The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-09-10
BABC0cK AND GARFIELD.
New York Sun.1

from De Golyer's agent. On that day |
Garfield reported an appropriation Of
$192, ,62O.2l for the Board of Public !
Works, ssfor work done opposite and !
around Government reservations"
There was no authority of law for this |
claim, and there was no examination |
to test the items.
AS Chairman Of the committee, Mr.. |
Garfield told the House
ssIn every case they (the Board of
Public Works) had made out full
and accurate statement of the expenses
of grading, paving, and other work
done on the streets opposite such pub
lie property"
After this outburst of zeal, Mr.. Ran.
dali pointedly inquired:
"Why should we donate such n sum
to a Board which has shown itself to
be recklessly extravagant In its opera |
tions Pr
The only answer given by tho Re.
publican majority was to sustain Gar |
field and vote the appropriation. Boss |
Shepherd and the Ring had now got |
in their entering wedge of plumber. |
They saw Garfield make good the
promise of support which Parsons had
pledged, and they were ready to mako
any concession which would secure
him completely. Hence the De Golyer
contract and tho bribe of five thousand
dollars for getting it.
That money was paid on July II,
1872, and when Congress met in the
following December, Boss Shepherd
had organized great raid on the
had been carried through in the previ-
Gus May, as above stated. Gen Gar
field reported the Deficiency bill on
December 16, 1872, in the following
unusual form for one principal item;
"In order to protect the United
| States in its expenditure of money,
the committee have put the appropria-
| ton in this form:
| "To enable the Secretary of the In-
terror to pay the expenditures made by
the Board OF Public Works of the Dis
trict Of Columbia for paving roadway
and curbing and paving sidewalks,
grading, sewerage, and other improve.
ments upon and adjoining tho property
of the United States in the District of
Columbia, 1,24l ,92O.92, or 80 much
, thereof as may be necessary:
sProvided, That all payments under
this appropriation shall be made only
upon vouchers approved by the officer
in charge of the public buildings and
grounds of the District 20. L. Bab-
cock), after full examination and meas.
urement Of the said improvements
The original bill as prepared by Gen.
Garfield did not contain this proviso
at all, nor any part of it. That came
to be put on in this way: The frauds
that were subsequently proven were
then suspected, and in order to guard
the Treasury, the Hon. s. s. Marshall,
of Illinois, then a member of the conn.,
. tuittee, moved q proviso to the bill,
directing 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 his certificate alone. This
motion took Garfield by surprise. 1t
was too fair to be opposed, and he ad.
ljourued the committee.
After consulting with the Ring chiefs,
he brought in the foregoing proviso as
a substitute for that of Mr.. Marshall,
and argued that it would be reflection
on Babcock, who had charge of the
public buildings and grounds, to put
any one else over his head 10 certify
, the measurements. His Republican
colleagues agreed with this view, as 1t
would not do to offend tho. presidents
confidential secretary. They thus forth
fed the Ring, and opened tho door for
the robbery that followed.
l When the bill came before the House,
. II was resisted as apPrOprlatlnR money
without law. Mr.. Holman proposed
three engineers to measure the work.
Other amendments looking to the pro-
: lection of the Treasury were offered.
Under Gen. Garfield's lead, they were
all voted down. The Ring triumphed
I and the appropriation was rushed
through. In few weeks after, right
in tho face of n proviso forbidding it
and of the statement Of the Board o
Public Works that ono further sun
I will be required to complete the worl
{ undertaken" another appropriation O
80, 1876, ,533 was passed.
When in 1874 the joint committee
investigated these and other measure
G ments, they found that Babcock has
e certified the most barefaced frauds
l. that the Treasury had been shameful.
e swindlcd, and that the Ring had stole1
. the larger part Of the appropriations
d Having a Republican majority on TN
sc part of the Senate and Of the House
Is on the committee, Babcock escapct
r. by putting the blame on subordinatcs
8. while he was notoriously connected II
re large spccuiations with Boss SHEPHERD