The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-10-01
Treasury Housekeeping.

Without change of Administration.
the true state of the public debt and the
real condition OF the Treasury will never
bc known And for the best of all rca-
sons, because the republican leaders are
Interested in conccaing both. They |
know that when the secrets now hidden
are fully revealed the tidal wave of 81 |
which swept u majority of one hundred
out of the House of Representatives,
will appear rs calm compared with the
storm of wrath that will scatter their cor
rupt organizations
The act of Sept. =, 1879, made the |
Rrgisterssof the Treasury the bookkccpcr |
of the government, viz:
"To keep all accounts of the receipts
and expenditures of the public money. |
and of all debts due to and from the
United States
All the vouchers aud warrants are Fl
nally deposited in that Office, and always |
were the basis of the statements of the
public debt, and of the receipts and cX-
penditures until the new departure under
Grant Then the Secretary of the
Treasury, in fragrant violation of law, as-
sumed to revise all the accounts for II
period of nearly forty years and to pub
lish exhibits Of the public debt from his
own Office, to conform with changes
which he ordered to be made.
To do this. balances were forced fig
ures were altered; and when these two
resources failed, whole leaves were cut
out of the great lodgcrs, so that no per
manent record should exist. Docs any
body believe these things were innocent
ly done, or doubt that there was some
extraordinary motive for acts every one
of which was n forgery!
The Register of the Treasury at that
time was indisposed to make the changes
which would reconcile II discrepancy of
more than two hundred millions of dol
lars as between what his books showed
and what Mr.. Boutwell, had assumed TO
he the debt. But short method was
found of conquering the Registers scru-
pies, as appears from the testimony of
his successor, us follows:
"Q-You Register Scoiield speak of the
order from the Secretary to the Register.
who, | believe, was Mr.. Allison, to make
the changes you have referred to in the
debt statement. Will You give that com
mittee that order? A-Ies, sir; this is
the original order, and | will hand you
copy.
"Q-read us the original Al will
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
Nov "a, 1871.
" SIR: I have to request that the
statement of the public debt on the lst
from 1871 to 1924, inclusive, and at va
rious dates in subsequent years to July
|, 1870, as printed on page 236 of the
finance report for 1901 Smay be omitted
from your tables in the forthcoming re
ports, or else that it be corrected to con
form to Table III, on page 25 for the
same year.
This request is made in consequence
of a letter from the assistant secretary OF
the Treasury, now in London, who com
plains that these different tables are fire.
quently referred to in England, and the
discrepancies between them constantly
and untavorably commented upon.
The table found on page 25 is, be
lieve, as nearly correct as the examina-
tion of the accounts up to the present
time will enable it to be made, though
am under the impression there will be
some change necessary IN order to make
it absolutely reliable. Very respectfully,
81. II SAvILLE,
Chief Clerk
:HoN. JOIN ALLISON, Register of the
Treasury.
of the Treasury; chief clerk; "a, III.
Asks statement of the public debt may
made to correspond with statement made
in Secretary's Office Memorandum. AS
published for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1871, the statement is the same as
the Secretary's.
Under this order official statements af-
fecting the revenue collected the cash
i'll the treasury, the interest on the pub
lie debt, the expenditures for the navy,
army, Indians, pensions, and other
branches of the service were altered by
tens of millions. And the public is asked
to believe that these arbitrary and un-
precedented alterations We're made in
good faith, aud not to cover up corrup-
ton and stealing.
What would be thought of the safety
of public institution, bank or insurance
company where the President ordered
the book-keeper to make up balance
sheet from his figures, in direct conflict
with those of the general ledger, and to
erase the contradictions, and If necessary
in order to destroy the evidence, to mu-
tilate the books by cutting out the
leaves?
This is what the Republicans have
done in the Treasury, and in other de
partments. During Secor Robeson's ex-
piring term in the navy the building
was fired four different times in few
months, and once in the upper story,
where the vouchers were. filed away for
safe keeping These were convenient
accidents" of course, but they ought
to have sent the man who inspired them
to the penitentiary.
The pecuniary frauds under Grant
We're shocking, but they were mild com
pared with the Great Fraud by which
the Presidency was stolen. This is fit
time to settle the accounts of both these
villainies,-N Y. SIN.
Health hope aud happiness are restored
by the use of Lydia E. Piukhams Vegetable
GQmnnuud II 10 q pnuitiva nura for q n thnsa