The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1918-08-03
MORE REVELATIONS


predatory animals in the guise of human
beings, have secured the indictment OF
twenty-One individuals in New York on
charge of being implicated in the theft
of beef consigned to the United States
army. According to the story made pub
lie by the assistant United States attor-
ney the plan Of operation was for check
ers to tell foremen at the delivery depots
to give receipts to drivers for smaller
amount than had been loaded upon their
trucks, the excess being sold to butchers
who disposed of it at big profits. Had
the thieves kept within bounds and been
satisfied with comparatively small gains,
they would probably have escaped notice
but they went too far and their detection
was inevitable and the prison yawns for
them.
Many fortunes have been built up and
handed down to posterity at the expense
of the taxpayers of the country. This was
particularly true Of army contractors
of the civil war period and those who
flourished in the days OF reconstruction
which followed the close Of the struggle
between the states. The government was
gouged by day and by night, and the fell
ons, some Of them public officials, held
up their heads and unblushingly walked
the streets even when they were certain
their populations were well known. This
was due to the fact that these fellows had
powerful political connections and were
wealthy enough to put up long fight in
the courts if arrested, and very few of
them were convicted. The whole bust
ness of robbing the government became
~ q inlra ond who oh.
tanned certain kinds of contracts or were
appointed to certain federal positions ,ex.
pected to get rich by the quickest and
most direct methods, with no questions
asked.
We once heard story regarding the
manner in which the government was
swindled in supplying reservation In,
dams with beef. 1t was customary to
supply the wards of the government
with live cattle and let them do the butch
ing. So the contractor would drive the
herd to the reservation for delivery. The
agent of the government was supposed
to count the steers in order to prevent
Uncle Sam from being robbed. In some
eases it used to be said that the agent
would stand upon knoll while the cow
boys circled around it driving the cattle
ahead of them, the agent counting the
same steers as often as necessary to
make up the number called for in the
contract. The Indians finally exposed
the thefts, but we never heard of anyone
going to the penitentiary on account of
the exposure
History seems to be repeating itself,
now that the United States is again en-
gagged in war. One day we hear that
score or more of manufacturers have
been arrested for conserving to defraud
the government on contracts for supply
ing an army in Europe with raincoats,
and day or two later we read of the in
dictment Of another score of men for
stealing beef bought for the use Of the
American soldiers. And so it goes. The
agents Of the department of justice seem
to be alert and efficient enough to detect
the frauds. But mere exposure is not
enough. All the rascals, great and small,
who are caught stealing from the army
during this war, should be cast into pris-
on without delay, even if it is necessary
to suspend other matters before the
courts in order to insure prompt trial.
While the bravest and best of our
young men are either over the seas or