The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-11-04
j. II. BAKERS RECORD.
Democratic Committee Can Find
No Words To Set Forth His
BaseneSS.

We have before us report submit
ted to Congress June 18th, 1876, or
by Democratic COM
mittee which had investigated the
Chicago Pension Agency while Gen. ].
II. Baker was Commissioner Of Pen
sions. The report gives the details
of foul conspiracy to defraud Miss
Ada G. Sweet, orphan daughter of
Gen. B. ]. Sweet, in which David
Blakely and Baker were the conspira-
tors. 1t appears that after Blakely
had imposed upon the lady to pay
large amount of his debts and to help
make good an item Of SO, 200 improper
ly charged by him while he was in the
office, as he was Miss Sweet is prede-
cessor, Baker who knew of the whole
transaction, peremptorily ordered her
to pay up the amount on the day of
the demand. Not until then did
Miss Sweet break the bond of secrecy
that had been obtained from her and
informed her friends, who quickly
raised the amount land thus escaped
from the power of these designing and
dishonorable men," as the committees
report says. Speaking of Miss Sweet,
the report says:
"She was evidently anxious to Sc
cure a position by which she could aid
her fathers family. She was unac-
Quainted with the world, young and
inexperienced. She believed that
Blakely was doing her favor:she was
hopeful of good results; she found
men of position and character propo-
sing transaction, and she evidently
thought it was right.She has been de-
ceived, wronged and cheated by false
pretenses but she has kept her plighted
word and only spoken in self defense.
Her sympathies have been played up
on, and it was not until she was
threatened by the conspirators
with financial ruin and official dis
honor she took counsel CT her friends
and stood up for her rights,
The committee further says:
"Your committee have no doubt
that it was the purpose of Commits
sioner Baker to force her to pay up
the whole of Blakely's liability, or com
pei her to abandon the office in dis
honor as defaulter; and your COM
mittee feel bound to say that more
utterly wicked and criminal combina-
tiOn for oppression and wrong has
meyer been before revealed.
Words fail to set forth the convictions
entertained by this committee of the
baseness Of this man and his coadju-
tor. Baker. They pass from the re-
spect of all honorable men and take
their appropriate place in the ranks
of swindlers and confidence opera
tors. Blakely holds no place under
the government, but Baker is now sur
veyor general of Minnesota, and this
committee desires to state that no
such man should be allowed to hold
Office under the United States. He
appeared before the committee with
carefully prepared statement, which
he read as evidence, evasive, indirect
and contradicted by his own cross-ex-
animation and by the testimony of all
other witnesses. His relations with
Blakely are known to have been very
intimate and confidential, and there
is no reasonable doubt that he was
willing partaker with Blakely in his
dishOnorable schemes"
This man Baker, who was found by
Democratic committee of Congress
to be unfit to hold any office under the
United States, is now candidate for
legislature on the Democratic ticket.
Certainly no Republican can vote for
him, and it seems impossible that any
self respecting Democrat can do so.
1t was not long ago that the ReUieac,
which now pats him upon the back,
was roundly scoring him and treating
him to hot roastS for the treacherOuS
part he played in the Duluth, Manka-
10 & Austin railroad matter. These
things will be remembered by the peo-
pie on election day.
nDENTNn ON nuJJ nnTTC