New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-17
THE RESPONSIBILITY.

cpal officers of the Treasury to demonstrate
their own ignorance have been carried far
enough. Mr.. Richardson first satisfied the
Committee that he knew little or nothing OF
the business he pretended to conduct; that
he signed every paper which found its way
to his desk that he was mere creature OF
routine, who neither considered nor judged,
who originated nothing and revised nothing,
"a sort of animated stamping machine useq
merely to give currency to the documents
prepared by unknown clerks. Mr.. Sawyer
protested to be as ignorant as his chief,
"A mere ornamental appendage to the
Department, whose only duty 1t
was to respectfully refer" papers
to Solicitor Banfeld, and put his name to
the orders which the Solicitor prepared for his
signature Mr.. Banfield insisted that he was
nothing but the Department lawyer, who took
his instructions from the Secretary or the AS
sistant, and prepared the papers according to
their wishes. For time Baniield and Saw
yer tossed the burden of responsibility back
and forth with considerable briskness and as
both seemed to have rather warm tempers
and o commendable readiness to free their
minds before the Committee, the prospects of
fair. until the two gentlemen suddenly turned
about and deposited the whole load of blame
upon the back of the PROSTATE Mr.. Richard
son-which as the Secretary has declared that
he shall make no further statements to the
Committee, certainly seems prudent.
Now in spite of the ugly suggestions in the
testimony of Sanborn, Simmons, Hawlcy, and
the rest, we are quito willing to assume, IL
Mr.. Richardson will have it so, that he signed
or authorized the contracts without under
standing them, and allowed the business to
run on in complete ignorance of its character.
Well then, il that is the case, Mr.. Richardson
is not the kind OF person the people of the
| United States want for Secretary of the Treas
ury. If he does not supervise nor even un-
derstand impOrtanti operations OF his own
Department, if he does nothing bit sign
his name, his price is altogether too
high The Sanborn contract was not q
little matter of routine that could run along
from room to room, from clerk to secretary,
from secretary to solicitor, without attracting
anybody's notice. 1t was an affair that in
volved several millions of dollars. 1t inter
fered with the regular working of the
machinery Of the revenEle. 1t called for ex-
| traOrdnary appointments ana inc exercise OF
| special powers. Some of its details were set
tied in personal interviews between Mr.. Rich
ardson and the various persons concerned in
it. We can only say that if the Secretary was
| ignorant of what was going on under these
circumstances he must be much too dull a
man for the place he now holds.
There are rumors in Washington from time
| to time that the President intends to remove
Mr.. Richardson. There are rumors equally
numerous that the Presidents confidence in
Mr.. Richardson is unmpaired. Neither story
is Of much consequence. Until the investiga-
ton is closed and the report is presented,
Gen. Grant, of course, has no official opinion
| to express. But it can do no harm to remind
the Committee that any further inquiry into
the comparative ignorance of the Secretary,
the Assistant Secretary, and the Solicitor is a
waste of time. Whatever facts they can elicit
we shall be thankful for; the responsibility
for the scandal is already fixed upon the Sec
rotary, and the attempt to show that he did
not know what he was doing is only de-
Tense of his integrity at the expense of his
understanding.