The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-01-28

1 dhCW u AOh thtiA lal ltaChts
Then"
Never mind any more about Cass
now" I interrupted, "show me some /
thing about the army. The army. at |
least, was honest then as IL is above re- /
proach now"
"This man Johnson was a lieutenant |
in the army" was the provoking re-
sponse.
"Bnt mean the higher officers"
said /.
"Oh. yes; well. General Gratiot. as
You will see by this report" (handing
me volume) twas a defaulter for
$50. 900. aud General"
"Sir," said / with severity. 'let us
turn from this painful branch Of the
subject. j am satisfied in my own
mind that General Jackson's admins
tration was distinguished for the hon
esty OF his subordinates; il is hallow-
ed in the memories Of all good demo-
Gratis for its rigid economy in public
expenditures, and il is worshipped by
all good men everywhere as the repre-
sentative OF reform. Senator Thur
man says so, and good men in Bucks
county, Pa, on this account
VOTE FOR GENERAL JACKSON ANNUALLY /
To THIS DAY.
We-that is, / and Senator Thurman /
and the people of Bucks county-can-
not all be mistaken. IL must have I
been an era Of REFORM and want 10 \
find wherein that reform consisted, so
TO speak, in order that l may be pre-
pared for the new era OF reform prom
ises by Mr. Thurman and others OF the 1
good old Jackson school. Now, sir, to 1
come right TO the point, how was the
revenue collected? That. after all. is
the real tonchstone."
"Jes So" said the venerable book 4
wJim.
Let US begin with New York" said /
| cheerfully.
"Well, here is the report OF the iiar-
Ian committee Oh. II. 3l3, third sess. /
25th Cong) This shows that samuel /
Swartout, Jackson's collector of the |
port OF New York, began TO default the |
first year and kept IL mp for eight /
years with great regularity. and for /
several years with the full knowledge I
OF the administration at Washington. /
He held Office for several of those /
years without giving bonds, and in the
end defanlted for about million and /
a quarter of dollars. The committee I
declare that the causes Of his default I
we're
his PRcUNIARY IRREsPoSsIBILITY WHEN |
APPOINTED;
the culpable disregard Of law and neg |
lect Of official duty on the part OF the /
naval officer OF New York, and by the I
first auditor and first comptroller OF /
the treasury. the negligence and fail |
uIe of the secretary OF the treasury 10 1
discharge his official duty--in short,
I by the abandonment at New York and 4
I Washington Of all the checks thrown 1
by law around the collection of the /
revenue.
"Of course he was removed" said j,
controlling my emotion.
He served his full time eight years
aud leisurely departed for Europe |
with his swag."
"What we're the federal law officers
OF New York about MEANWHILE" in
/ quired.
The district attorney Of his district
! followed him soon after.
"Did he catch him and make him re-
store his ill-gotten gains?"
dunno whether he caught him or
a Dols NdlAl Alt AlDiAAAhu AC
was himself a defaulter for
/ NEARLY HUNDRED THOUSAND DOL
LARS.
| was dumbfounded. "Sir, said /,
"if you have any more information
about you please give II in as mild do
ses as possible, but be brief, have
i got TO go ont aud see a man"
"Well, il was SO everywhere in tue
revenue department. more or less" he
/ replied, sententiously,
"How about the receivers OF public
moneysP" said /, as last resort
There we're sixty of EN- aud fiity
/ defaulted."
! rose To go.
Hold on, said the venerable friend
"here is something that will interest
you, handing me a volume (H. II. 3l3,
third sess. 18th Cong.l. II related
how one Wiley +. Harris, who was re-
ceiver OF Columbus, Miss, became q
defaulter, and after fifteen warnings by
X. Il. Taney had been permitted TO re-
sign and nominate his successor. His
defalcation amounted 10 over Sl09, 900.
His successor followed in his footsteps,
aud soon after "A report TO that effect
was sent in. and appended TO il was
the following recommendation:
"All cOncede that intemperance has
been his greatest crime. The man
seems really penitent. and | am in
clined 10 think, in common with his
friends, that he is honest, and has been
led away by the example of his prede-
cessor and certain looseness in the
code Of morality, which here does not
move in 40 limited a circle as il does
not move in so limited circle as il
does with us al home. Another receiv.
er would probably follow in the foot
steps Of the two. You will not, there
fore, be surprised IL /
RECOMMEND HIS BEING RETAINED.
And he was retained, and $4,000
was charged to the profit and loss ac-
connt OF the government. This set
me to thinking that perhaps, after all,
the true science OF government con-
sists in filling the offices with thieves,
aud letting them stay in Office. Per.
haps they would be honest after they
got enough for themselves. There is
food for thought in the suggestion. IL
certainly seems TO have been tried prot-
ty thoroughly during Jackson's admin
istration, and Thurman says that IL
was an era Of reform, and quite
economical.
Now" said !, "if you will just be
kind enough To keep individual cases
out OF consideration for moment and
give me
THR AGGREGATE or JAcKsoS's ExPRSDI-
TURKs
as compared with those Of his prede-
cessor 10 will doubtless bear Judge
, Thurman and me ont in our estimate
of the economical character Of the late
General Jackson. +"
; Certainly. sir; here are the figures
! Under his predecessor the heaviest an-
} nual expenditure vas sl3. 900, 600. Tn.
: der Jackson's reform they swelled 10
, S29, coo, 900 the first year.
The aggregate current expenditures
under Adams administration were
. go, ,JOO, 900.
Under JGckson's economy aud the
, reform which Thurman so much adj
J mires. the aggregate Of his first term
! was $50, 27O. 900; second term SSS, ,275,-
, 0OO."
! I took my hat and left promising 10
call again aud look into the subject
, further. III / find in what General
Japkaaufa aConauav and raforu, oap