The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-01-21
lIow John Sherman Ran a Newspaper.
Washington, Jan. 3.

eNoAatstNttf NVc /
brought ont in the senate treasury I
investigating committee this mora /
ing. Judge Vail, Of the Sherman
hand-bill known as the Washington +
World was upon the witness stand /
for sometime. Ii Was stated be. |
fore the committee that Vail was
upon the roll of the treasury at a /
salary of $1,000 IA year, and that he |
was still upon the pay.rolls, draw
ing money for some political ser
vice rendered to John Sherman as
editor of the paper above named. |
Judge Vail was asked first if he
had been in the employ of the
treasury at the time Of the bublica.
tion of The World. Judge Vail
replied that he was well known as
a special agent of customs, for tho
Georgetown district. This reply
made the members of the commit
tee laugh. The office of collector
of customs at Georgetown, this
district, is in itself a practical sim
ecure. The idea of havinga special
agent attached to it besides was
about all the proof that was neces-
sary ofthe original charge. Judge
Vail told the committee that he
held this office until the time of the
appearance of The World, and then
he resigned. He said he drew no
pay from the treasury while he was
editing this paper.
After the campaign was closed
and the paper suspended, Judge
Vail was again appointed special
agent of customs. He now belongs
to the Oswego N. Y, district. al
thougt he resides in this city, and
it is a question whether he was
ever in Oswego,in his life. His
salary is $4,000 ayear. He also
has nephew and son in London.
The further interesting fact was
developed that the type and print
ing material was furnished to him
from the government printing
Office and credit given for nearly a
year. Judge Vail was not asked
where the press-work was done.
1t is probable that he win be re.
called for crOss-eXammatiou on
this subject. II has been charged
that the press-work of this paper
was done in the printing Office in
the treasury. At any rate the gov
ernment furnished all the material
for the paper and paid the salary
of its editor, and, so fur as heard
from, bore the entire burden of the
publication.
AS far rs tho investigation has
gone it shows that every item of
expense in Mr.. Shermai's canvass
was chargedup to the government,
and so it is rather surprising that
Mr.. Sherman should ever have dis
puted the payment Of the famous
hotel bill in Chicago, because it
would have been so easy for him
to settle it by paying for it out of
the treasury and having it charged
up as candles, or some other in
genious way adopted by the ring
for tho use of treasury money
when exigencies demand.
Mr.. Paul Brown, who was the
next witness, is a lab0rer who,
while charged to the treasury de-
Partment as a laborer, performed
fifteen to twenty days service
upon Mr.. Sherman's new house.
lie built him a bookcase trimmed
his windows, put some blinds upon
his stable, and, and did odd jobs
of painting. All this was paid for
out of the treasury. Mr.. Brown
was asked if Mr.. Sherman knew
Of his employment upon his house.
He said he supposed so, as Mr..
Sherman sent a servant down to
the treasury for him when his SER
vices were required.
The contractor who furnished
carriages for the department was
next examined. Several of the
wagons made by him were after
wards transformed into sleighs,
and from sleighs were altered into
carriages. A certain bureau Off
cial who, under a doubtful con-
struetion of the law, is allowed a
wagon for official business, had an
additional sleigh furnished to him
for his private use, and had it
charged mp in the one item of the
wagon allowed him. Mr.. Paul
Brown, the carpenter who worked
quite a number of days upon Mr..
Sherman's new house, and who
was paid for it as a laborer of the
treasury department, was also be-
fore the committee, and testified
to the facts which have heretofore
been stated. There was nothing,
however of a special or sensation
al oharoc4pr nvolved and fhprn wiIl