The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-09-10

Garfield reported the Deficiency bill on
December l6, 1872, in the following usual
form for one principle item.
In order to protect the United States in
its expenditure of money, the committee
have put the appropriation in this form:
"To enable the Secretary of the Interior
to pay the expenditures made by the Board
of Public Works of the District of Column
bia for paving roadway and curbing and
paving sidewalks, grading, sewerage, and
other improvements upon and adjoining
| the property of the United States in the
District of Colum bia, l,24l ,92O 80, or so
much as thereof as may be necessary.
provided, That all payments under this
appropriation shall be made only upon
vouchers approved by the officer in charge
of the public district aud grounds Of The
| District o. +. Babcock after full examine
ton and measurements of said improve
ments
The original bill as prepared BY General
| Garfield did not contain this isprovi.p a. al
nor any part Of it. That came to be put on
in this way The frauds that were subse-
quently proven were then suspected, and in
order to guard the Treasury, the Hon. ;. s.
Marshall OF Illinois, then a member of the
committee, moved proviso to the bill, di.
recting that Gen. Humphreys, then Chief
of the Engineer Corps, cause all the work
adjoining public property to be measured,
and that payment should be made on mis-
| certificate alone. This motion took Gar
| field by surprise. II WAS too fair to be Cd
posed, and he adjourned the committee.
| After consulting with the Ring chiefs, he
brought in the foregoing provi,o as a sub
stitute for that of Mr. Marshall and argued
that it would be reflection on Bsbcock who
had charge of the public buildings and
grounds, to put any one else over his head
| to certify the measurements. His Republi
can colleagues agreed with this view, ~ il
would not do to Chfend the Presidents cou.
| fidential secretary. They thus fortified the
Ring, and opened the door for the robbery
that followed.
When the bill came bef,re the House, IL
was resisted as sppropriaing money without
| law, Mr., Holman proposed three engineers
| to measure the work Other amendments
| looking to the protection of the Treasury
was offered. Under General Garfield's lead,
| they were all voted down. The Ring tri-
| umphed and the appropriation Was rushed
through. Ia few weeks AFTER right in the
face of proviso forbidng it, and of the
| statement Of the Board of Public Works
that "no further sum will be required to
complete the work undertaken" another ap-
propristion of 81 l99 533 was passed.
When n 1874 the joint committee inves-
tiga.eu these aud other measurements, they
found that Babcock had certified the most
la hat ta hal
been most shamefully swindled, and that the
Ring had stolen a larger part of the sppro-
pristions, Having a republican majority
on the part of the Senate and Of the House
on the Committee, Babcock escaped by put
ting tho blame on subordinates, while he,was
VIGOROUSLY conpected in large speculations
with Boss Shepherd at that time.
1t was but natural. as Garfield favored
Babcock In 1879, and made him the "only"
measurer of Ring work, that Baboook in
1880 should support darteld.-k r 'sAs.