Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-05-01
FROM WASHINGTON.
From our Regular correspoHdent.J

WASHINGTON. d. c.. April %, 1884.
One of the pet specimens of military
officialism and Washington snobbery is
Col. ID. G. Swain, who, because he
knew less about law than anything else,
was made Judge Advocate General of
the United States Army some two or
three years ago. Last week Mr.. Bate
man, banker here, complained to the
Secretary of War that Swain had been
guilty of some financial crookedness
that needed looking into, and as the re-
lations between the Secretary and
Swain had not been particularly affec-
tionate, the latter was called upon to
explain at once. Swain made his ex-
planation, and this was so much more
offensive than the charges that Bate
man had made against him, that the
Secretary turned the matter over to the
President, recommending court of in
quiry, which charges that Swain de-
posted S., 900 with Bateman, drew upon
it until he had checked it all out of
Bateman's hands and then negotiated
the security that Bateman had given
him for the money, thus getting $10,-
600 for his investment of half the mon
ey. 1t seems that Swaim's chief en-
ployment since he has been in the SER
vice has been that of a Shylock, loaning
out his own and other peoples money
as in the case of Bateman, taking cut
throat chattle mortgages and closing in
upon his victims whenever there was
the default ofa day in meeting their OBJ
legations. There is also evidence against
Swain touching his completely in the
duplicate and triplicate pay account
business, which if followed up will cul-
inmate in something more than SIM
pie dismissal from the service.
A frigid coldness has suddenly sprung
up between those two great men with a
boom-Logan and Lincoln. Had it not
been for Logan, Lincoln would never
have got place in the Cabinet of Mr..
Garfield, and had it not been for Lin
coin, Logan's boom would not, now be
in such q fearful state of disgruntle-
ment. Logan wanted his Egyptian
friend Green B. Raum, and his Oratori-
cal fdes dchdtes, Emory -Storrs, to occu-
py seats in the Chicago Convention, the
one to work up the military enthusiasm
among the boys, and the other to place
his name in nomination before the Con,
vention in manner not to be out done
this side of Bob Ingersoll. Both Of
these gentlemen were quietly laid upon
the shelf by the abominable half-breeds
of the Sucker State, and their selected
seats in the Convention will be occupied
by men who will go for Logan with al
"if," for Lincoln with a "but," and fol
Blaine with whoop. The once happy
Republican family of Illinois, which haf
Joe Medill for its daddy and Lone
Jones for its wet-nurse, is all torn ul
now, and so badly torn up that thu
| fiery and untamed Logan swears tina
he will disown the whole kit of them.
That the mission of the Grand Army
of the Republic is not political one i
probably true, because they have al
ways protested that it is not, but for
non-political organization 1 must sa.
that it cuts larger figure in the shap
ing of the political affairs of this Ma
tiOn, so far as Congress is concerned
than is consistent with its protests. II
the Senate on one day of last week ther
were no fewer than fity-two petitions
remonstrances and other documentar,
proceedings emanating from that organ
ization in different parts of the country
and am told that it was dull day TO
that kind Ofmatter, too. Most of thes
petitions were prayers for more pension
bills, and consequently more pensioner
and more millions out of the Treasur
in addition to the hundred million
now drawn. There were some for tn
equalization of bounties, measure tina
has twice passed the Senate but fortu
nately not reached in the House, whic
would draw from the Treasury yet othe
hundred million of dollars annually
Under this sort of pressure, which tn
average Congressman could not resist
he would, and mofe of them would nc
resist if they knew what would becom
of them if they did, it becomes quite az
parent that the G. A. R., if it has nc
much to do with politics, it has might
sight to do with politicians.
In the Dakota imbroglio where tn
Republican political leaders are runnin
: two conventions in the same hall, 1 M
: tice the portly figure of Major A. "
: Edwards, whose connection with tn
Protection Life Insurace Company 6
Chicago few years since left memor
so fragrant that it hangs around his viz
Tins still. Edwards was indicted ,trie(
convicted and would have been pur
ished had it not been for the politics
misgivings of the administrators of til
law as to the propriety of depositing
man in the penitentiary who had ono
been its warden. PHONo.