Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1881 — JOHN SHERMAN. [ARTICLE]

JOHN SHERMAN.

The Testimony in the Pitney Investig&tion He Did Not Want Shown— When You are Secretary is a Good Time to Build a Barn. The Washington Sunday Gazette, in its comments upon the Treasury investigation, and upon the action of the Senate in refusing to call for the testimony, publishes what follows : The following is a part of the sworn testimony of the investigation as to how houses and stables were repaired : Work done by me (W. Paul Brown) in Government time, and paid for by the Government, while employed in the United States Treasury Department: By order of Mr. Frank Hessler, worked May 15, 16, 17, 18, 1878, on Secretary Sherman s stables, in Stanton alley. Charged to the Third Auditor’s Office. Making six large doors for Secretary Sherman. Charged to Second Auditor’s Office. June 13, 14, 1878—Working on Secretary Sherman’s stables. Charged to Supenntendent’s Office. July 6, 1878-Working on Secretary Sherman’s stnhleH. Charged to Organization Division. July 15, 1878—Working on Secretary Sherman’s stables. Charged to Register’s Office. Aug. 29, 1878 —Working two-eighths of a day on Secretary Sherman’s house, and twenty feet of sat>h cord. Charged to Bureau of StaWorking five-eighths of a day on Secretary Sherman’s house. Charged to Register’s Office. Working five-eighths of a day on Secretary , Sherman’s stables. Charged to the Register’s Office. September, 1878—Working six-eighths of a day on Secretary Sherman's house. Charged to National Bank Redemption Agency. September, 1878—Working five-eighths of a day on Secretary Sherman’s house. Charged to Register’s Office. Oct. 17, 1878 -Working four-eighths of > day on Secretary Sherman’s stables. Charged to Marine Hospital. Oct. 31,1878— Working three-eighths of a day on Secretary Sherman's house. Charged to Register’s file-room. Nov. 9, 1878 —Working three-eighths of a day at Secretary Sherman’s house. Charged to making drawing-boards for Supervising Architect’s Office. Nov. 18, 1878 —Working five-eighths of a day on Secretary Sherman’s house. Charged to making drawing-boards for Supervising Architect’s Office. Jan. 11, 1878—Working one-eighth of a day on Secretary Sherman’s stable, repairing drain spout. Charged to National Bank Redemption Agency. June 5, 1879—Making and fitting fly-screens for stable windows and doors. Charged to National Bank Redemption Agency. June 6, 1879—Working four-eighths of a day, repairing doors for manure-pits for Secretary Sherman. Charged to Marino Hospital. This W. Paul Brown also swore that he had done a great deal of which he kept no account, but for which he was similarly paid. His wages were $3 per day now. I will follow this by a letter regarding the Superintendent of the cabinet-shop, Frank Hessler, who directed Brown to do the work, just particularized, on Sherman’s house aud stable :

April 19, 1881.—In the spring of 1879 I made an affidavit against Frank Hessler, the present Superintendent of the cabinet-shop, to the Secretary of the Treasury, aud by him referred to the Chief Clerk for investigation, the charges being the taking of lumber belonging to the United States Government for his own private use at home without permission, and for using the time belonging to the Government for his own interest, and for having keys by which he would enter the hardware-room after the (then) Superintendent had left the bui’ding in the evening. Said affidavit had been read to the said Hessler in my presence, and that of the Superintendent of Buildings, which he acknowledged to be true. C. M. Miller. There was considerable testimony taken like that I lave instanced, but you won’t find any reference to it in the Meline report, and accompanying letters from Upton and Power. I think you now comprehend why such strenuous efforts were made to prevent the Senate from asking Mr. Windom to produce the tettimony. The flood of lively comment, however, has caused Sherman’s offering a resolution directing an investigation into the treasury contingent fund for a period of ten years past. He wanted it referred to the Committee on Finance. Good old, honest, precedent-hunting Senator Morrill is its Chairman. There never was anything more adroit. It is expected by this investigation to prevent another of broader scope. Even this narrow inquiry may be broken down under astute manipulation long before it reaches the hazy period. Mr. Sherman does not appear to advantage in all this. The resolution showing “how tc investi gate” deceives nobody.

Esthetic Stealing* in the Navy Yard. It is reported that petty abuses and stealings have been discovered at the navy yard here similar to the operations of Pitney with the contingent fund of the treasury. The story is that a magnificent set of furniture has been made in the cabinet shops at the navy yard, which was packed in boxes marked ‘ ‘ private property,’’and forwarded tothe home of one of the navy officials on Lake Champlain, atacosttothe Government of $800; that 200 small bronze propellers have been cast at the foundry out of Government material, and 200 small bronze anchors from the same material, all of which were made from the screw of the Farragut flagship Franklin. Seven sac similes of the cast of the bronze head of Lincoln were taken. These have been given to political friends. The total expense of such fancy work is reported to be SIO,OOO. — dispatch.

An Ex-Confederate on Army Reunions. Judge M. R. Cullen, of St. Louis, recently addressed the following letter to the Globe-Democrat of that city: The St. Louis Republican erroneously stated that I was present at the meeting ot ex-Con-federates who anticipated attending the reunion at Moberly, Mo. As your paper circulates largely among ex-Con federates, not only of this State, but of other States, will you permit me briefly to give some of the reasons which control me when I refuse to join in these “reunions?” I know I will not be misunderstood by my old comrades when I disagree with some of them as to the propriety of having these social gatherings. My feelings are as warm for them, personally, now as when years ago we were mutual aids in a common effort. These sectional distinctive reunions of the Union soldiers and the ex-Confederates, in my humble judgment, tend to revive not only tha agreeable associations and memories of friends, but to revive the slumbering r.ud expiring fires of the hearts of enemies. It seems to me the sooner we of both sides bury in oblivion the causes of the late war, the passions engendeied by that strife, and tho sorrowful wrongs or resplendent glories (if any there can be on either side) connected with our mutual misfortunes, the better it will be individually and collectively for every man, woman and child in the State and nation. In those nations where each party, the victor and conquered, meet separately to glorify themselves, the spirit of hostility is kept alive and transmitted from sire to son for many, many long years and generations, and in place of peace and prosperity, eternal hato is tho national calamity. I believe these separate reunions on both sides, Union and ex-Confeder-ate, will be the source of more heart-bickerings at least than any other scheme that can be devised by cunning politicians. I was a Confederate. I have no apology to make for my conduct. lam proud of the record of that people, but I am now a citizen of the American Union, and I will not do any act to keep alive sectional ill-feehng. I am satisfied we injure the cause of emigration to our State and the cause of our friends in the North when we assemble merely as the repreu ntatives of the Lost Cause. Both sides can appropriate the large amount of money expended in these.

feasts more profitably by providing for the widows and orphans of the glorious dead, and for the relief of those unfortunate survivors who need assistance and a helping hand. I wish to see the day when the patriot’s tear that drops on the grave of the Confederate will trickle to the bier of the Union soldier, and the patriotic sigh for the Union soldier will echo from the tomb of the Confederate. Yours respectfully, M. R. Cullex, Formerly Colonel of Cavalry on Gen. Kirby Smith a Staff, C. 8. Army.