The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-19
Rottenness of the Treasury.

1here IL no prObaDllltN now lnht inc
Special Committee Of the Senate, appointed
at the instance of Mr.. DAVIS of West Vir-
gnia to investigate the conflicting reports
and accounts of the Treasury, will complete
tLcir work at the present session Alum
dant material has been collected not only to
make good every charge originally made by
Mr. DAVIS, but to exhibit an astounding
state Of facts for which satisfactory expla-
nation is impossible.
II Is now three years since this movement
was started Mr.. DAVIS took the reports Of
the Secretary Of the Treasury, of the Regis
ter, and Of the Treasurer, and showed dis
crepancies between them In the statements OF
the public debt. exceeding two hundred and
forty-eight millions Of dollars. The public
expenditures, pensions. Indian service, War
Department, and other branches, also
showed many millions Of difference.
Three years ago, Mr. DAVIS asked for
special committee 10 investigate these re-
markable conflicts in the official reports Of
the most responsible officers Of the Treasury
The Republican majority refused the motion,
and Mr.. SHERMAN, then Chairman Of the
Finance Committee, and Mr.. BOUTWELL,,
then Senator from Massachusetts,. under
whose administration these first appeared,
undertook 10 explain how they occurred
But their explanations differed from each
Dther radically, and threw no clear light on
the subject.
Subsequently the inquiry was referred to
the Finance Committee of the Senate, who
referred il to Mr. BRIsrow then Secretary
Of the Treasury who in his turn referred ii
tO the subordinates that had operated under
Mr.. BOUTWELL, in dcvising the new system
which he introduced, and which undertook
10 go back over thirty years to alter ac-
counts that had been settled for a genera
lion and filed away In the Registers office.
None OF the Committee ever went near the
Treasury to investigate for themselves. A
report was drawn up for Mr. BRTsTow and
signed by him, which constituted the best
defence of the altered books and records that
could be made for Mr.. boutwell, and his
associates.
That report utterly failed to meet many
Of the important points made by Mr.. DAVIS,
and disposed OF others as summarily as the
Treasury manipulators had done Of the fig
urcs Of the public bookkeepcr, by arbitrarily
ignoring or ordering them out when thcy
stood In the way Of Mr.. BoUTwELL's scheme
Tor remodellng the Treasury accounts, and
lbI RtNlllR ili vi lON-'H Alib Nbhlh h'A wv
possibly reconciled with the books OF the
Register
At the last session, Mr.. DAVIS renewed
his resolution, and, after sharp opposition
ON the part Of Mr.. MORRILL, and other Re-
publican senators, he succeeded in getting
n select committee, but weighted with three
Republicans against two Democrats. The
majority refused the necessary STAFF OF cx-
perts to make an Investigation, which re-
quires thorough examination OF the rad
lcal changes made by Mr.. BOUTWELL,, and
VI all the books and accounts, covering the
vast operations Of the Treasury for num-
Der of years. Only two clerks were allowed,
one chosen by Mr.. DAVIS and the other by
Mr.. DoH CAMERON, who have been steadily
at work since the passage Of the resolution,
and who will probably continue their labors
until the next regular session Of Congress.
We are assured that the discoveries al
ready made contradict In the broadcast man
ncr the assurances given to the Senate by
Mr.. SHERMAN, Mr.. boutwell,, Mr. MOR-
RGLL, and other Senators Of that school.
IL is conclusvcly established that balances
were not only forced, and that false figures
were adopted but the books themselves
show that thousands Of alterations have
been made by palpable erasures TO the cx-
tent Of millions OF dollars. More than this,
we learn that whole pages have been cut
from the books, and several important
volumes OF accounts are entirely missing!
These nefaliOus transactions occur during
the years from 1865 to 1871. II is unrcason-
able 10 suppose that the ensures the mutt
lation and carrying off Of books the forced
balances, and the false figures, extending
over five or six years and involving tens of
millions, were accidental. And IL was not
possible for Mr.. boutwell,, with these
facts existing TO have established his sys-
tom upon any true on Trustworthy basis. The
conclusion Is almost forced upon every can
did mind that enormous sums were stolen
from the Treasury, and that some method
had to be devised To cover up the robbery.
1t is no secret that bonds, Treasury aotcs,
and other forms Of indebtedness, were sue
cessfully forged, and the belief obtains that
millions have been paid out for interest that
never accrued at all on regular obligations
Of the United States, and which are not re-
conclable with the official statements, any
more than this conflict which Mr.. BoUr-
WELL assumed without law or precedent TO
Tectify, in the face, too, of the evidence fur
nished by the public books to the contrary,
could be made smooth without criminal fall
slhcation.
1t is, then, certain that tho plumber, job
berry, corruption, rascality, and cDlIusion
with Rings which astoundcd the country
under GRANT, will appear small when com
pared with the ycnal operations and auda-
cious thievery in the Treasury, il the whole
truth should ever be- revealed. It Is for this
reason that the Republican leaders have r.
sisted every form Of serious Investigation,
or crippled it when permitted Some Of them
know who will bee compromised by exposure,
and others do not; but they all feel that
II tic interior rottcnness Of that department