Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-11-05
Official Integrity.

In looking over the new platforms Of
| Democratic State Conventions the critic
will be surprised to find in each of them
| the same old charge Of official defalca-
tons under Republican administrations
After Investigations were demanded and
granted on the charges made against the
War and the Navy Departments with
the most satisfactory results, and after
a thorough examination of the books,
records, printing bureau, and money
vaults of the United States Treasury and
| sub-treasuries without discovering the
| loss of dollar that had not already been
officially reported and published to the
| world, the "ancient" Democracy must
| be hard pushed to find charges against
the party in power before they would re-
| new the exploded theme of official defal-
| cations and malfeasance. These com
mittees of investigation were appointed
| by Congress and were composed of Dem
| ocratic and Republican members, who
were offered every possible facility in
| the prosecution of their Investigations.
| On the committee investigating the
| Treasury Department were two promi-
nent bankers, who were supposed to lean
| strongly toward the Democratic side of
| the House. Yet they found not even a
minor irregularity" that had not al
ready been reported, and the defaulters
| arrested, tried, convicted and punished
| An official report of losses TO the Gov
| eminent by defalcations of officials was
| made by Mr.. Richardson, late Secretary
| of the Treasury, assisted by the Com
| missioners of Internal Revenue and Gus
toms, the Comptroller of the Currency,
and the United States Treasurer, each
| basing his report on the records and
books of his bureau. The result is as
| follows
From the statement of the Commits
| sioner of Internal Revenue, comparing
total receipts of the Office for the three
years from March 3, 1869, to March 3,
| 1872, with the portion of the receipts
| that had not then been paid into the
| Treasury, as per schedule furnished, it
| appeared that the cash balances out
standing against late Collectors of Inter
nal Revenue during that period amounted
| to somewhat less than one-tenth of per
per cent. Of the amount paid into the
| Treasury. The Commissioner added,
and the books Of the Office sh ow that his
! statement has been very nearly verified
| that " of the latter amount it is estimated
that not less than four will event
ually be paid either by the parties them
selves or by their suretles, reducing the
| ultimate loss to the Government, during
| the period mentioned, to less than one
| fiftieth Of per cent, or less than So in
| $4,000"
According to the statement from the
| books and records of the Commissioner
of Customs, showing the amount of
money collected from customs for the
period of two years and three-fourths of
year. from the 1st of April, 1869, to the
31st of December, 1871, compared with
the balances outstanding against officers
engaged in the collection of customs
during the period mentioned, the latter
is about one-fifty. fifth part of per cent.
of the former. The estimated ultimate
loss to the Government was one-two.
hundredth part of per cent, or less than
S. in 100000.
The Comptroller of the Currency fur
nished schedule of all the national
banks that had failed during the three
! years from June l, 1869, to June /, 1922