How Grant Re-elected Himself

Important and trustworthy evidence directly implicating the President of the United States in an illegal and corrupt use of the public money was taken lust week before the Congressional Committee on the Department of Justice, and comes f rom no less a person than an exmember of his Cabinet, ex-Atty. Gen. George H. Williams, and who, in fact, shields his illegal conduct behind the written order of the President. In a word, it involves the payment out of the Secret Service fand, by order of Grant, of $32,000 to aid in cirrying the elections in the city of New York in the years 1871, '72 and '75. All of this money was paid to the notorious John I. Davenport, who was Ohief Supervisor nnder the Enforcement act, but who does not receipt for it in a single instance as an officer of the Government, but simply as " John I. Davenport." Ia one instance he merely gives his own due bilí for a payment. The paymeuts made to hiin in his official capaeity are fll duly ieceipted and audited in the trensury and are correct and forra a legal account. This corruption fund for election purposes was gobbled froni the Secret Service fund. Atty, Gen. Williams says he was first called upon to pay Davenport $G,000 in 1871. He hesitated to use the public money in that way, and called upon the President who, af ter a brief conversation, ordered its payment by a writícn order. In the f all of 1872, when the last Presidentiai election was held, 820,000 was ordered to be paid Davenport, the Attorney-general testifying that in each instance he received the verbal order of the President before turning over the money. Last fall $6,000 more were paid. When Williams half remonstrated against the largest payment for the ekctiou in 1872, when Grant ran against Greeley, the President said : "Davenport is engaged in a great work up thore. He raust have tho money." When pressed by the corrupt and illegal uc of this fund the general evaded and dodged and seemed reluctant to teil, tliough not 83 willing aftér all to protect the President. This corruption fund was paid on the order of the President to Whitely, and by the latter to Davenport. Whitely produced to the committee Davenport's vouchers for every ent, and Williams corroborated him in that and in other respects."