The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-05-27

pleted. ltS record was 30 a Inhb III
existence became a scandal and reproacb
But Grants wrath was arou' ed, no
against the thieves of the Ri G bui
against those who had exposed its oper.
atoms. He saw nothing in%congruous o.
improper in Shepherds request. Shep,
herd was his friend Grant liked his
society, appreciated his talk and APPROX
ed his methods. He showed his regret
for the failure of the safe burglary con-
spiracy by inviting Dick Harrington
from the prisoners dock to the White
House. So now he testified to his admi-
ration for the broken Ring by nominat-
ing Boss Shepherd as Commissioner to
examine Boss Shepherds fraudulent &C
counts and report on Boss Shepherds
iniquitous work.
This nomination, following 90 close on
the heels of the Rirg exposures, aroused
a s'orm o'plbl .rndil nation which fore
ed it's way througLthe closed doors Of the
Senate's executive session and comp IL
ed the rejection Of thu appointment.
But Grant would not accept the sugges-
ton implied in this action of the Senate.
He sent for Shepherd, and after express
ing regret at the failure Of their plan, he
asked him to name a Commissioner who
would be acceptable to the Ring. Shep'
herd Immediately designated John IL.
Ketchan, who, as a member Of Congress
from the Dutchess district of New York,
had rendered him effective service.
Ketchan was nominated and confirmed.
The second member of the Commission
was FIX Governor Dennison, of Ohio, who
was placed there by Henry d. Cooke.
The third was Henry 7. Blow, o Mis-
souri,, who resigned when he found ne
was expected to render a withdrawing
report and conceal the operations Of the
rogues.
The engineer of the Board OF Public
Works was Adolphus Cluss. He had
been appointed on account of his pro-
fessional ability, because the Ring deem"
ed it necessary to keep a true account of
their work as distinguished from the
false account which they rendered to the
Government, that they might know just
how much they stole. Nh. Cluss was an
honest man. He had shared in none of
the plumber, and had kept an accurate
record of the actual improvements made.
His testimony before the Congressional
Committee promised to furnish the evi.
dence required for the criminal prosecu.
ton of Orville E. BabCoCk. But, while
his testimony was still in progress, Presi-
dent Grant summary removed him
from Office, alleging as a reason that he
believed he had testified falsely. He APP
pointed in his place Lieut.. Hoxie,a young
army officer then recently graduated
from West Point. This appointment was
made at the request of Babcock, who
succeeded not only in %discrediting the
testimony of Cluss, but secured in his
place young fellow who had no opin.
ions of his own, and not much knowl'
edge.
Among the first acts of the Commits
sioners was one appointing Lieutenant
Hoxie their executive officer, and plac-
ing in his charge all improvements. He
proceeded at BabCoCk's instigation to re-
appoint thirty of the discharged officials
of the Ring, including the most notori.
Gus agents employed in making the
false measurements. The next act Of the
Commission was to advertise the tax ar
rearage list in the newspaper organs of
the ring. For this service the corrupt
National Republican, the court journal
of Grantism, received $4,000 in cash.
and presented a claim for the additional
sum of SAG, 900. Other organs were pro.
.portionately rewarded, thus making it
certain in advance that they would cling
to the fortunes of the Ring,
The Commission proved to be almost
as great a swindle as the Territorial
Government. In July, 1874. it announc-
ed that coNtracts would be given only to
the lowest responsible bidder after due
notice by advertisement. 1t assured a
body of tax payers that it condemned
the method of the Board of Public
Works, and should Countenance no such
jobbery thereafter. But a subsequently,
Vestigation showed that the Commission
had awarded contracts amounting to
less than $l4 900 after notice had been
while more than a hundred times
that sum had been paid out without no.
tiCe, under a system as sCandalOus as the
Board of Public Works had eVer prac-
tised. Even the few honest contracts
were annulled in 1875, and the work re-
to the Ring, which received
70 in 1856 District bonds for every dol
lar which they claimed was due. To the
payment ofthese bonds the credit Of the
United States is pledged.
Shepherds power with the Commits.
sion was boundless. When he wanted
one of his old contractors to g on with
4 job, he simply gave him a line to the
Commissioners, saying that he approved
MS work, and after that no question was
But Shepherd did not do such
'avors from disinterested motives. The
contractors who secured this seal of his
,ommendation were expected to pur.
,hase real estate of him at fancy prices
de received from these c%onfederates
$500, 900 for land which was then unsafe.
lble in the market.
On the 9TH of December, 1874, in his
Innual message to Congress, President
Grant announced that the debt of the
District was $13 1914, 6.3 "a, Two days
alter, in the House of Representatives,
]. Randall, taking up the report
n which Grant claimed to have based
lis statement, made a seaChing analysis,
wound up by saying: Therefore as.
umiGg the correctness Of the very fig
Tres of this report; the present debt Of
his District, and l stand ready to prove
t to any mar who is familiar with &C.
cunts, is 500, 112.8 55." Grants deliber.
to distortion of figures was made with a
Jew to protecting the Ring.
The Board of Audit, which was to {
erve as a check on the Commission was g
nade up of officers of the United States I
treasury. 1t exhausted its ingenuity in q
up its pay accounts so that each
f its members drew SIP rs per diem, {
hough the law fixed the salary at $4,000 /
Ter year. By employing clerks, messen
and retainers, this Board contrived
o spend $50. 900 a year on itself, but it
ever exposed or prevented any frauds. ,
nnaa nuI A-an a-1w. H. Da,-1 &c .