The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-05-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c., !
I 90 100 Z

WASHINGTON, D. c.,
April %, 1ss4.|
One of the pet specimens of mill
tary of~ficialism and Washington
snobbery is Col. D. G. Swain, who,
because he knew less about law than
anything else, was made Judge Ad-
vocate General of the United States
Army some two or three years ago.
Last week Mr.. Bateman, a banker
here complained to the Secretary of
War that Swain had been guilty of
some financial CT ookedness that need
ed looking into, and as the relations
between the Secretary and Swain
had not been particularly affectionate
the latter was called upon TO explain
at once. Swain made his -explana-
ton, and this was SO much more Of
f%ensive than the charge that Bateman
had made against him, that the Sec
rotary turned the matter over to the
President, recommending a court of
inquiry, which was Immediately
ordered. The grist of charges is that
Swain deposited $4,000 with Bate
man, drew upon it until he had check
ed it oil out of Bateman's hands and
then negotiated the security that
Bateman has given him for the money
thus getting $4,000 for his invest
ment of half the money. 1t seems
that Swaim's chief employment since
he has been in the service has been
that of a Shvlock, loaning outhis own
and other peoples money as in the
case of Bateman, taking cutthroat
chattel mortgages and closing in up
on his victims whenever there was
the default Of a day in meeting their
obligations. There is also evidence
against Swain touching his compli-
city in the duplicate and triplicate
pay account business, which if fol-
| wed up will eliminate in something
more than simple dismissal from the
service.
A frigid GOODNESS has suddenly
sprung up between those two great
men with a boom-Logan and Lin
coin. Had it not been for Logan,
Lincoln would never have got O. place
in the Cabinet of Mr.. Garfield, and
had it not been for Lincoln, Logan's
boom would not now be in such a
fearful state of disgruntleness. Lo-
gan wanted his Egyptian friend
Green B. Raum, and his oratorical
tides Achates, Emory Storrs, to &C.
cupy seats in the Chicago Conven-
ton, the n to work up the military
enthusiasm among the boys, and the
other'to place bis name in nomina-
ton before the Convention in a man
ner not to be outdone this side of
Bob Ingerscll. Both of these gentle
men were quietly laid upon the shelf
by the abominble half breeds of the
Sucker State, and their selected seats
in the Convention will be occupied
by men who will go for Logan with
an eff" for Lincoln with a "but," and
Blaine with a whoop. The once
happy Republican family of Illinois,
which had Joe Medill for its daddy
and Long Jones for its %wet-nurse, is
all torn up now, and SO badly torn
up that the frey and untamed Logan
swears that he will disown the whole
kit of them.
That the mission of the Grand
Army of the Republic is not a poll
tical one is probably true, because
they have always protested that it is
not, but for a non political organiza-
ton l must say that it cuts a larger
figure in the shaping of the political
affairs of this Nation, so far as Con-
gress is concerned, than is consis-
tent with it's protests. In the SEN
ate on one day of last week there
were no fe wer than fifty-two petitions,
remonstrances and other documen-
tary proceedings emanating from
that organization in different parts
of the country, and I am told that it
was a dull day for that kind of mat
ter, too. Most of these petitions
were prayers for more pension bills,
and consequently more pensioners
and more millions out of the Treasu
ry in addition to the hundred mill
ions now drawn. There we're some
for the equalization Of bounties, a
measure that has twice passed the
Senate but fortunately not reached
in the House, which wonld draw from
the Treasury yet another hundred
million of dollars annually. Under
this ort of pressure, which the ave
rage Congressman could not resist if
he would, and more of them would
not resist if they knew what would
become of them if they did, it be-
comes quite apparent that the G. A.
R., if it has not much to do with
politics, it has a mighty sight to do
with politicians.
In the Dakota imbroglio where the
Republican political leaders are run
ming two conventions in the same
hall, I notice the portly figure of
Major A. W. Edwards, whose con-
nection with the Protection Life In
suranc Company at Chicago q few
years since left a memory so fragrant
that it hangs around his victims still.
Edwards was indicted, tried, convict
ed and would have been punished
had it not been for the political mis-
givings of the administrators of the
law as to the propriety of depositing
a man in the ~penitentiary who had
once been its warden. PHoNo.
In Cincinnati the new courthouse