The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1885-09-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From eur regular correspondsut,J
WASHINGTON, Auausr, 2sth. 1885.

| SutAo Atauuy Hutuo poCCulhtlOu, S0unI
long concealed crookedness OF the
truly good old Republican partIzan
party Is not brought to light. The
hackneyed metaphor "honey -combed
with corruption" Is no tropical exag.
Grafton when applied TO the Depart.
menis siuce 1860 under the control
OF the Republican party. The Able
and true men placed over the Depart
ments and Bureaus by President
Cleveland have, many of them, not
been, In ofilco five months, and they
have been impeded by the Civil Ser.
vice stumbling block which compels
them to make their Investigations
with the knowledge OF, and through
the very rascals who need TO be lnves-
tlgated. But, In spite ofalll obstacles
nearly every day has It's sensation OF
gang OF official and clerical bandits
dragged from their fastness, and des-
poiled of their booty. Early this
week II was tho Alabama Claims
Commission Ia which Walker Blaine
the son OF the Republican candidate
held 81, 500 place and helped many
Others salar!ed flyorites to do moth
ing.
The Court which was organized la
1874 TO hear proof OF claims to be
paid out Of tho $15, 100000 awarded
by the GeHeva arbitration commits
sion, was continued by various acts
OF Congress. In December 1877 Ii
was constituted OF i've judges at an
annual salary of Sc, 900 each, ard
clerk at $4,000, and an attorney at
IS 900, and II s,enogrApher at 81, 500.
Provision was made for rent OF cour.
rooms, printing, stationery, furniture,
fuel and other incidental necessary
expenses all to be paid out OF the
funds before judgements were paid.
The court was reorganized by law Ia
1882 with the same officers and sal.
aries as before, except only three
judges. When Controller Durham
came 10 look into tne accounts OF tho
court he found outside of the officers
named as authorized By Congress, Ii
had on the pay-rolls au assistant
counsel for the United States, clerk
to the assistant counsel, experts, as
sistant experts, clerks rs 0experts, mes
sengers, watchmen, etc., whose sal
cries amounted TO $34, 800 per year.
The controller also found In the quar-
terly returns that there had been
paid to other assistant counsel over
$4,000 for the quarter ending De-
cember 81, 1884, and about $1,000
for the quarter ending March 81, 49,
50, besides other Illegal payments.
Among these special counsel so em-
ployed are Walker Blaine, L, d.
Hunt, Hamilton Fish, jr., George +.
Frelinghuysen and others. These
payments were endorsed rs correct
by the presiding judge OF the court.
The controller finds no law authoriz-
Ing these payments, aud after en-
sulting with the Secretary OF the
Treasury he has decided to stop all
future payments OF the claims.
Since the present Superintendent
Of the Pension Bureau building was
appointed TWO months ago, discover
les have been made upon which
charges OF theft, false contracts and
embezzlement will be founded against
his predecessor, Mr. Dickerson.
Clerks, laborers AMI other employees
are implicated with the Superintend-
ent for the purpose OF systematic
stealing, which has been carried on
for years.
The Investigations not yet finish
ed, but preliminary report has
been made by the. Commissioner OF
Pensions, from which it appears that
when Dickerson was Custodian oil the
Pension Bureau buiIdings the carpet
that were lifted in the spring to make
room for the summer mating did
not come back TO their former places
when the summer was over. The
fag ends onls were produced justEt
show the necessity fo1 ordering new
carpets.
SeverA OF the men involved in the
charges have recently built cottages
at Colonial Beach and elsewhere, and
furnished them on most ostadvantageous
terms. Window and door cases and
other mater ais used 10 building the
cottages are said to have been stolon
ready-made or in handy shape, from
the new Pension building, and car
pets, chairs, desks and other useful
articles of furniture which have
greatly contributed to the elegance OF
the cottage Interiors, were obtained
from the same source. Most Of the
work oferecting these cottages it Ii
said, was done by carpenters and la
borers employed by the Pension Bu-
reau and paid by the United States
Government.