The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-09
SIGNING OFFICIAL PAPERS.


the Signer Never Reads.
| Washington Letter in Pittsburg Dispatch
| l was talking with Assistant Secretary
| Treasury New the other day about the sign
| ing of public papers In every one of the
departments here the labor of signing routine
letters and papers is beyond ordinary
comprehension. This labor falls chiefly
upon assistant Secretaries and chiefs of
bureaus, and is about the same in all public
offices. The number of public documents,
papers, ETC., that are piled upon the desk of
one of the officials is sometimes enormous.
Now, under the law it is supposed that the
official who affixes his signature to public
paper knows what he is doing Technically
he is responsible in each case Really there is
no responsibility. The custom or law which
compels him to assume the responsibility is
more 'bosh."
Mr.. New said: II sign twice as many pa
pers every day in the year as l could posi-
bly, read if had never lost a day. Except
In cases involving money, do not pretend
to read them. l know no more, and can
know no more of their contents than the
man in the moon. 1t is all l can do to glance
over the subject matter of letters and docu-
| ments involving money; even this examine
ton is cursory. In the matter of letters, so
many of them are signed every day l am I'M
able even to make cursory examination
Yet the law compels me to sign these papers
or affix my initials to them. 1t is so in all
the public offices of the government. The
most l can do is to see that the initials of a
| trusted clerk are affixed to the document. 1t
is physical impossibility to know what we
are signing"
What remedy would you suggest for such
a state of atfairsP"
II do not know what could be done.
only think some remedy should oe applied
that somebody should be responsible by law
in this matter of signing public papers, a re-
sponsibility which would be in fact as well
as in name, So far as routine work is con-
cerned, it would be just as well to let the
trusted clerks and others sign the papers and
be responsible for the contents reserving
those of higher end, such as money war
rants, contracts, ETC., to those of more re-
sponsible positions. Most of this is routine
work, and could be discharged as we'll by a
| clerk as by an assistant Secretary or cabinet
officer"
This subject was brought to my mind the
other day when l was in the office of the
Second Assistant Postmaster general. Mr.
Elmer was engaged in the process of affixing
his initials or SIGNATURE to a bushel-basket
full of documents. l asked him what they
were. Postal contracts" said he, fines,
forfeitures, etc." l watched him for five
minutes, and during that time he got through
remarkable quantity of the work which
gave messenger as much as he could do to
blot and remove the documents as fast as
signed. These papers were all in Jackets"
and none of them were opened or examined
How could l help but think about the
famous Endorsement of Thomas J. Brady?
do this-Brady" is the most familiar fea-
ture in the pending celebrated star-route
trials. What under heavens is there in this
process of signing postal contracts, fines and
forfeitures, etc, to protect man in the posi-
ton of Second Assistant Postmaster-general?
This process is not an annual one. 1t is
every three months and for three or four
weeks. Every day during that time stacks
and stacks OF these important papers are
signed and hurried away into the archives of
the office and the pockets of contractors
The fines and forfeitures for neglectng to
carry according to contract amount TO from
! 100000 to 100000 per annum.
What does the Assistant Postmaster
general know about the contents
of these papers and contracts? Were
he five different individuals, having ten
hands and living forty-eight hours out of
every day in the year, ne could not read and
| handle and comprehend half of the docu-
ments he signs every year 1t is the veriest
farce. To sit there and see him do 1t for five
minutes is enough to awaken sympathy even
for Brady in the predicament he finds him
self. 1t is not the fault of the Second As
sistant Postmaster-genera or general this or
| general that it is the fault of the absurd
law which originated when the government
was small and work Insignificant, and which
| is still in effect, although the work has
doubled and quadrupled in volume.
| IL was only a few years ago that the Presi-
| dent was relieved of the responsibility of
| signing land patents by the passage of law
| appointing a clerk for that especial purpose.
There is an executive clerk appointed under
that law who affixes the Presidents signature
| to all the land patents. Among these are
very important patents involving thousands
of acres of land mineral lands and millions
and millions of dollars. Before the passage
of that law giving the President this clerk the
labor of affixing the Presidents signature
was enough to break down the ordinary ex-
| ecutive.
There would appear to be no reason why
some clerks could not be provided for by law
to affix the signatures of important officials
to public documents, of the routine kind.
These clerks could be made responsible to
the officials themselves, and occupying con-
fidential relation, the responsibility, though
apparently delegated to the clerk, would, in
| fact, remain in the person of the official.