The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-09-09

The Committee of Ways an! Means
that investigated this subject in 1874 re.
ported:
"The Committee find that the infor'
nation furnished by the paid officers of
the Government, on which collections
were made, was placed at the disposal OF
Sanborn, who, availing himself of infor'
nation paid for by the Government, OBJ.
tanned contract for the collection Of
the very claims thus brougMtO light, and
found to be due the Government"
J.D. Coughlin, who had been assist
ant assesso on SUGGESTIONS and legacies
of the county of New York, usually col
lected from one hundred thousand to
half a million dollars a year, with the
aid of a clerk or two. His salary was
81 500 year, After resigning, he pro-
posed to do this work for Is per cent of
the collections. He was asked;
20 Why did the Secretary refuse to
give you a contract at ID per cent? A. I
do not know, -.
@. Did he ever write any answer to
your application? A. No, sir"
Coughlin contracted to do the work for
Sanborn and to divide the profits, On
that point he testified;
20 You yc urself really did this work
alone in these succession tax matters2
A Yes, sir
20 Slnborn did not work any, then,
in person2 A. No, sir He merely
lod ed the information previously fur.
nis ed Nim. ...
@ Did Mr., Sa2born ask you what
amount you expected to collect? a. He
did.
% What did you tell him? A. One
hundred thousand dollars"
Sanborn and his partners made out
five thousand cases. Their list included
every railroad in the United States as
delinquent. They took the names in a
lump from a railway manual and swore
to them without the least compunCtion.
Now, let us see how this iniquitous act
was passed, and what part Mr.. Garfield
had in it. He was then Chairman of the
Committee on Appropriations. AT first
it was proposed to launch the job in the
House, but as some members of the Ap.
propriation Committee were known to
be hostile, the Ringsters thought it pru-
dent to begin in the Senate, and to rely
upon the Coercive machinery of Con.
ference Committee. On Sawyer's rider to
the Legislative bill there was no discus.
sion. That bill was reported back to the
House April 8, 1872, and, instead concur
ring with the Senate, the House reject.
ed the proviso and emphasized it's action
by repeating a former act of June 81.
1870, which authorized the Secretary of
the Treasury to contract with persons
having knowledge of wrecked property
abandoned property, or Confederate
property.
That was the sharp answer of the
House, but it was not decisive. Trick
cry was to undo the work, and to
achieve a complete triumph in the end.
When the bill was completed, April 70,
1872, Mr.. Garfield rose in the House and
said:
II rise to a question Of privilege. 1t
will quicken action if the House ask for
a conference on the disagreeing votes
and let it go back to the Senate again.
Mr.. Garfield was in hurry for con.
ference, and would not allow the Senate
to accept or reject the action of the
House. The Conferees were Garfield,
Freeman, Clarke, and W. E. Niblack and
for the Senate Cole, Morrill,, and Saw.
yer-the last of these the father of the
JOB.
Mr., Cole reported the bill to the Sen.
ate on the 2lst of April, saying:
II have information from the Chair.
man of the Committee on Appropria.
tlons of the House, that it is very desir.
able for the Senate to act upon this re.
port at an early hour to-day, in order
that it may be disposed of in that
body"
The report was read in the Senate
April "a
That the House recede from their
amendment to the Thirty .foarth amend.
ment of the Senate, and agree to said
Senate amendment (the San6orn iob).
&c. COLE,
Justin S. MORRILL,,
FREDERICK A SAWYER,
Managers on the part of the Senate
JANE A. GARFIELD,
FREEMAN CLARKE,
"W. E NIBLACK,
Managers on the part Of the House"
The House was thus betrayed. Mr.
Cole did not suggest that there had been
the slightest difficulty in agreeing, Two
days after, Garfield reported this action
to the H Juse, and endeavored to drive it
through on the spot, But he was foiled. |
Mr.. Randall said:
There are some features Of this report
10 which there will undoubtedly be oh.
lection. l suggest, therefore, that it be |
allowed to go over until Monday.
"Mr. Garfield would cheerfully do |
80 but for one thing. This is very long |
bill, and the enrolling clerks ought to |
have tomorrow to prepare it for sigma.
ture The points 10 which objection will |
be made are very few, and they can be !
stated IN a very fen minutes.
"Mr. Speer-This bill will not 20 into
effect until the lst Of July next. What
s the great necessity for this hurry9"
Mr.. Farnsworth, Mr.. Dickey, and Mr.. |
Hale demanded time, and Mr.. Garfield
was forced to yield. When the report
was next called up Garfield did not re
fer to the Sanborn amendment, but only
said
THE material put in by the Commit.
tee of Conference is yery Sli1bt and il