New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-27
THE CIVIL SERVICE ~ THE PENSION
OFFICE

GEN BAKER TELLS TIE DIFFICULTIES OF KIDDING
THE ROLLS or sINECUREs-TwO YEARS SALARIES
FOR TEN SHEETS OF wRrrING-THE DISCHARGED
CLERKS PREFER CHARGES AGAINST THE COMMLo-
SIONER--UIs REPLY.
The reply OF Gen. Baker, the Commissioner
OF Pensions to the accusations recently preferred
AGAINST him. was laid before Speaker Blaine on Thurs
d,v While asking such Investigation OF the aeseu
oaenses az the good the public service may require
the Commissioner Accompanies the request with spe-
cia statement of the circumstances which, he says have
Insured the charges and general answcrto the ch1rges
themselves Ihey asserts from the performance
or u perfectly plain aud imperative duty Whlch brought
upon him tho anim0sty Of Helen W. Barnard, H. D.
Hinton and others. the first OF whom preferred the
cboroes Helen NJ Barnard "the. only drJne IN the
pension hive" was appointed 10 position in the Fifth
AUDITORS the Treasury 10 1s69and was dismissed
Dee g. 1862 the recommendation OF the Auditor FOR
general 'wortblessne5s and mischef-mahng' SIC was
appointed a cOpyIst in the Pension once, July !,
1871. as from the First District of illinois,
She never reported the Pension Ohice for
duty; and rs several other cOpyss also aOsentei them
selves an order issued ordering all such persons to
report nc the Oii"e, COPY OF which was served on
Mrs Barnard She dsregarded it, and only came to
draw her pay, while work was sent TO her was
80 poorly written and badly spelled that was found
necessary to recopy it in the Office. This confined for
two years during which time Mrs. Barnard daily occu-
pied during the session of Congress seat III the re-
porters' gallery in the House and regularly drew her
nav from the office. until Gen. Baker succeeded IN
getting the case the Secretary, who had her dismissed
The work she performed during that time consisted OF
N sheets of so names EACH carelessly done TO be
worthless Her discharge not the only grievance she
had against the Commissioner. Her brother L. O. Bar
nard was also dismissed from the Pension ONCE at the
request OF Gen Baker for prolonged absence without
his consent Nnetyelgnt days OF this time he pa sed IN
ia under committa for contempt Of court Gen Baker
"a - gilan
service under the National Republican COmpttee
during the campaign of 1872, and her claiming ana re-
celyng commission abroad, last summer, to in
spect the accommodations for steerage passengers on
ocean steamers; but during the FORMER poFou' ~ eaS
she was I'm Government pay.
J. Hinton the other party to this attack was trans
ferred from the Census Bureau 20 the Pension Office,
Jan l. 1s72 For two previous he had drawn full
pay from the former ofce without doing days work,
70 receive the enolGmon Which he never attempted to
earn. Gen. Baker says that he hnally succreied IN
striking linton the rolls and that he has been per
sstrutly assailed by him siuce I'm every paper TO
which he could get During the time that Hutton
was in office he was the REGULAR correspondent OF
several papers and III said, Clerk OF House Com
mittoe. Wliie he was ON the pay roll OF Toe PehSion
Bureau he was also Secretary at Washington OF the M.
tonal Republican Committee during the CAMPAIGN OF
1872 engaged IN writing editorials for country
newspapers, III franking documents, &c.
since the publication OF the Commissioners statement
Hinton has made an affidavit IN which he aulrms
that he placed ON the rolls of the aoresaii Pen
son Oice temporary clerk at salary OF s2OO on
account political and clerical services lie was render
Ing Secretary OF the republican Resident EAteauve
Committee during the whole OF the State election OF
1871, ana throughout the last Presidential campaign
that the placing or his name on such rolls was against
his own judgment and ncHnatiOni that u
was done according to the best OF his knowledge ana
belief the knowledge ana consent Of the secretary
OF the Interior and through the efforts OF James NJ
munds Senator Chandler, and eNSecretary Harlan, and
that time of the deponents name being so placed
the Iact very well known TO the active Republican
managers residing IN the city including the aiVFesiu
Commissioner (Bakerl himself
TIE last member Of this curious combination II IT, l.
Elliott formerly irstcass clerk In the Pension once,
who was convicted OF turning his position To pecunary
profit by collision with certain claim agents OF virginia
and after confession OF his crimes dismissed on the
20th January last. These persons have banded Them
selves together the Commissioner says 20 destroy us
reputation; they have flooded every locality IN when
he resided with etters inquirlng as to every ACT OF
gain material for accusations against hlm
The charges themselves are then taken up. Inc tOu
missioner urges defense OF his military career which
ship and confidence OF ChiefJustlce Chase Senators
Schurz Sherman Ramsey, WINDOW, and others In re
butta OF particular charge that there are papers on
file the War Department affecting his integrity AS an
officer In connection the OF the United states
against bridge burners he submits letter from Adj
jutan Gen Townsend explicitly denying the elrge and
inclosing "a letter from Gen. g. NJ. Dodge, cCmmaudant
the Department of the Missouri at mat Time priisins
him his services ferretng out the Offenders re-
ferred and him for promotion to Brig
ader-Ge by brcvet The charge that ne has paid
certain Office furniture placed IN his own apartments
OF the contingent fluid, e admits claiming ms IN
dispuable right 10 do so aud stating that ~ was Tor
use In public business and of be returned to
the Pension ONCE. The remaining charges lac denies
emphatcally and with circumsIantil accounts Ot the
way III which no suppoSes them 10 nave Oecl con-
ceived The principal counts are: that lac drew 5000
mileage for eXcnrsi0ns;" that he permitted his
son. clerk in the Pens,n Office 10 purchase articles
ostsnsbly for the Oce and convert them Ia his own
use that he PAID the Deputy Commissioner $1,000,
without sufficient service being rendered therefor that
he paid DR.. Hood various sums out OF the contingent
Ia