The daily gazette., 1881-06-06
The Treas ury Thieves.

NAof1@ hhAo Az = 6htis
gan investigation has been going or
IN the Treasury Dep art ment for the last
two weeks, whichreve ais another phase
Of the prevailing corruption in the pub
lie service, and shows how it has been
protected in the highest quarters. Un-
der regular estimates, Congress appro-
pr ated half milli0n Of dollarsln round
numbers for furniture, fuel, carpets,
wagons, books, horses, toilet articles,
aud other so-calied contingencies for the
Treasury, from 1878 to 1886 inclusive.
Formerly the practice was for each OF
the bureaus to make its own purchases
Of these articles, and direct RESPONSE
bility for any extravaganza Or collusion
was thus fixed, in every case. This
check was abandoned, under the present
management, and a clerk, named .. L..
Pitney, became the general purchasing
agent, and the custodian of this property.
His accounts were subject to the approx
al of the chief clerk, then j. K. Upton,
who was promoted by John SHERMAN to
be Assistant Secretary OF the Treasury.
After Upton,s promotion he retained
authority to approve Pitney's accounts,
and when charges were made against
The latter, he protected him in the face
Of testimony showing fraud. With the
power to buy what he pleased within
The limits of the appropriations, and
practically to verify his own purchases,
Pitney had full swing, aud Ring OF
plunderers was organized inside and
outside the department, consisting OF
officials and favored contractors. The
old story OF Jobbery. extravaganza, and
corruption was repealed, aud the whole
of the appropriations was exhausted In
this organized rascaIity. Cabinetmakers
and other mechanics are employed regu-
larly in the department Tor this brauch
OF the service, and they were utilized in
manner that diseraces members OF the
late Fraudulent Administration, and
strengthened the hands of the thieves.
John Sherman has grown TO q hand
some fortune upon the economies OF his
salary as member of Congress and of
| the Cabinet during twenty-five years.
He entered the House of Representatives
poor in 1856, and he refined from tie
Treasury millionaire in 1881, having
in the period between these two extremes
no other vocation but politics. His pros
perIty seems to have begun wheu he was
Chairman of the Finance Committee of
the Senate and Jay Cooke was the mana
ger of the public loans.
| Mr.. Sherman is large owner of real
estate in Washington. A few years ago
he had built block OF some forty houses,
and last year he indulged himself with u
fine mansion, adjoining his former resi-
dence, in the fashionable quarter Of the
capital. With all his wealth, MIR. Sher-
man is thrifty and penurious person.
He knows that money is power, and be
never parts from dollar without getting
at least full equivalent for it.
| Mr.. Sherman fund it cheap and con
venieni to make Pitney, the head of the
purchasing Ring of the Treasury, his
! agent for the collection of rents aud at
tention to his property. Pitney was too
glad to hold that relation, and to have i
known in the department., because Il
served as q passport in The accounting
Offices and silenced the busy tongue d
scandal and of envy among subordinates
who knew OF his dealings.
Thus fortified, Pitney detailed cabi-
net makers and other mechanics tC
beautify Mr.. Sherman's new mansion
to do work for Mr.. Evarts, and tc
adorn his own residence, and charged
their time and the material used te
different bureaus of the Treasury
!. Backed by the Secretary and the AS.
sIstant Secretary, the latter of whom
certified the accounts and is believed
, to have shared in the spoils, this oas
, todian of public property and trustee
: .disburser OF contingent fund OF on'
hundred and twenty-five thousand { ol
lars per annum pursued his vocation
openly during the whole term Of Hayes
. While the Fraudulent administrator
I was canting about civil service reform
D this sort of thieveTy was encourages
by the highest officials, who them
+ selves were its beneficiaries. Wit
such examples before them, it wa
+! perhaps natural that a number of th
subOrdinates should participate il
the common plunder, and utilize th
opportunity to increase their incomes
An inquiry made, as this is, by de
pendents, aud without power to get a
the bottom facts must be limited in ii
scope, and is under the control of th
Secretary OF the Treasury. 1t vii
y probably result in the removal of som
of the inculpated clerks, while thei
x superiors, who are responsible to til
country, will be allowed to escape, III
is less Congress should pursue the inyes
tigation with resolute purpose.
. II should also be known that M
Sherman is answerable for preceder
which does not help his reputation
While travelling over the country, b
charged his personal expenses to th
fund appropriated for collection of th
revenue. No former Secretary use
y public money in that way, even whe
engaged on official duty. The exa m
Il ple was infectious, and Mr.. Eyart
found the practice useful and econom
d cal in his department..
The more closely the conduct OF th
Fraudulent Administration is scrutin
u ICED, he more Infamous it appear
s. Even the White House was stripped
p its portable equipment in the expiring
hours of Hayesism.