Evening star., 1920-02-29
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN
THE STAR.

A scandal developed in Congress
fifty years ago regarding the alleged
sale of West Point
Scandal Over cadetships by mem
o- bers OF the House. In
Oaaetsnps. The Star of February
21. 1870. IL the following news note
regarding the matter:
'"The military committee took i'm
portant action at their meeting today
ON the subject of the sale Of cadet
ships. They reviewed all the evidence
ELECTED in the case of Congressman b.
F. whittemore of South Carolina. and
were unanimous in agreeing that ho
was guilty Of the charges alleged
against him. Mr.. whittemore's own
admissions showed that he had dis
posed Of q cadetship for a certain sum
of money In view OF this fact. the
committee agreed to report a reselu-
ton to the House recomme ending that
Mr.. whittemore be expelled from Con-
gress. The resolution will probably be
reported to the House during this
afternoon.
"Ex-Congressman J. H. sypher ar-
peared before the military committee
this morning and asked leave to ex
anime the testimoy Of Mr.. E. p.
Brooks. duplicating him in the pro-
granted, and after examining IL he
declared that it was exaggerated IN
many respects. but he did not deny
the main facts. He will have Brooks
subpoenaed again and will cress-ex-
anime him. Brooks claims to have let
ters from ]. r. Sypher. brother Of ].
H: Sypher. regarding tho matter.
which he win not print at present, but
which sustain his assertion. He also
says that he never had any acquaint-
cept that which they sought them
selves. and that he always treated
! them as he would any ono else who
had merchandise for sale.
Gen. Logan and the other members
OF the committee announced their pur-
pose to prosecute the Investigation
without fear or favor and to report in
favor Of expulsion in all cases where
guilt is established. Thus far twelve
members Of the present and tho For
| ties have been testified against, and
against several Of them the evidence
| seems to be very direct and damag-
ing:
Some of the parties implicated
ground that it 10 no worse to sell ca
detships than IL is to sell public docu-
ments, and that the latter has been
practfced from time immemorial by
members Of Congress.
| Hope for the utilization of the Poto.
mac water power was urgently ex-
! pressed fifty years ago.
Potomac when it was recognized.
p.-, we'll in advance Of the de-
! ve1opment Of electricity.
that from that source would come the
most valuable service. In The Star
Of February 81. 1870. is this editorial:
| In a debate on District affairs I'm
the Senate the other day two or three
Of the senator's expressed the opinion
that the growth and prosperity of
Washington could be assured SO well
in no other way as by making the
immense water power Of the Potomac
available. This is the idea we have
endeavored to urge more than once.
What we need of all things is to Gre
ate business here, so that our entire
population shall not be entirely de-
pendent for support upon the govern
mental machine. Unless we do have
some Independent business and en-
ployment beyond that furnished by
the government the city of Washing
ton has very nearly reached It's
mental business is not likely to in
crease very materially for many
years. unless we should have another
large war (Which is a luxury the
country will hardly indulge in merely
less we should 60 into the annexation
business on a scale to bring in a score
or more Of states. But Uncle Sam is
| not annexing as much as he was, and
ft, It viii probably be so very far in the
! future before we take in Canada and
South America that the present gem
Grafton of Washington business men
| VIII hardly count much upon the
chickens to be Matched from those un-
laid eggs.
That the water power Of the Poto-
| mac, now running to waste At our
! doors. will be utilized before many
years there can be no doubt. The
manufacturers Of the north are even
| now obliged to eke out their water
Supply y.,5 5y expensive purchases of
from their mills, and 1t is certain as
anything can be that superb water
power like ours, at the head of tide
water navigation and adjacent to the
District cities and Alexandria, only
forty miles from Baltimore, and on
the line OF direct canal communication
with the best coal for manufacturing
purposes in the country. and many
hundreds Of miles nearer the cotton
supply than the mills of the north; it
is. we say. as certain as anything can
be that this magnificent water power
In its unrivaled advantages Of posi-
ton. will before long be brought into
use. But cannot we develop the de-
sired contamination.
Instead of waiting for northern
capitalists to take the thing in hand.
let US develop our own Spragues,
Browns. Hills and Bateses. our citi-
zens have shown the ability to sub
scribe a million or two Of dollars for
an international exposition. This
same amount put into manufacturing
enterprises would create a means of
permanent prosperity for the District
that IL the exposition enterprises
should be nipped in the bud through
the failure Of Congress to give q prop
er charter, the money subscribed for
it. or an equivalent subscription, be
devoted to the noble work Of start
tomac. Any dozen. or score. or nifty
or hundred gentlemen. who would
undertake this work may count on an
honorable immortality as the crea-
tors of a self-respecting. independent
existence for the people Of Washing
ton."
Much feeling was manifested
throughout the country half q CEN
tury ago on the
Division of Utah score Of the
Proposed. monism and the
practice Of polygamy in the Mormon