The times., 1898-12-10
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1898.
The Vest Resolution.

Some weeks ago specific charges were
made that in the purchase of vessel
property for the Government for use in
the war and in the contracts for cloth
ing the influence of certain persons
was bought in order to promote sales at
higher prices than could have been OBJ
tanned in honest competition. That the
real or pretended influence of such per-
sons was offered for sale and perhaps
sold, with or without their knowledge
and consent, seemed to be established
by the sworn statements of contractors
No conclusive evidence has appeared
that official corruption actually resulted
Or that the prices paid by the Govern
ment were excessive; but owing TO the
arbitrary authority vested in officials
unknown to the public and supposed to
be under no bonds To protect the Gov
ernne ent, and the consequent opportuni-
ty for fraud, Senator Vest has intro
duced a joint resolution for the ap-
pointment of committee of investiga-
tion. The arrangements for the pur-
chase of vessels were certainly peculiar
in this-that an officer of the volunteer
service, recently appointed, whose first
duty seems TO have been the making
of rates for the transportation of
troops by rail, was also authorized to
effect the purchase of ships to the value
of millions of dollars.
The Government would be very fortu-
nate If it escaped everything like fraud
in all the transactions that were made
necessary by the war and in which the
usual precautions against corrupt bar
gains seem TO have been neglected,
along with the military conventional
tiles for which the War Department ex-
pressed its contempt. So probable were
attempts TO swindle the Government
that the Alger Relief Commission was
authorized and directed to make an in
Quiry into the contracts, charters and
purchases of that department, a duty
which il appears to have dismissed with
a perfunctory examination of docu-
ments on file in the pigeonholes OF the
war office. However, whether that Com
mission undertakes the work or not is
not a matter of interest to Congress,
which has no official information of the
existence of any such body. Even if
it were disposed TO go into the charges
of corruption, which there is no reason
to think, ii is without any of the au-
thority that is essential to an investiga-
tion- II has no power to compel the at
tendance of persons or force them to
produce papers. Senator Vest has ev-
cry right TO assume that the charges are
rot under inquiry, as probably they are
not. His resolution provides for COM
mittee of three senators and five repre-
sentatives, with all the powers usually
conferred on such a committee 1t will
be able to call experts and determine
whether the Government paid exorbi-
tant prices for the purchases made nee
essary by the war 1t will learn the
quality of the articles and the condi-
tions under which the contracts were
made. If there is fraud, 1t will be able
10 detect it and locate the responsible
ity. II is safe to say that after taking
testimony for months no member of
a Congressional committee will say,
with DR.. Connor, that he is unable to
say who is 10 blame for a certain act
The resolution is made necessary by the
distinct charges OF contractors who
failed to receive consideration as well
as by the circumstances under which
purchases were made.