttenDess
had been fully exposed, and the people of Wash
ington and the Treasury had been compelled IN
pay $3.50 yard for what cost less than Sl4O
yard
Gen Garfield made that false statement right
in the face, too, OF the following official certificate
made public more than year previously:
"'CHICAGo, August ID, 1878.
Il certify that have examined large portion
of the ironi2ed paving blocks THE DeGolyerl
which were put down on Lake and Dearborn
streets in the year 1871 find them in all stages
of decay and my opinion is that the line Of the
wood is destroyed b. the intense heat they are
subject to in the curing process, thereby hasten
ing the decay of the wood.
~ make this statement because believe IT to
| be q hunbug and dfraud, and for the interest Of
the people to know it. W. H. WATSON.
"'GeneTal Inspector OF Wood Pavements for
Board Of Public Works Of Chicago
This is the wood pavement which he affirmed
was the best that was ever laid and which even
| the Washington Ring was forced to abandon, aud
soon after to tear up from the streets because 1t
was worse than worthless AZ a roadway, and be-
came an obstacle to travel by rotting. With a
fee Of five thousand In his pocket Garfield was
| perhaps bound to be Its champion; but he was not
bound to outrage truth In the way he did.