Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-08-23


: unfinished, buried in the tomb Of Il
Committee on Printing. II was NJ
honored by the poor credit of bein
printed. This was objected to by d
Senator from Ohio, and il was sent
, the committee as valuelcss. That do
: umcnt which was not worthy Of bcin
printed, served to produce to the Ser
ate and 10 the country mass of III
ures, tabular statement and compci
dium which has been sent TO the coul
try and is now being circulated broat
cast as n vcritable document. Sil
that statement Is unreliable and NJ
truthful to show the real dcialcation
due TO the Government, aud tho Sent
tor from Indiana in the concluding
part Of his remarks admits II. He says
The statement !. not correct In this, Mr.. Pres
dent, that there are dofalcations put down that a
not exist, that were afterwards settled but 90 "a
as the proportion 10 concerned between the diffel
ent administrations, 90 far as my purpose IL con
cerned In the comparison propose to mako II Il III
same m " every lefalcation here stated took pac.
/
but too large. ! stated wherein II does not pre-
sent the facts, that some Of these defaloations II
all adm ministratons were afierward settled or turne
out to be nominal but that pertained just as mucl
to one as to another, and, 80 far ~ the subject
have 10 view 10 concerned, II Ia a fair statement
because II shows tho proportion Ia all admnistra
tions, and now propose to give II Just as II /
furnished from the books Of the Treasury Depart
ment.
But this is not all. The Senate,
from Indiana says this statement come
here over the signature of the Secre
tary Of the Treasury. This is a mis-
take. A statement somewhat like tina,
published did accompany il, but IL wat
neither signed nor certified; and the
speech of the Senator demonstrates
that 1t was not signed nor certified
in the paper. If the statement Of the
Senator from Ohio in reference to what
was told him by Treasury official be
admitted to be true, il It were verify
and intended to impart the truth, why
is It not certified to? II true, II would
be honored and not discredited as well
by the Senator as by the Treasury Of.
ficials whom he quotes. The publish
cd table nowhere shows bis certificate,
but says 1t was prepared under direc.
tion Of the Secretary Of the Treasury.
This statement, so elaborate and com
plcte, so unfinished and mysterious, 30
untruthful and unreliable, is printed as
Senate Document No. l18, and has up.
on its face the Endorsement that Il
comes from the Treasury but II has
no signature. fhe documents them.
selves upon which ii is based are not
printed bccausc they are unreliable,
but the statement printed gives the
figures they contain. Why was il not
printcd2 Why is it not certified? Is
II authentic? Docs it give the truth I?
The Senator from Indiana admits that
1t does not. Other Senators admit
that II does not, and they quote the
officials OF the Treasury as discrodt-
ing it, When the motion to print was
up the Senator IRON Ohio said of this
uoSuincut US iONOWbs
Mr.. Sherman. In regard TO the printing of IN.
documon, should like to have that question 70.
fsrrcd TO the Committee on Printing. / will SAY
that my attention was called TO the document II.
self BY an ofhcer Of the Govsrnment In the Treas
ufy Department ltcovers several volumes, most
Of them matters Of no possible moment, which can
DO Of no Interest to any mortal, man, woman. or
child. think II would do great injustice to thou
lands Of worthy men to print this document. The
Secretary OF the Treasury In the letter read saws he
has commenced from the time the last report WAS
made In 1850. There may have been ,ome geuer
al statements made In the meastime, but nothing
like the detail here. These papers were shown 10
me. As a matter Of course, the Secretary Of The
Treasury felt bound to 20 back aud do this work.
Here lexhibiting are some Of the tables sent here
great, long tables. There are general results
from the,e tables that are shown also n the taba-
lar statements that accompany the letter Of the
Secretary Of the Treasury. Ihaye no objection
to printing this document except on account Of the
great cost that will bc involved and the unfair.
ness and injustice that will be done to innocent
people now In their graves.
Mr.. President, these tables show that most of
the persons named as defaulting officers were men
In the military, naval and civil service Of the Uni
ted States, who arc now dead. The names Of the
surcties are given here, many Of whom are dead
the amounts range from 81 up to sloo,o 900. Scan
dals without number all over this broad country
Of ours will be published 10 the world without any
good whatever five print this document. II gives
the accounts OF every officer Of the Government
from 1880 10 this time. / notice many eases of
this class. During the Indian wars, and durln
cur recent civil war. soldier may have been
killed in battle who was charged with lot Of mus
kets, and against his account they all stand in the
balance charged to him, while II was stated tha I
be was killed In battle, etc. Consuls have died
abroad and Il has been impossible to settle their
and yet balances are charged at the |
Treasury Department against the Consul. Hon.
'rable men, men Of the highest rank In the public
Iervice, men Of the greatest distinction In this
country have little balances charged against them,
md they would now DO published in the list Of do.
aulters. There may have been nothing due from |
them, but " there were some little discrepancy In
heir accounts they arc still unbalanced. Such a |
s, would iujure greatly the reputation Of honora-
BILE oticers in the civil, military, and naval serv.
Ice, II published, although they are little matters,
sometimes amounting to but a few dollars.
The ofhcer TO whom l have referred called my |
'ticniion TO the fact that while the Department
vas obeying n simple, plain duty, no one pre- |
ended that this money was due BY these people
Ind yet II is charged on the books Of the Treas
Try Department as q claim against them, bot Il |
lever would bc and never could be settled.
On the objection of the Senator from
Ohio this voluminous, this unreliable
document was sent to the Committee
IN Printing, II came back TO the Sen.
tic on tho 9th Of June with n report
against printing the document, but for
printing the tabular statement that
'ontains its results. The aggregate of
he document was reported in favor Of,
'ut the document itself was reported
'gainst. On that day the Senator from
Rhode Island [Mr. Anthony said;
Il contains list Of all persons, including those
ot now In the public service, against whom there
ppcars to be balance on the books Of the Treas.
ny. In very many instances the balance Is nomi-
al, not real, sometimes 70 designated I; 10 very
many cases II arises out Of misunderstanding be-
ween the disbursing officer and the accounting
Ulcers Of the Treasury, which, when they come
. be explained and adjusted may be decided in
s,or Of one party or the other. In very many
Instances II arises from balances due from officers
the navy who have gone down with their ships
18th their papers upon them officers Of the army
Tho have fallen In battle or died In hospital aud
hose vouchers have boon lost; while II l. appar-
mt from tho supplies which they had purchased
nd from the men whom they had paid that the
ioney intrusted to them had been expended for
he purposes for which u was appropriated. Ao-
ording to the law these all appear upon the books
the Treasury As indebted Tor the unsettled bal
nces for, while the Treasury charges an officer
nth everything paid 70 him, II does not credit
Inn with what he has paid out until Il Il ascsr-
aimed and adjusted according TO regulations Of
he Department. Many Of these arc charges for
'erpaymenlsi that 10, whore an ofkcer has errons-
usiy paid 10 some creditor II the Government
'ore than he was legally authorirsd to receive
nd Of course the dlsburslng officer must suffer
no consequences Of his error. That Ia . blunder,
ut II 10 not crime. lie has not embefiled the
'onsy he has not defrsudcd the Government
. has made amistake and paid . man thousand
ollArs, for example. when II appears from all the
nformation yet In tho possession Of the Treasury
nat he only ought 10 have paid him ts9ej and
hercforc he stands m defAulter for 90 on the
coks Of the Treasury. This may In many cases
,main vet open for adiustment. I am sure that