The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-06-13
FROM WASHINGTON.
Corruption and Bribery in the
Departments.
Lawyers Must Fee SubOrdlnates In Order
To Get Clalms Through
What a Lawyer Says.


VestigatiOns have shown how serious
the evil Is, and to what extent Ii has
been practieed by heads of the depart
ments, by chiefs of bureaus, and by the
| principal as well as subordinate clerks.
Millions have been stolen from the Trea-
sury since Sthe close of the civil war.
| This organized system Of promoting dis
honest claims was bOldest during the
era of Grantism, but 1t still improves
ism has favored IL largely for the last
ten yearly. The public business has
been in the hands of irresponsible
clerks for months at time every sum-
mer.
During the last Congress the Commit
tee on Expenditures of the War Depart
ment investigated charges Of corrupt
practices against certain officials, clerks
and agents In the offices of the Quarter
master General, the COmmissaTy- GEN
eral, and the Third Auditor, ID. w. Glas-
sic, an attorney for war claims, was one
Of the principal witnesses. He seems
to have had a varied experience with
the clerks In these offices. He testified
as follows:
While here undertook to urge the
payment of some of the claims that.were
ready for payment. L saw the Quarter
master in charge, who called for the pa
pers and very kindly permitted me to
see everything, and he ordered them to
go forward. One evening clerk from
the QuarteFmaster's department-his
name was BrOwn-came to my hotel and
sent up his card. He said to me: 81 see
you have called up some. cases Of TOmp-
kins % Co. Now, you don't know IT.;
but you are kicking against the pricks
up there" He said MacFarland, then
chief clerk Of the Quartermaster-G Gen
eral, was personal friend of TOmpkins
and, said he, "they are working tOgeth-
or, and he did not propose to let these
cases come up, and he told him to put
them in a pigeon hole" He lntimated
to me, however, that If he himself did
approve and put his initials on them,
they were bound to go forward. He
said MacFarland was getting per cent
for all the work he was doing, and he
did not propose he should get any more
on account Of his work. He said: 81
will not ask you to pay anything. These
attorneys are getting large fees on new
work for taking up certain cases and
passing them. Sometimes we get lit
tie short in the middle of the month and
want to borrow little until the end of
it," The next day met Brown, and he
wanted to borrow $50 or $25. After
waiting two weeks my cases did not
move, but after lOaning this money they
did go forward to the Third Auditor, as
l was told.
l waited week, and they did not
reach the Third Auditor. Finally, one
night, this same clerk came to my room
and told me he was poor man. He wan
ted to borrow So more. gave him the
money and the cases were filed.
Then they went to the Second Comp
trOller's office, and were referred to j. @.
Wilson, who told me he was very busy
when called. After getting through
with his work he picked up protest of
a note, and said he was embarrassed,
and his mind was all upset on account
of this note. eff you have any friends
here who could arrange to give me this
money, could retire the note"
L had queer case some time ago, be-
tween seven and eight thousand dollars,
for Gen. Geo. r. Smith, of Missouri. 1t
was very meritOriOus claim, based en-
tirely on proceedings of Boards of Sur
Veys. Iwrote Smith to put me in COM
municatiOn with Mr.. Crittenden, who
was then in Congress. While waiting
for him Y. Frank Nye, a clerk, told me
the claim was on his desk, and repeated
Browns story about MeFarland's levy
ing 5 per cent. on all claims, so that he
had made $4,000 or $4,000. He had
note due, and was embarrassed about its
payment, and wanted me to lend him
the money or have the note extended.
put him off, and the next morning
Smith came himself, and we went over
to the Quartermaster-Gen office,
and he ordered the papers to be
briefed. thought that would settle it
but between IL and IL o'clock Nye came
and said: you played q pretty trick on
me, but that won't do" He said Mac had
filed the papers, and letter had been
written to send the case out for REIN
vestigatlOn. Now, If you will take up
now, will ignore Macs letter, and act
on the Quartermaster Generals endorse
ment." said: Frank, will renew
the note, OF will endorse another note,
and take that up for you" He said:
"WeIl, that will do" 1DuHQ.
Q.--DId he ever pay that nOteP A
No, sir, he did not.
Odd you have TO pay the note? A.
Yes, did. Think 1t was for 800 or
$3.50.
Q.-AIlOw me to ask If he is holding
the same position in the department now
that he had at that timer Ale is not.
Some years ago he was transferred to
the "deld" to investigate claims.
Q.-Against Quartermaster's agentsp
Ayes.
Q.-Subsequent to these transactionsP
A.-Yes.
Another man would come to me, for
instance, John II. Ferry, and say, "Glas-
sic, here is case up there ready for ac-
tiOn. You cannot get 1t up. If you will
give me present, or fee, or so much,
l can have 1t reported tomorrow" The
query was, which of these two men
should take the money! II paid Ferry
for his work, l understood from Nye
that he would divide 1t with MacFar-
land. IL paid Nye, was committing
an offense against the law; so l was
just between the two.
Q.-Did you ever pay anything to
Ferry? Ayes, good deal Of money.
have taken him in as an assistant
counsel, and given him an interest In
the fees. a
/ find while we are in the War Depart
ment l have check here of j. B. Tan
ner.
Q.-Has that check Of Tanners any
connection with claims2 A.-Well, he
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