Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1920-09-16
WHERE CRITICISM FAILS.


republican slush fund Ito buy
the presidency" why not tell a
few things about democratic |
waste against the people. he
and his bunch need not fear
about anyone buying the presl-
dency. 1t was sold long ago and
they were the sellers. to the Am
erican people, who, by vote next
November, will deliver it to
whom they want, slush fund or
no slush fund.
Take the matter of democratic
waste in only two cases, VIZ,
the powder plants at Old Hickory
near Nashville and at Nitro, Va.
and the record surpasses any re-
publican slush fund ever charged.
And this was not buying the
presidency" but it was stealing
from the people in debauching
their money.
For instance the members OF
the News force subscribed mon
ey for bonds when it seemed that
the money was needed far more
for some other object. Millions
of people did the same thru the
same spirit of patriotism, VINO
needed the money they subscrib-
ed. as much as did the employees
on the News, tor home uses
They hated the war, but de-
termined to help win it. even II
it did take sacrifice. The News
office today has more machinery
in poor order than it ever had'
owing to the management taking
the money it should have spent
for repairs and placing it at the
disposal of the government TO
win an undesired and accursed
war. AS far as purchasing new
type it has been out of the cues
ton.
But to the tive powder plants
The following from the National
Republican tells the shameful
stories:
perhaps our most expensive
debauch was in the powder plant
Old Hickory, near Nashville
Tenn. On cost-plus basis, the
Dupont people built it, and il
cost $50. 900, 900.
Here, according to evidence
before the congressional investl
eating committee, there never
were more than half the hiret
employees at work at one time
1.-THE government was paying TIN
hill" and so there was no us'
to hurry or worry; new cope
wire and valves in the origina
packages were sold as junk; tw'
acre lots of first-class materla
were sold at junk prices; "a
car loads of good material
were sold for junk, two third
being bought by a Nashville jun
dealer whose brother was il
charge of the salvage lot, etc
In consequence, though costln'
$50, 900, 600. the Old Hickory ha
a salvage value of less than SlC
OOO,00
The administration built an
other powder plant at Nitro, "
Va 1t spent on this nearly $40
600. 900. 1t built another plan
at Perryville, Md, which cos
$4,000. 900. This profigate dis
sipation in powder plants is har
to understand.
We manufactured during tn
war in the United States 536
600. 600 pounds of powder. 9
these the DuPonts made Az
600, 900 pounds. We shipped l,
Europe 27O, 900, 600 pounds. II
two plants, Old Hickory and N
tro, were expected to manufac
ure l 500, 900 pounds per day, "
the DuPonts were already qua
ined to manufacture all the pow
der the United States needed
No reason for the erection {
these other plants on such pr
djgious scale can be found
At these plants cities wei
built with thousands of modei
homes beautifully constructed
vast waterworks, paved street
sewers, theaters and other place
REIMBURSEMENT. These mag
cites were not populated, o.
thew were built. At Nitro, Il
waterworks system was CO.. o.
.structed for q city of 6OO,U