American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-07-02
The Corruption in the Public Service.


An investigation has been going on
in the Treasury Department for the
past few weeks, which reveals another
phase of the prevailing corruption in
the public service, and shows how it has
been protected in the highest quarters.
Under regular estimates, Congress APP
propriated half a million of dollars in
round numbers for furniture, fuel, car
pets, wagons, books, horses, toilet arti-
Giles and other so-called contingencies
Tor the Treasury. from 1877 to 1880 in
elusive. Formerly the practice was for
each of the Bureaus to make its own
purchases of these articles, and a direct
responsibility for any extravaganza or
collision was thus fixed in every case.
This check was abandoned, under the
present management, and a clerk named
.. l.. Pitney, became the General Pur-
chasing Agent, and the custodian of
this property. His accounts were SUBJ
ject to the approval of the Chief Clerk,
then j. X. Upton. who was promoted
by John Sherman to be Assistant Secre-
tary of the Treasury.
After Upton's promotion he retained
the authority to approve Pitney's ac-
counts, 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
in the limits of the appropriation. and
practically to verify his own purchases.
Pitney had full swing, and ring of
plunderers was organized inside and
outside the Department, consisting of
officials and of favored contractors.
The old story of jobbery, extravaganza,
and corruption was repeated, and the
whole of the appropriations was ex-
hausted in this organized rascality.
Cabinetmakers and other mechanics
are employed regularly in the Depart
ment for this branch of the service, and
they were utilized in a manner that dis
graces members of the late Fraudulent
Administration, and strengthened the
hands of the thieves.
John Sherman has grown to hand
some fortune upon the economies OF his
salary as a member of Congress and of
the Cabinet during twenty-five years.
He entered the House of Representa-
tives poor in 1855, and he retired from
the Treasury millionaire in 1881, hav-
ing in the period between these two ex-
tremes no other vocation but politics.
His prosperity seems to have begun
when he was Chairman of the Finance
Committee of the Senate and Jay Cooke
was the manager 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 INDUCED
himself with fine mansion, adjoining
his former residence, in the fashionable
quarter of the capital. With all his
wealth Mr.. Sherman is thrifty and
penurious person. He knows that
money is power, and he never parts
from a dollar without getting at least a
full equivalent for it.
Mr.. Sherman found it cheap and
convenient to make Pitney, the head of
the purchasing ring of the Treasury,
his agent for the collection of rents and
attention to his property. Pitney was
too glad to hold that relation, and to
have it known in the Department, be-
cause it served as passport in the &C.
counting Offices and silenced the busy
tongue of scandal and Of envy among
subOrdinates who knew of his dealings.
Thus fortified. Pitney detailed cabi-
net makers and other mechanics to
Deautity Mr.. Sherman's new mansion,
to do work for Mr.. Evarts, and to
adorn his own residence. and charged
their time and the material used to diff
ferent Bureaus of the Treasury. Backed
rotary, the latter of whom certified the
accounts and is believed to have shared
in the spoils. this custodian of public
property and trusted disburser of con-
tingent fund of one hundred and twenty
five thousand dollars per annum pur-
sued his vocation openly during the
whole term of Hayes. While the Fraud
ulent Administration was canting about
Civil-service Reform, this sort OF thiev-
cry was encouraged by the highest Off
Gals, who themselves were its benefi-
Charles. With such examples before
them, it was perhaps natural that
number of the subordinates should par
ticipate in the common plumber. and
utilize the opportunity to increase their
incomes.
An inquiry made, as this is. by de-
pendents, and without power to get at
the bottom facts, must be limited in its
scope, and is under the control of the
Secretary of the Treasury. 1t will
probably result in the removal of some
superiors, who are responsible to the
country, will be allowed to escape,
unless Congress shall pursue the in
vestigation with a resolute purpose.
1t should also be known that Mr..
which does not help his reputation.
While travelling over the country, he
charged his personal expenses to the
fund appropriated for collection of the
revenue. No former Secretary used
public money in that way, even when
engaged on official duty. The example
was Infectious, and Mr.. Evarts found
the practice useful and economical in
his Department.
The more closely the conduct of the
Fraudulent Administration is scrutin-
lied, the more infamous it appears.
Even the White House was stripped of
its portable equipment in the expiring
hours of Hayesism.- Y. Sum-