New-York tribune., 1899-07-17
THE GOVERN MENT MULCTED
ABUSES SHOWN IN CONNECTION WITH
SOLDIERS HOME.
pr.ryE's FIGHT AGAINST THE MANAGEMENT
SCANDALS RELATING TO BOARDS
INSPECTION EXPOSED.
my TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIPuxr.1


fpY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBuNEl
washington July 16-In the LIVth Congress
the member -at-large from the State Of Kansas
was Richard Whiting Blue. At or near Leav-
enworth. in Kansas, is located the Western
branch Of the National Home for Disabled Vol
unteer Soldiers. Altogether there are seven
branches-the Central. located at Dayton. Ohio;
the Northwestern. at Milwaukee: the Eastern,
az Togus Me-: the Southern. at Hampton Va;
the Western. at Leavenworth. Kan: the Pa
cinc at Santa Monica. Cal. and the Marion. at
Marion. Ind. They are governed by a Central
Board of eleven members, in addition TO which
the President Chief Justice and Secretary Of
War are ex ofiicio members They hold
Office for four years. and are appointed
by Congress. The Board is officered by a
president vice president. second vice-pres-
dent secretary. and a general treasurer
and an Inspector general, who has assist
ant General William b. Franklin has been
member and president of the Board for many
wears and practically the autocrat Of the sys-
tem He is a graduate of West Point and was
one Of McClellan's most distinguished major
generals in the Civil War.
Locally each branch Of the Soldiers Home is
managed by a governor. treasurer, quarter
master. commissary. adjutant. surgeon. chap
disabled veterans are cared for, and the cost Of
their care in the aggregate reaches in round
numbers S4.OOO.OOO. which in one form or an
other comes out Of the public treasury. 1t thus
appears that the National Home for Soldiers is
a pretty big institution. At the time Richard
Whiting Blue entered Congress Colonel Andrew
J. Smith was governor of the Leavenworth
branch He had been its manager for several
% vol EroO
sonal favorites There were scandals connected
with his management Of the following character:
He was unpopular with the inmates of the
Home. dsliked by the subordinate officers and
was an object of pretty general execration
through Kansas and Western Missouri. His
record had been Investigated three times.
Strong efforts had been made from time to time
TO oust him, but without avail. General Frank
lin stuck to Smith through thick and thin. and
at last through sheer exhaustion, it was gen
orally admitted that Andy" as he was endear-
ingly called by General Franklin. could not be
budged that he was a fixture, and the abuses
which through long immunity he so boldly
practised must continue until death closed the
account.
MANY CHARGES AGAINST SMITH.
Then Dick" Blue took hold of the matter. An
old soldier himself he felt it to be his duty to
alleviate the sufferings Of the inmates of the
Soldiers Home. In the wild Western style he
announced that fight en-, and that he was
in 1t to stay. And so he did. In a short time,
despite frantic but mysterious efforts of several
members 10 prevent II. the House instructed
the Speaker to appoint committee TO investi-
gate Governor Andy" Smith and the Leaven-
worth branch. In due course the committee,
composed Of William w. Grout, chairman;
Charles w. Stone. Vespasian Warner and F. c.
Layton. proceeded to Leavenworth and made
the investigation. Governor Smith repre-
sented by counsel and Colonel Blue appeared in
behalf Of those who filed the charges.
Upon most of these charges, the committee
rendered the Scotch verdict Of not proven, but
it did find that Smith had used public property
for his own personal benefit 1t also found:
Most Of the friction and disorder which they
find in this branch is due to the way the Gov
ernor has Of doing things and to the doubtful
and ndscreet things he has done"
The committee accordingly recommended the
removal of Governor Smith and the appoint
ment OF some other man in his place.
But the Board of Managers, through its
president. General Franklin. cunningly eyaded
this recommendation by transferring Governor
Smith from the Leavenworth branch to the Pa
cifc branch at Santa Monica. Thereafter
things Immediately quieted down In and about
the Leavenworth Home. and the storm centre
was removed to California. All will remember
the subsequent attempt Of a crazy soldier to
blow Smith up in his Leavenworth home. before
his departure for California. Governor Smith
has since died a natural death, and with him
have departed all the disorders and frictions
growing out OF his queer management of the
Leavenworth Home.
BLUES CAMPAIGN EXTENDED
Blues fight in the House on Smith incidentally
brenched out into an inquiry covering the gen
eral management of the National Home Con-
gresham Blue dug up a good many ugly facts
about President Franklin. and threatened 10
carry the fight into Africa If Franklin did not
"let 60 Of Andy" or otherwise take him out OF
the Kansas Home Among other things II was
found that little regard was had for what niue
law there was on the subject in the management
Of the homes, and that gross eXtraVagahce III
the expenditure Of the appropriations was the
rule. speech made in the House on TINS SUD-
feet bv Judge Blue was replete with the most
serious charges against the official management
OF the homes Among other Things Blue Drought
forward a printed report of the items Oi eNpe"'
Of single journey of the Board IN prNd'e '"'
on an inspection tour 70 the CaIlloIhIa VI ANN
which had cost 5000 or up"aIu' VIM"
cluded all sorts of luxuries TOT tfa'e'ie,' ''
the attendance Of servants. Several iheHiOei -
Congress were at that time also mehlDeiS oi ''
Roard of Managers. These participants in the
Boards annual summer junkets TO the RACINE
Coast and elsewhere under the guise OF pubic
duty AT nublic expense came to its rescue IN the
6sb, with Rlue resorting TO all kinds OF secret
mannuvres TO thwart his object, but aVoioihe'
as far as nossibIe. any open opposition 10
movement evidently in the public interest.