The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-17
Fraudulent Claims.

Fraudulent Claims.
II does not speak well for the methods
of dong business at the Treasury for the
Grand Jury at Washington TO request the
Secretary to investigate the management
of the Second Comptrollcr's Office, through
which two large fraudulent claims were
recently passed by the Influence of Re-
publican members of Congress and the
palpablo collision of corrupt clerks.
The least examination outside of the or
binary routine would have shown the
claims Of Suoo Font and wirowsKI, which
have attracted so much public attention
since the exposure, 10 have been not only
worthless, hut absolutely fabricated. The
public records lying within ready reach
and which official duty required to be
searched, furnished the completest proof
of deliberate fraud. Yet these records
were not consulted, and the forged claims
were approved and paid, 20 the exclusion
OF hundreds of others with every merit to
recommend them.
How far this system has prevailed since
the close Of the civil war cannot be stated
with any reasonable certainty, but IL Is es-
timnted that the Treasury has been robbed
Of tens Of millions by fraudulent processes.
Senators and Rep esentatives of high stand-
ing in the party have either directly, or
through agents with whom they shared
the profits, been mainly instrumental in
urging these claims. Their political in-
fiucnce overruled the regulations made TO
protect the Treasury, and subordinates APP
pointed by them or retained through their
power were the instruments used 10 con-
summate this plundcr.
The fun extent OF the frauds will never
he known without change OF Admins
tiatiou. Too many important personages
are implicated to insure anything like a
thorough overhauling of the books and
accounts, even If there was u disposition
to do il honestly on the part Of incumhents.
who themselves are compromised by guilty
connivance Such an investigation is a
work by itself requiring great ability, in
tegrity, and experience.
Mr. BRoADnEAD. the Second Comptrol-
Ter, whose office /. thus arragncd by the
Grand Jury, Is one Of the Board of Audit
appointed under the act of Congress, 10 en-
anime and settle the outstanding claims of
the late Rang Government at Washington,
of which Boss SHEPHERD was the chief He
and his colleague, the first Comptroller,
retained in Office all the employees of the
Boss, and thus virtually passed into their
hands the revision of the false claims and
accounts that had been exposed before the
joint committee Of investigation. They
were thus auditing their own acts.
1t is known that this Boa of Audit
sign cei tihcatcs of Indebtedness in blank,
for the Ring subordiuatcs 10 nil up on their
own finding. These certificates are con.
vcrted into the 3G5 bonds, which are
now pressed on this market as included
within the classes of securities in which
savings banks may invest. Mr.. Attorney
General PRATT has just reversed a former
opinion OF his deputy. Mr.. FNIECnILD, who
properly held that they were not bonds
issued or assumed by the nItcd S.ut.-.
The Ring at Washington of course rejoiccs
over this reversal.
one of the first acts Of the House Of
Representatives VIII probably be- To- stop
the issue of these certificates ana bonds
and to inquire by what authority the
Board of Audit and the Commissioners
have undertaken TO increase the indebted
ness Of the District, and 10 extend works
Of so-called Improvement without law
When that is done and other legislation
follows the savings hanks will perhaps
thank Mr. FArRCuILD for his warning