Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-07-14

/ " Nir AaAIeE III : en- al lnllanap0lls, Sat
urday
WAsHISGroS, July l3.
Hon. Thomas A. Hendricks, Indianapolis,
Indiana.
SIR A candidate for Vice President.
should speak with decent fairness. In your
speech at Indianapolis last Saturday you
made statements from which you meant the
pubic should believe that il appeared by nv
testimony that frauds in the bureau of medi-
cine and surgery of this department during
the last year amounting to s63 900: that |
was informed of some of the outrages a wear
ago; that after was informed of the frauds
dlsbelieved because members of Congress
had recommended the continuance of the
chief OF the bureau and took no adequate
action towards them. Whereupon you de-
manded the election of president who would
appoint chief of the bureau who would iu-
vestIga,e the condition of the books and
bring all the guilty parties to trial To the
contrary of ali this testified that | suspected
the vouchers commenced as far back as June
Il, 1880, although small vouchers were paid
as late as Jany 20, 1884 that while the anon
Ymous letter of about a year ago that
charged drunkenness upon chief clerk Carri-
gan, which the chief of the bureau, DIR.
Philip ). Wales reported TO me, was not true,
had no information leading to frauds until
December or Janubry last; that | was de-
termined simultaneously with the beginning
oil the investigation 10 have a new chief of
the bureau in the place of DIR. Wales. whose
term was TO expire January Goth, and also
the Chief clerk that great opposition TO the
change was made bv members of Congress,
but persisted and DR.. Wales went out on
that date and Carrigan was put out February
4th and that the investigation of frauds and
n hn lfE hau -
proceeded with due diligence. 1t is true
that stated that recommenda-
tions for the reappointment of DIR. Wales,
who found in Office when went in April
IL 1882, were of such a character as to fully
justify me in believing that the affair of his
bureau had been well administered. Senator
McPherson wrote letter to President Ar
thur December Is, 1888, requesting Wales
reappOintment. A petition for reappointment
was written by Carrigan and sent to the
President headed by John G. Carlisle, fol-
lowed by Phil b. Thompson, Jr., Leopold
Morse, Dwgatt Aiken, VIM. McAdoo. Geo.
ID. Wise G. W. Hewitt and other representa-
tives in Congress. saying of DR.. Wales that
he has administered the affairs of that
bureau during the last four years with signal
ability and success" United States Sena-
tors Mcpherson, Butler. Brown, Colquitt,
Beck. Williams, c. NJ. Jones, Ransom and
~ other senator's. also using Carrigan as their
writer, petitioned for DIR Wales reappoint-
ment, stating that Ibis administrative capac-
ity has been fully demonstrated by the sue
cessful management of the bureau of which
he now has charge
Senator Mcpherson and Speaker Carlisle
and others, most prominent of these gentle
men who demanded DR.. Wales reappoint-
ment, were with YOU in the convention at
Chicago and could have informed you that
he had borne good reputation; that the law
required that the chief of the bureaus should
be naval surgean and placed the medical
expenditures in his hands that his was in
no sense political office, but that if he had
any politics he was democrat and that any
attempt to make POLITICAL capital out of the
frauds for which this naval surgeon, who is
their intiment fliend is solely responsible,
would be disenRious aud unfair; that they
not succeed in keeping DIR. Wsles and his
chief clerk Carrigan in office is very fort
innate. Very respectfully,
(Signed) W f. CHANDLER.