Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-17
Iowa Congressman Vigorously
Opposed Attempt to Put
Unworthy Claim Thru
ARMY CONTRACT FRAUDS AIRED
Report of Investigation Commission
Showed Such Gross irregularities
That Lincoln Had Them Suppressed
Because of Disheartenins Effect They
Would Have on the People.

Washington, Jan. 1.-THE house de-
voted the day to private war claims
passing about twenty. The two feat
ures of the day We're the defeat of a
claim by b. f. Moody & Company, OF
keokuk, Iowa, for the payment of the
amount deducted from their contract
for furnishing equipment TO the Third
Iowa cavalry by the famous commits
sion which unearthed the army con-
tract frauds in st. Louis in 1863, and
the fight Of Mr.. Payne, the floor leader
resolution to refer ninety southern
claims, aggregating 100000, for steers
and supplies taken by the union army
during the civil war to the court of
claims for finding of fact under the
Tucker act. The former bill Ned to
a lively controversy between the Iowa
members, Messrs. Smith and Hedge.
Mr.. Hit of Illinois, the chairman of
the foreign affairs committee, was the
Stenographer of the commission and
was able personally to corroborate Mr..
Hedge in his opposition to the bill. The
combination in favor of the omnibus
claims restitution was too strong for
Mr.. Payne, but on the final vote the
quorum failed. AS the previous ques-
ton has been ordered the vote on the
adoption Of the resolution will be the
first thing In order on the next claims
day.
The bill of Moody & Company, of
Keokuk, Iowa, which caused the con-
troversy today, was for $S,446 balance
due under contract for the equipment
of the Third cavalry during the civil
war. In the course of the debate some
sensational chapters in the history of
the alleged army contract frauds in
st. Louis were exploited. The original
amount of the claim was $4,000, but
it was scaled down to ss,446. Smith,
of Iowa, contended that the claim was
just, the contract having been executed
under the authority Of General John
C. Fremont.
Hedge, of Iowa, denounced the claim
with vigor, attracting the attention OF
the entire house. He impeached it first
on the ground of its being allowed
to slumber thirty years without being
presented to Iowa, and then took up
the investigation of all the alleged
frauds in the ST. Louis department. IN
1862. He declared the famous COM
mission of David Davis, Hugh Camp
bell and Joseph Holt had scaled mill
lions upon millions off army contracts.
one of which was that OF Mody &
Smpany and that Fremont had been
superseded because of fntolerable con-
ditions found to exist.
1.-THE report OF the committee he
said. was never printed, because Lin
coin believed it's revelations would
make the people despair"
II have that record here" said Smith,
raising package of papers yellow
with age.
But 1t was never printed" persisted
Hedge. 1T would not have been adj
visable to print it." Then Hedge called
on Mr. Hit, chairman of the commit
tee Of foreign affairs. to bear out his
testimony. Mr.. Hit having been stem
ographer to the st. Louis commits,
sion.
Mr.. Hit corroborated Hedges state
ment. saying that the report which
Smith had displayed had been written
by his own hand. He told of the gil
gantic frauds unearthed in that inves-
tigation. and of the unwillingness of the
authorities to permit the complete story
to become public owing to the dis
heartening effect it might produce.
The house voted the bill down 80 to