Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-25
The Old Ring Coming Rack.

President Arthur has nominated J. n
Watmough to be Paymaster General and
Chief Of the Bureau of Provisions and
Clothing. The New York Sun reviews
the facts in Watmough's case, and the
facts look black for Watmough and bad
for the President and the influences
which are evidently governing him and
his administration. 1t is said that Gen
eral Grant is giving out offices. just as he
would do IL he were the actual President,
instead of the practical director of the
present incumbent. Perhaps Watmough's
nomination is due to Grant; certain it is
that he held, under Grant, this same Office
to which he now asks to be restored,
after having retired from it with marked
discredit. Watmough was among the
bad spots that were examined by Con-
gresham Whitthorne's investigating
committee, when that committee were
looking into the shocking waste and
plumber that was going on in the Navy
Department under the notorious Robe
son. Of the clothing fund, which had
been diverted by this Watmough, the
committees report said:
''Your committee. in view of the statements
Of this account so presented. showing that
1911 h62 "a due clothing from paw or the navy.
ard in view of the further fact that the Chief
of the Bureau is found making private and
confidential sales of the public proper can
not reconcile it to themselves to report that
this FUND has been properly taken care or; on
the contra Y. they are painfully impressed with
the conviction that much OF the clothing Tund,
which is and should be regarded as the trust
propertv of the sailor. has Illegally and i'm
properly disappeared "
Watmough had close and confiden-
tial understanding with one VIM. Mat
thews, a notorious New York ''ring"
contractor. Under Watmough's admin
istration great quantities of surplus
clothing and provisions were accumu
lated. It was Watmough's duty to offer
these at honest and genuine public sales,
duly advertised, at which competition
should be invited. But Watmough went
into secret negotiations with Matthews,
who was allowed to buy and sell to the
bureau on his own terms, paying in
clothing and other articles for some of
his purchases, thus obtaining not only
large. but double profit. at the cost of
the government. 1t looked very much
as if Watmough divided the profits with
Matthews To him Watmough addressed
an official letter, April H. 1874. ac-
cepting the proposal of Matthews to
purchase 8. 400 barrels of beef and 5000
barrels of pork. in which the Chief of
the Bureau said to his ring accomplish,
''the sale to be considered confidential ="
And again Watmough writes to Mat
thews, April %, 1874:
Your letter of the 9th inst has been re-
ceived and the bureau accepts your offer for
the purchase of all its clothing and clothing
material Settlements 70 be made with the
bureau. and to be considered confidential"
The honesty of all this is shown on the
face of the exhibit. No honest official
work is done in that way. And Presi-
dent Arthur has nominated this man for
the same responsible Office again. 1t
looks as If all the old rotten Grant plum
deripg ring were now once more coming
back to the enjoyment of their former
grazing fields.