Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-08-02
From the National IntelIigencer
TREASURY DRAFTS.

| TREASURY DhAflS,
On the principle Of fairness which
we endeavor to act on towards all me,
and all parties, we give give place 70
the following note
WASHINGTON, July 10, 1887.
Gentlemen: | observe in your paper
of this morning an article stated to be
derived from "a citizen Of the pures'
character" with an editorial comment.
airy, containing errors Of principle anc
fact, which require correction.
The salaries of the officers of the
Government are not fixed by law to be
paid in notes Of the Bank Of the Me.
tropolis, or in bank notes of the Dis.
trict of Columbia, but in gold and sill.
yer or their equivalent; they being the
only legal currency Of the U. States.
Every officer and clerk in the service
of the Government has perfect, legal
and moral right to be paid in that cur
rency, and they suffer wrong when
paid IN any thing else Of less Value
The Secretary of,he Treasury, having
been deprived by the stoppage of the
banks of the means Of making immedi-
ate payment in the legal currency, has
done the most he could to enable the
public creditors to obtain their just
dues, by receiving his protested war
rants in payment of debts due to the
United States. Rather than receive
payment in the current notes Of the
District, or not receive it at all many
Of the officers and clerks in the Post
Office Department, and other Offices,
have requested to receive Treasury
Drafts, with the view of getting as
nearly as possible the amount justly
due TO them.
The highest price given for these
drafts in this "mart" has been six per
cent. premium in District paper, which
is at a discount Of ten per cent, still
saddling upon the clerks loss of four
per cent. Of their just dues. Believing
the drafts could be exchanged on bot
ter terms elsewhere, and public credit.
ors paid more nearly the amount actu.
ally due them, visited New York,
about the close Of last month, on be-
half Of some OF my fellow clerks, to
make arrangements for that purpose.
The result was that they realized about
y per cent. in District paper, still re-
ceiving less than was due TO them by
about p per. cent.
Your citizen Of the purest charac-
ter" has mis.stated one fact, probably
considered the most important in his
communication. The Postmaster Ge-
neral received has months salary as uSu-
al, in a check Of $500 on The Bank Of
the Metropolis. He approved the eff:
tort of the clerks to obtain as near their
legal dues as they could, but he wuiv.
ed his own right in that respect alto
gether. He doubtless knew too wei
how prone many citizens Of the pu-
rest character" are to misunderstood
and misrepresent all his actions, how.
ever just, to put it in their power to dc
so in this instance. He is content &c
receive every month some $50 les,
than his just dues, to place hmsel
above imputation of sordid motive il
any public transaction.
have to request that in justice tc
the Postmaster General as well as thu
clerks in the public Offices, who desir,
nothing which the law does not gran
them, you will give a place TO THU
communication in tho lntelligenccr.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
S. KENDALL, Jr.,
Pay Agent, &c
AS the writer of the above admits
the main fact alleged by our cores
pendent, his article might be permitted
to pass without comment. We will
merely say, however, that no one ha:
denied the right Of the clerks to get al
they can for their claims on the Urea.
sury. The material question present.
ed by the article in our last paper, and
that which we would ask the public to
consider, is the character Of those mea
sures OF the administration, by which
the debtors and creditors of the Gov.
eminent have been placed on a foot.
ing of such gross injustice. Let us ex.
empIliy Tive find by the official list
that the writer of the above is a clerk
in the Post Office Department, at a sa.
larry OF l4OO dollars. 1t appears by
his own showing, that for his claim OF
l4OO no can get 1900 dollars, in cur.
rent bank notes, which answer all the
purposes Of money in the ordinary
transactions of business. Nov, if a