The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-07-09
The Honesty of Government Officials.

The Honesty of Government Officials.
There is no doubt that an exaggerated
impression Of the amount annually lost
to our Government by the defalcation of
its officials is prevalent in the commune
ty, to the great detriment not only of the
national honor, but of confidence in indi-
vidual integrity. The occasional instan.
ccs Of fraud are made much of. They are
viewed from party standpoint, and con-
stitute the unfailng capital of whatever
party chances to be out of Office. Ban
died about from one stump orator to an
other, they are given gigantic proportions;
and the simple folk who put faith in cam.
paign speeches are grieved to find how
very many bad men there are in office.
Such being the case, it is pleasant
duty to make public certain statements
concerning the actual condition of affairs.
from which it appears that the govern
ment books present quite as clean a rec
ord as those of the best managed and
most vigilantly guarded business house in
the country. In reply to inquiries ad-
dressed to the Treasury Department by
E. II Derby, Esq, of this city, who is
preparing to attend the Congress of Sta.
tisticians at St. Petersburg, Mr.. Richard
son, Acting Secretary Of the Department
furnishes the figures relative to defaca-
tions and losses in the Bureau of Inter.
nal Revenue, of the Customs and of the
Treasury, and also relative to losses By
depositors in the National Banks. As
the anti Administration orators are be-
ginning to run short of ammunition, thus
early III the campaign, they will most as.
ouredly welcome an authoritative state
meut Of these gigantic frauds that have
been perpetrated on an unsuspecting peo-
pie By corrupt and INSCRIPTIONS Adj
ministration.
The report Of the Commissioner OF In.
tcrnal Revenue for the three years from
March 3, 1869, to March 3, 1872, shows
the amount Of cash balances outstanding
against late Collectors Of the Revenue
during that period to be one tenth of one
per cent of the amount paid into the
Treasury. Or this amount it is estima
ted that tour-fitths will eventually be
paid. either by the parties themselves. OIL
their suretles; reducing the ultimate loss
to the Government TO less than onc.fifti
eth Of one per cent, of the amount collec
ted, or less than two dollars in ten thou
sand.
In the department of Customs the es
timated ultimate loss to the Government
is S5S,0OO ont Of S553,0O0.000 ofNcol
lections, for the period of two and tire,
fourth years from April |, 1869. to De
combcr 81, 1871; or one two-hundredth
of one per cent, fraction less than fiv,
dollars in one hundred thousand.
One schedule furnished by the Com.
ptroller of the Currency covers the thre,
years from June l, 1899 to June ] 1872
and gives the losses to creditors through
the insolvency of national banks during
that period. The average annual loss fo
this period was s30,907 20. On The bash
that the deposits averaged S574,300,000
the ratio Of annual loss to the deposition.
is l-lS9 of one per cent, or SIS 3.S il
100000.
The statement of the United State!
Treasurer shows the total amount oil
money entries on the books of the Treas
ury, for the eleven and one.half year.
from June so, lS90,to January Q. 1872
to have been somewhat in excess of fifty
five thousand millions of dollars, and thai
the loss during this period was little
more than fiity-ive thousand dollars. thi.
loss being less than one ten thonsandth
part of one per cent, or less than one
dollar in one million. Bosom Jo7trno1