Madison Whig advocate., 1839-05-11

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this report, 10 which wish to call vour
attention, is, that the deficit of Mr..
Swartwout al the end of each successive
year was as follows:
On the 31st Dec. 1880. S622 81
On the 31st Dec. 1881, I.I68 81
| On the 31st Dec. 1889. 3O.8OI g
On the 31st Dec 1888. 35.298 81
On the 3lst Dec. 1884. 5O.37O O4
On the 3lst Dec. 1885, I37.O61 6g
| On the 31st Dec. 1886, 336.7I8 90
| On the 31st Dec. 1897, I.OI6,955 32
On the 28th Mar 1888, f.225.7O5 80
| Thus it is nolc officially reported by
Mr.. Woodbury. in 1888, who was him
self Mr.. Secretary at the head of the
Treasury Department in December 1886,
when the certificate was given, that then.
at the rery date of the Presidential GER
tlficate Of honesty and probity, ability
and integrity, Mr. Swartwout's deficit
was S336,7I8 69!!! So much for the
''integrity'' of the chief officer of the
custom-house- at New York. While |
was denounced for insinuating even a
breath of suspicion that any one of the
Presidents pets was impure, here was
the officer in receipt of customs at the
very 1ood-gate of duties-the very en-
porium Of commerce, embezzling public
money to the tune Of S336,OOO! And
was he alone a dcfaulter? Was il at the
receipt of customs alone that the public
money was purloined? No, Sir. Other
Judases held the other bags. The re-
ceiUerS at the land offices, too, were at
the same date equally in default, morally
and in pecuniary point of view. There
were tens and ftties Of cases even worse
III moral turpitude, though less in amount
of dollars and cents, than the case of
SwartwOut, as | will show directly by
House document No. 297, dated March
3Oth, 1888, containing the official cores
pondence of Mr.. Woodbury. with re-
ceivers, and the reports of commission
ers upon the ''cOndiiOn' of their Offices
a document which shows dcfaulting re-
celvers were as numerous as land offices
themselves. | did not knOlc of these
cases then; no one had heard a whisper
of the defalcations of a single one of the
long list which is now reported. All
was then kept quietly and snugIy con-
cealed in the dark chamber of Mr..
WoodDury's secret cabinet. | did not
knoac, but, in Yankee phrase, | '.guesSed"
a great deal, though not half Of what
is since told.
To return to my history. | challeng-
ed the opportunity of inquiry and inyes-
tigation, and not until the 18th day Of
January, 1887, the session necessarily to
expire on the 4th of March, it was
granted-grudgingly, delusively, hypo-
critically, 1t is true, but 1t was granted.
Now, let us see what then were the
doctrines and practices of the Admins
tration, of the President. of the heads of
Departments, of the Speaker of this
House, of the committee appointed by
him, Of the House itself, and the whole
party, touching the rights and powers
and duties of investigating the official
abuses and corruption IN the Govern
ment?
Sir, the whole party, fom the Presi-
dent down to y0u. sir, resorted to every
device to evade, and finally defied and
all inquiry and all investi- |
CATION. You all attempted 10 tell the cati
You warned the rats. You hid them. |
After ostensibly giving full scope in the
resolution of inquiry, to gull the People |
with fair pretensions, you shut the doors |
Of the Departments; you silenced all re-
and interrogatories in the com
mittee rooms!
On the 18th day of January, 1897, the |
House of Representatives passed the
resolution:
"ReS0lred, That so much of the Pre-
sident's Message as relates to the "con-
lition of the various Executive Depart
nents. the ability and integrity with
which they have been conducted, the vi
giIant and faithful discharge of the pub
ic business in all of them, and the causes
IF complaint, from any quarter, at the
manner in which they have fulfilled the
objects of their creation" be referred to
| select committee of nine members,
With power to send for persons and pa
Ders, and with instructions to inquire into
he condition of the various Executive
the ability and integrity
With which they have been conducted,
nto the manner in which tha public bu-
,iness has been discharged in all of
hem. and into all causes of complaint,
rom any quarter, at the manner in which
;aid Departments, or their bureaus or
,ffices, or anv of their officers or agents
# every description whatever, directly
" indirectly connected with them in any
manner, officially or unofficially, in du-
les pertaining to the public interest,
lave fulfilled or failed TO accomplish the
objects of their creation, or have violated
heir duties. or have injured and impaired
he public service and interest; and that
aid committee, in its inquiries, may re-
er to such periods of time as TO them
nay seem expedient and proper"
The committee appointed by you, sir,
vas constituted thus: Mr.. Wise, Mr..
'earce, of r. l., Mr.. Muhlenberg, Mr..
Mr.. Hannegan, Mr.. Parks, Mr..
Mr.. Mann, of n. Y, and Mr.. I
clancy.
Sir good liege men and true, to three
n favor of investigation! Thus consti-
uted--stocked, the committee went TO
work, proceeded with its task until the
Id day of March, 1887, and on that day
three va n have been