The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-08-03

And to transmit herewith copy of report
in the matter dated June 10. 1873, With ac-
| campaigning statements, giving the intorma-
Treasury, to whom the resolution had been
referred. Very respectfully.
JOHN SHERMAN, Secretary.
Hon. WIN. A. WHEELER,
President of the Senate ...
The resolution referred to was in
trOduced in the Senate by Demo
cratic Senator who has of late devo-
ted much of his time and talent to
investigating the accounts, and the
system Of keeping them, in the
Treasury Department. 1t is I'M
doubtedly fair to presume that the
object Of the Introduction of this
subject at this time was to make cap
itaI for the Democracy in the coming
campaign, as it was supposed that
the response from the honorable Sec
rotary would show an array of facts
and figures very damaging to The
regulations Of Republican officials
for financial integrity. In this, how
ever, the result has proved that the
effort was a most signal failure. 1T
needs bat a brief examination of this
report to show that the record is one
rejecting great credit, rather than
inviting ceLsure,J upon the admins
tration under which the transactions
took place The report is accompa-
MED by statements Of the accounts
and is most elaborate and complete
in every detail, so that the exact
status of each officers Indebtedness
is shown in the cIearest manner.
Before entering into an eAamiua-
ton Of these tables it should be re-
membered that the resolution Of De
cember 10, 1870, was introduced to
show the standing 81 such accounts
about the time tnat President Grant
entered upon his duties. The bal
ance outstanding June 30, 1870 might
be said to be in the nature Of an oyer
due bill handed by Johnson to Grant
for the latter to collect. How We'll.
that duty was performed a few eX-
tracts from this report will show.
The sum stated as outstanding in
the original report was found
upon a examination to be cleri-
cally inaccurate to the extent ofnear-
Iy halfa million Of dollars, so that
the real balance was in round num-
bers ts0eity ntUIjo8 dollars. This inn
mense sum was due from 800 iudi-
viduals in amounts varying from
few dollars to hundreds Of thousands.
Subsequent charges were made
which considerably increased the
amount due to the Government. On
the Dist day of May, Of this year, the
time to which this report is brought
up, there were but seventy. FIVE of
those officers still having charges
against them, tho h1adrejld ana
tlcentyfoUr having settled their ac-
counts in full. The amount still due
is placed at So, 1l6, 533.43, being only
about Is per cent. of the amount due
in 1870. In 1870 there were fifty-six
individuals owing each over one
hundred thousand dollars now there.
are but ten, and eUery one Of these ten
ras originally dpp0intcd to QJice 6y
President Johjl$oR, and it is well
known that his appointments were
not made in every instance from the
Republican ranks. A remarkable
fact is that of the entire amount still
due neary o4e-hdT stands charged
against five eX-oilicerS in the State of
Louisiana, the name of Lewis b.
Collins ranking first with charge of
oyer six htindred thousand dollars
against it. Next comes James b.
Steedman with nearly four hundred
thousand charged to- him. This
faithful collector was oneo President
John5on's stapnehqst supporters III |
his opposition to the Republican
party, and is now in Ohio working
for u nomination as "a Democratic /
for Congress On arGfojm |
platform. He twas, too, who want /.
ed to take command on tho hundred /
thousand men who proposed to visit
Washington a little more than year
ago to forciblY inaugqrate Tildea as /
President, The names Of Eugene |
Tisdale, u. M. Bouligny, and vii
liam p. Benton make up the five
who owe within a fraction ofas much .
as serenity Others in other parts Of The |
country. .... ... t.. .
In the frye years from 1870 to 1873,
under President Grant, there was
SG03,Ol7 l8O.2G, and from fine
officers who collected this ygatI