Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-09-09
The Law Condemns Him.
From the N. Y. Sun. |

| Orous prosecution of the civil war, were
discovered to be tainted with jobbery
and with the sale of offices before year
had elapsed after the firing on Fort Sum-
ter. They illustrated literally DIR. John
sons definition of patriotism. 1t be-
came necessary to make this venality a
penal offence, and Congress passed the
following act on July 16, 1862, recited
in the Revised Statutes:
| sSECTIoN 1,7Sl. Every member of Congress-
| or any officer or agent of the Government who,
| directly or indirectly, takes, receives or agrees
| to receive any money, property, or other valu-
able consideration whatever, from any person
for procuring or aiding to procure any con-
| tract, Office, or place from the Government or
any department thereof, or from any officer of
| the United States, for any person whatever,
IL and every member OF Congress who,
directly or indirectly, takes receives, or agrees
| to receive any money, property. or other valu
able consideration whatever after his election
| as such member, for his attention to, services,
| action, vote, or decision on any question, mat
ter, cause, or proceeding which may then be
pending, or may by law or under the Consti-
tuition be brought before him in his official ca
pacity, or in his place as such member OF Con-
gress, shall be deemed guilty Of misdemeanor,
and shall he imprisoned not more than two
years, and fined not more than ten thousand
dollars d"
Under this statute Gen. Garfield was
guilty of a misdemeanor, in procuring
or aiding to procure" the contract for
the De Golyer pavement, for which he
received a bribe of five thousand dollars.
Congress had created a Territorial Gov
ernment for the District of Columbia,
and the Board of Public Works, of which
Boss Shepherd was Vice-President and
the master spirit, were public officers,
appointed by the President.
Now, mark the connections and the
dates and the facts of this foul transac-
ton. George A. Chittenden was the
agent of De Golyer & Mcclellan for pro-
curing contracts to lay their wood pave
ment in the Eastern cities. He was to
receive one-third of the profits for his
the comprehensive plan of public plum
der was devised by Boss Shepherd and
his confederates. Henry ID. Cooke was
then Governor of the District.
Chittenden soon found out that Rich
ard &. Parsons, then Marshal of the Su-
preme Court, who had converted his
office into den of jobbery, was the next
friend of HenryD Cooke, both beingOhio
men. He also discovered that Parsons
was intimately allied with Garfield,
Chairman of the Appropriations, whom,
of all men, he wanted to reach. There
fore he invited Parsons to Washington
in April, 1872, and soon made bargain
with him, for $1,000, cash down and
$50, $50 contingent upon securing a con-
tract for two hundred thousand yards
Of wood pavement at $3.50 per yard,
the full cost of which, laid down, was
81 40 per yard. as proven by the mana
ager of De Golyer & McClellan's con-
tracts.
After Chittenden entered upon this
large business, he informed DE Golyer
& Mcclellan that he required n round
hundred thousand dollars. When asked
by Mcclellan what he wanted with this
large sum, he said he wanted to pay his
expenses and part of the national debt"
The real object was to buy his way
through, and he succeeded.
On the 31st of May, 1872, Chittenden
wrote to his principals as follows:
1.-THE influence of Gen. Garfield has been
secured by yesterdays last nights, and to-
days labors. He carries the purse of the
United S,ates-the Chairman of the Commit
tee on Appro opriations-and is the strongest
man in Congress. and with our friends my
demand is TO-DAY not less than one hundred
thousand yards nore-two hundred in all.
Everything is in the best shape, the connec-
tions complete, and, / have reason to believe,
satistac ory. | can hardly realiz,
that we have Gen. Garfield with US. 1t is rare
and very gratifying. All the appropri riations
of the district come through him.
This letter was written with no eX-
pectation that it would ever come to
light. 1t was the confidential report
of a trusted agent, himself largely in
terested in the success of his employ
ment. 1t bears the marks of truth, and
of the fullest candur in the word.
On the 18th of September, 1874. when
Gen. Garfield was defending himself
at Warren, Ohio, in answer to the
charge of bribery, he made the sub
Joined averment:
"He Parsons Lroceeded with the case until
the Sth OF June [1S72l, when for the irst time
l heard anything about it.. This was two days |
before the adjournment of Congress-
Thus, according to Garfield's story, |
he began what he calls his "labOrious |
task" after the adjournment on the
10th of June. He says: II worked at
it as faithfully as anything l ever
worked at" and there were "forty |
patents" to examine, and two in the
De Golyer case itself. This was hard
work for a job that had already been
determined. Now, the following no.
tice was served by the Board of Public
Works, only eleven days after the adj
journment of Congress-:
''WAsHINGToN, June 81, 1872.
s'DE GOLYER & MCCLELLAN.
"GENTLEMEN: The Board have this day
awarded you contract to lay $50 600 yards of
wood pavement, of patent known as De Col
yer No. g. to be treated by the Samuels pro-
cess, on such streets as may be designated,
the whole to be completed within five months
rom date
IAN additional amount of $4,000 square
Yards will be awarded you as soon as the
Board are reimbursed by the General Govern
nent on account of expenditures about public
buildings and grounds, or you will be allowed
o Law it this season if you will wait until an
ppropriation is made for this purpose, at
3 80 per vard.''
1t is thus seen that fifty thousand
rards of this contract was made de- .
pendent upon money to be obtained
rom Congress "on account of expendi-
ures about public buildings and I
There is where Garfield
ame in, and Chittenden knew what
le was about, and SO did Boss Shep-
lerd, when he said, Garfield carries .
he purse of the United States-the
chairman of the Committee on Appro-
,rIations.o
The contract was awarded to De Col
'er OH the 2lst Of June, and Garfield s