Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-10-19

Mr.. Bayard enriched himself, under
the pretsnce Of legal work, By virtually
selling his Senatorial name. This fee
WAS %, 600 for . so-called legal opinion
In favor Of the validity Of the notorious
Msxwell land grant In Now Mexico,
The steal of the public domain under
this grant was the larses and most
atrooious of ell that have been attempt
cd. IL 10 one of the cases where the
boundaries of . email Spanish grant,
possibly of some validity a. 10 b, few
acres of land, have been frAudulentIy
extended to embrace enormous tracts
not really included within 1t. After
the American oontrivers Of the scheme
had succeeded by some manipulation In
procuring the Issue Of o Government
patent for the fraudulently enlarged
tract. changes OF nominsl ownership
were effected, and at last preparation
was made for the grand swindle of els.
posing OF the property 10 Rullible Euro
pean investors. 1t WAS necessary, low
ever, to convince the foreign victims
that the title to the immense tracts of
land was perfect, and that there was
no danger Of q revocation of the patent
by the United States. Mr.. Bayard was
leading and then unsupported United
States Senator. This alone, however,
WAS not enough to make his opinion de-
sirable. But no Was also chairman of
the committee on Private Land Claims.
This position made an opinion from
him Of the FIRST importance. No one
would doubt the title to land derived
from the Government II 1t were proved
by the opiHion Of tho chairman Of that
committee of the Senate by which any
question Of its validity which might
como before Congress would be consid-
cred, and whose duty 1t would be to
attack the title II uusound or fraudu-
lent. Therefore Mr.. Bayard's opinion
was sought and obtained affirming the
validity Of the title.
This made the swindlinR Of the for
eigners possible. They were swindled,
and Mr.. Bayard received for his fee
81, 1000, being his share Of the fraud. The
opinion is gwen In full In the Tribune
slightest doubt that his opinion was
Senator and chairman; and he must
have known this when he gave IL. 1t
| IL probably the groeset case on record In
| official position, where the per petrator
has, after the facts have become known,
| pretended to maintain q position of 70.
spectability. II such corrupt Senator
ial practices as these, which have been
inaugurated by Mr.. Bay ard under the
form Of retainers and employ ment u
counsel on matters In which the govern
ment is intere sted, cannot he Suppressed
| by law or public opinion, the re putatior
| Of the Senate will soon become not much
better than that fthe New York Boart
Of Aldermen.
Another method Of Official turpitudl
Is where the public Officer does not TAX
money himself, but 30 manages his Off
cial business as to force the pay ment o.
fee to some friend or familiar of his
who may or may not divide each par
ticular piece of plumber with the Off
cial who really earns the tee One case
happening while Mr.. William @. Whit
ney, now q Cabinet associate of Mr.
Baysrd's. was Corporation Counsel o.
the city Of New York, will illuetrat,
this msthod. e. Jones b Go. and w
q. Rogers B. Co. sued the city Of New
York for printing, bindery and station
| cry, to the amount OF 81 200, 62s. 81. The
city claimed that the bills we're fraudu.
lent, aud that the plaintiffs had pre-
viously defrauded the city; and Corpo
ration Counsel Whitney sued j. j.
Jones and W. O. Rogers, members Of
the firm, for S942 $50 20, and had them
arl tested and put into Ludlow stree
| Jail, and they were prevented from get
ing the enormous bail of $3.50. 900 de
manded. The trap being thus we'll get
there appeared on the stage one Henry
D. Felter, who represented that ht
could get them liberated. and the suit
~ ainst them discontinued ii they
would release their claims against TIE
city. The Or soners consented and made
the releases. They cub equently learn
ed that the city. by decision OF Corpo
ration Counsel Whitney, had aleo paid
$40, 900 to complete the settlement; thai
this amount had b. en- drawn by Mr.
Felter, and that $50 900 had been paid
TO Henry Thompson, OF the Standard
Oil Company, rs counsel fees and dis
bursements, which disbursements Mr.
Felter had certified and had made tt
his satisfaction.
Pursuit of Felter, by Jones AND
Rogers after their release, resulted In
their getting from him "a. 750. Further
suits were brought last year by repre-
sen natives Of one of the partners against
the city of New York to set aside ths
releases as having been obtained BY
duress and fraud, which suits are nov
pending, and interrogatories have beer
filed for Mr.. Whitney to answer.
There seems to be no reason TO doubi
that the whole settlement WAS arranged
in the interest of the gang which con
oeived and profited by the $50, 900 which
the city paid; that Jones and Roger
had either no knowledge at all that any
i 60 ha hH fLta n,
only understood that the amount was t(
be SIC. 600; and that the only service rem
dered by Mr.. Thompson, of the Stand
ard Oil Company, who was an intimate
friend of Mr.. Whitney's, was to induce
| the latter to make the settlement and
pay Felter the $50, 900. The scandalouI
nature Of the transaction is apparsn'
from only the brief narration Of thu
acts above given.
The notorious case of Attorney Gen
eral Garland need not be recited here
The only reason why the Psn-Eleotrit
| organic srs wished him to become ar
associate with them, to give his lega
| opinion to be used to aid them in swim
ding, and to get through special Law
directing suit 10 annul the Bell patents
was because he was . United Statos
Senator. His opinion and services
proved so valuable that the conspiratori
further procured his appointment n
Attorney General, 80 that the suit
might be brought, AZ IL was, without
any special law, to the great and con
tinuine scandal OF President Cleveland
1.-THE Washington Post" the Admins.
trat,on organ, OF September 20, says Of
Mr.. Garland: "Not only has the Presi
dent not deoapitated him, but he ha,
promoted him In favor. The Office Of
Assistant Comm issioner of Indian At
fairs has been created for his p n.
| ElaCtrJc oooouo plioa TTpahhW An.