Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-02-15
The IOWA VOTER.
KNOXVILLE, IOWA.


The Washington correspondent oil
the New York TFgaes, in a fair review
/ OF President Grants Administration,
shows that more has already been
done for the cause Of civil service re-
form by President Grant than by any
Of his predecessors since the forma-
ton OF the Government. The De-
trcit Post makes a comprehensive
condensation Of the Times lengthy
showing, which We quote: "When
/ President Grant was inaugurated
/ the civil service was peryaded in
every part by corruption, incompe-
tency, and other abuses. Under
Andrew Johnson the service had be-
come notorious for its corruption and
ine.iciency. The officials, instead Of
attending TO their duties, were en-
gagged in plundering the public, and
trying to manufacture and set up a
tbread and-butter party" The
revenue which ought to have been
collected from the taxes on liquor
and tobacco, was hardly one-third
collected. The service was full Of
defauiters, bribe- takers, and thieves
of all kinds. And when criminals
were detected they were not pua-
ished. Counterfciters, illicit distil-
lers, defauIting officials and thieving
clerks were pardoned, if they CHANGED
to be convicted, in such numbers as
would have made the name Of An
drew Johnson odiouS, but that his
other and greater crimes and follies
cast these pardons into the shade.
President Grant took charge of the
service when it was rotten and cor
rupt all over and all through, and he
has so far purified it that the reve-
nues are now more strictly collected
and properly applied than ever be-
fore, and there are no abuses left in
service except such as it has inner
tied from the past, which he is now
trying to find a way to weed out.
Dcfalcations and embellishments
have almost ceased, and they have
entirely ceased to escape detection
and punishment. The Government
is holding its subordinatcs to a
stricter accountability than ever be-
fore, and every instance Of defalca-
ton or official irregularity is prompt
~ visited with punishment. The
records of the Department of Justice,
which show the number Of suits in
stitutcd, the number of indictments,
and of convictions obtained, prove
this conclusively.
The list of delalcations and embeZ-
element in the public service, kept
in the Office OF the Department OF
Justice, shows that the sum Of the
losses under President Grant Is
81 ,O97, 9C3.04. Under Andrew John
son just two NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. O
| Whitaker and Steadman-cOme t.
| 81 ,OG2, 1868, so that all the losses
under Grant are scarcely larger thar
Just two instances Of the many tina
occurred under Johnson. Further
the records show that threc-fourth:
of the losses under Grant were by
defalcations by officials left in Office
by Johnson, and who kept right OF
stealing quite while before Gran
had time to remove them all.
There have been suits instituted
against forty collectors of interna
revenue, these being all who were
found to be owing to the Govern
ment. The following is the recorC
of the forty:
amount Of In
! collected and
No. Of amt Of Unabatea
Collectors. Money. Ittres.
Appointed by
Lincoln...... 63,slO 3 2G3,22
Appointed by
Johnson. ...23 797,9G3 2,908,3G
Appointed by
Grant. ........10' 1885 3i2,Gl
The lesson enforced by these fort.
cases in litigation, thus condensed
aud classified, Is, that three-fourth
of the cases, four-flfths of the money
and nine-tenths of the uncollecteC
taxes, are tho inheritance Of previous
administrations, mainly Of Mr.. John
sons,
The list Of suits brought in behal
OF the Government against delin
quent taxpayers; for vioiationof thu
customs, shows that there was col
lected and paid into court, in 1868
Johnson's best year, sl27,slO.94
whereas, in 1871, under Grant, thu
amount was 1854 ,339.97.