The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-03-29

| BY reference 10 Mr. henuall dnnual report LOT
1885, it will be seen that not only was the surplus
| of $SOO,OOO expended, but that he had been COM
PEELED to set aside mail service contracted for, on
account Of his inability to pay the demands upon
the Department, to the amount of $s349,64l. A
most extraordinary occurrence, truly. He says,
/" to avoid danger Of embarrassment from tho re-
cent check upon the revenue Of the Department,
retrenchments and suspensions of service have
been made to the amount of $349,64l." The
previous year he declared that no such measure
was contemplated, and that he had surplus Of
cash funds on hand of 100000.
From the extract above given, acknowledging
deficiency in the Post Office Department, it
would be inferred that the hostages for the year
ending June 80, 1888, had fallen off, but the fact
is otherwise. In the same report, it is shown
that the revenue for the year exceeded that of the
previous year about 100000, which, added to
the surplus of 100000 in hand, gave Mr.. Ken
dali cash funds to the amount of $960,OOO for the
year 1888, over and above the ordinary amount
of accruing revenue of that year. One can scarce
y believe that the Department was managed,
or so mismanaged, as to lead to such extraordi-
nary results in single year
What became Of all this money! Where did
it go! Upon what service was it expended! In
this very report, the fact appears that the expen-
diture of the Post Office, for the year ending the
3Oth June, 1888, exceeded that of the preceding
year to the amount of more than one million three
hundred thousand dollars! sum nearly equal
70 fbo ~
Both June, 1886, as reported by Mr.. Kendall him
SELF 1t is impossible to ascertain, from the re-
port ITSELF how this extraordinary sum was ex-
pended. So far from there being any increased
mail service to absorb this, that was actually less
than it was in 1887.
A friend has, however, put us in possession Of
one item of expenditure, denominated !" inciden-
tai expenditure" amounting in that year to the
extraordinary sum of $437,349 IS. This item
did not obtain place in the report, though it might
seem TO deserve very conspicuous one, if we es-
innate its Importance by its magnitude, or as CON-
pared with previous "incidental expenditures"
In his report of 1885, Mr.. Kendall says the !" in
cidental expenses amounted to $92924 90: the
previous year it was much less Thus it will be
seen, that during this unfortunate year, 1888, the
incidental expenses are swelled to an enor-
nous amount, and exceed those of 1885 more
than three hundred and forty -four thousand dollars
This item of "incdental expenditures was
omitted by Mr.. Kendall in his annual reports SUBJ
sequent to 1885; and why Had it swollen too
rapidly to bear examination 1t is branch Of
expenditure subject to the exclusive direction Of
the Postmaster General, and may be considered
as his secret service fund, and might be used for
political objects, if that officer had not sufficient
integrity and moral honesty to resist such
temptation to use power and money in aid Of party
movements, as every body knows Amos Kendall
has. Certainly his integrity is proof against any
such temptation. But one fact is undeniable:
that under Mr. Van Burens administration the
expenditures under the head of incidental ex.
penditures'' exceeded that under Gen. Jackson's
administration by more than million of dollars.
We leave it to those who use the money to rem
der an account of it, and call upon them to do
Is it at all wonderful that, with such an admin
istration of the Post Office Department, with the
| bung-hole of " Incidental Expenditures wide
| open, the Department became bankrupt, and that
an appropriation of half million of dollars from
the Treasury became necessary to relieve it from
debt when the Wings came into power! And
yet this honest Amos is laboring with as much
assiduity and zeal to raise from the dead the adj
ministration of Mr.. Van Buren, as hyena labors
to dig up corpse. We mistake the people eyre
giousy, if they have any desire to see that rotten
stinketh," not being in very good odor even four
years ago, when there was majority of l45,O0O
against it.
A COMPLIMENT TO Mr.. ADAMs.-The New
Haven Herald describes beautiful ivory cane,
intended as present to John Quincy Adams.
The staff is from the mandatory of Messrs. Ju-
in Pratt ~ Co nf Moridon cd of