The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-10-05
REFERRING TO HANCOCK'S
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.
Maj. Joseph e. DwYer Drives
Home and Clinches a Few
Important Nails.
The Government Depot, the Mill
tary Telegraph, and the Re-
mOvaI OF the kickapoo
Indians.

your popular newspaper to reply t,
the article that appeared i'll tn,
! Ecening Light of yesterday, headed
30, fie, John Hancock Nobody
thought that your claims were al
groundless, but bit of hitherto un
written history proves they were
1t was Col. Williams, not you, who
had the Indians removed, and the
military telegraph and depot con
structed."
The article evidently is in reply
to what L asserted in a letter to the
San Antonio Times on the 9th in.
slant, in reference to the claims
Hon. John Hancock had on the
people of western Texas, and
especially upon the citizens of San
Antonio. Ii has been claimed by
many that l had made assertions
that l could not substantiate, and
even sympathy has been expressed
for me by some for the way l had
lain myself open to criticism.
The three points in contro-
versy are about the removal
of the Kickapoo Indians from
the Texas-Mexican frontier, and as
to who brought about the building
of the military depot in this city and
the construction of the military tele-
graph in Texas. 1t is claimed Col.
Williams did all these things, and
the article of the Light says that the
statements to the contrary are un-
true. Now that the issue is made
lei us come to the proofs.
/ FIRST nIT Ec,p ADuTTNyr,
Several communication and petit
tions were sent to Hon John Han
cock in the winter of 1872 and 1873
from parties living on and interest
ed i'll having the frontier better pro-
tected, recommending the measure
and requesting its passage. Hon.
John Hancock brought the subject
before the secretary of war and
asked his recommendation. Judge
Hancock was referred to Gen.
Meyer, chief of the signal
service. He (Gen. Meyer approv-
ed the measureand earnestly re-
commended its construction. Then
in the fOrty-second congress, third
session FL. r. 3767 in the house of
representatives. February 3, 1873,
read twice, referred to committee on
military affairs and ordered to be
printed.
Mr.. Hancock, on leave, introduced the
following bill:
"A bill to authorize the secretary of
war to construct and operate telegraph
lines connecting the military posts, and
from post to post on the frontiers of
Texas, with the headquarters at San An
tonic"
"Be it enacted by the senate and house
of representatives of the United States of
America assembled, that the secretary of
war be and he is hereby authorized and
directed to construct. equip and operate
telegraph lines connecting by telegraphic
communication the military posts, and
from post to post on the frontiers of
Texas. with the headquarters of that de-
partment at San Antonio; and for that
purpose the sum OF - or so much thereof
as may be found necessary is hereby ap-
propriated, out of any money in the
treasury not otherwise appropriated"
InIe ", a., the InIJIaLIon OF Une prop
OsltlOn In congress.
With the cooperation of Gen.
Meyer, John Hancock. was enabled to
get an appropriation of 100000 in
the sundry civil appropriation bill,
then under consideration before the
appropriation committee, to build
the military telegraph line, and, also,
in the same bill, an appropriation of
100000 to build the quartermaster's
depot, officers quarters, etc., in San
Antonio. Both these appropriations
passed the house. The bill then
went to the senate, where it was
amended and materially changed
The house refused to concur in the
the amendments made by the senate.
A committee OF conference was rals-
ed on the disagreeing votes of the
two houses. Objection was made in
the conference committee to allow
ing both these appropriations. Hon.
John Hancock was told by the men,
bers of the conference committee he
could select either, and that one
would be allowed. John Hancock
then selected 100000 appropriation
for the military depot and officers
quarters at San Antonio, (see acts
3rd session of And congress, page
622), having assurance of assistance
to pass the telegraph appropriation
at the next session of congress.
At the next session, first session of
the forty-third congress, Col. Gid
dings having been placed on the
committee on Indian affairs,
proper committee to consider and
report on the measure, with assur-
ances Hancock had from the chair
man of the committee, General
Shanks, that he approved and would
favor its passage, Hancock put the
bill in Col. Giddings' hands to be
placed before the committee, and
the appropriation was made, the bill
having only been changed in Its cap
ton and phraseology, but in SUBJ
stance same as the original bill in
troduced by John Hancock. AT
the following session John Hancock
| took charge of the matter himself
and procured a further apprOpria-
tion to go on with that and other
lines, of $4,000, (see acts second ses-
sion forty-third congress, page 388,)
and at subsequent session Han
cock procured, by a motion made
in the house to amend the sundry
civil appropriation bill, a further
sum of $45,OOO to operate and
extend the line from Fort Davis to
FL Paso. (See acts first session, 44th
congress, page 118, and Congressional
Record, June 23, 1867
2ND. BUILDING OF MILITARY DEPOT
AND OFFICERS QUARTERS AT SAN
| ANTONIO.
In the above discussion of the
military telegraph line appropria-
ton, this question is finally settled
as to who procured the appropria-
ton for the depot-it was Hancock.
But the expenditure of the 100000
appropriated by congress for the
construction of the military depot at
San Antonio hung fire for long
time, and the money was withheld
by the officials at Washington city.
And now, to prove conclusively that
Hancock earnestly urged the expen-
diture of the appropriation, l will
put on the witness stand the then
secretary of war of the United States
) government, and we will see if the
, Hon. John Hancock did or did not
faithfully serve the interests of the
people of San Antonio and thereby
the people of old Bexar.
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY I
May 9th, 1915.
Hon. John Hancock, NJ. c., Austin, Texas
SIR-The subject of the memorial of the
residents aud tax pay ers of San Antonio
, filed by you, requesting early application
, of the appropriation made by congress fol
, the establishment and erection of quar-.
termaster's depot at this place has beer
+ attentively considered. The arguments
,, presented by YOU in that behalf have haC
great weight in removing the objections
: existing in the minds of myself and the