The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-08-30
THE TREASURY RING.

THE TREASURY RING.
1oltn sherman. Legacy -.lIow Some Of the
Department Cicfks s,tsw Rsrts:
ICor Of the Chicago Exprcss.l
The Treasury Department has grown
to be By far the greatest machine Of the
Government. Particularly within the
last twenty years it has spread out bs
the addition Of new bureaus and
divisions. One result of this growth
has been that the safeguards imposed
by law for the management Of its busi-
ness have been largely broken down.
Authority has been taken from officers
in whom it Is vested and lodged in
clerks who are not known to the law.
This was due almost entirely to desire
among the Secretaries after the war to
get into their own hands the supreme
control Of the business Of the depart
ment. 1t has been kept up ever since
by the interested efforts of those who
have rrotited by these arrangements.
Perhaps as glaring an instance Of this
as any is III the Office Of the Solicitor Of
the Treasury.
This officer belongs to the depart
ment Of Justice, but Is appointed by
the President and stationed at the
treasury. He is by law the legal ad-
wiser Of that department, and is in
trusted with the management Of all its
law business. He has charge Of the
collection of direct taxes; the detection
and punishment of fraud in the revenue
are left to him; he makes rules for the
observance Of Collectors Of Customs,
District Attorneys and Marshals; he
instructs District Attorneys, Marshals
and Clerks of Courts in all cases in
which the United States is party, ex-
cept those arising from the Internal
Revenue laws; all ligitation concerning
national banks is under lis direction;
he brings all suits against delinquent
debtors; he approves the bonds of In
ternal Revenue Collectors; his recon-
mendation is necessary IN all cases of
compromise; he has charge OF lands
and trusts held by the United States in
payment Of debts, and, in general,
oversees and directs all the legal busi-
ness Of the department, except that of
the Internal Revenue Bureau, for which
special solicitor is assigned. He also
has charge Of the Secret Service, which
is employed in the detection Of counter
feiting and all other frauds on the Gov
ernment.
This Office was created in 1890, and
was designed to form a check upon the
Secretary of the Treasury by appoint
ing a high-salaried officer Of another
department and selected by the Presi-
dent to have control of the treasury
litigation. Some of the best lawyers
in the country have held the place, and
it has always been considered a pecul-
iarly honorable one But within few
years the most important powers
lodged in the Solicitors hands have
been taken from him. A new institu-
tuition has grown up III the department
by which it was intended to keep them
| directly iii the Secretarys hands, with
| out the restraint of tho Solicitor. This
is known rs the .Secretary's Office" 1t
consists Of about twelve heads of divi-
sions, who report directly to the Secre-
tary. They are not known to the law,
except rs mere clerks, but
as things now 90 they arc in.
trusted with the most intricate
legal questions. These clerks swallow
up the functions which by law are as
signed to the heads of bureaus. They
are responsible to no one except the
Secretary, who makes and unmakes
them. The revolution was fully ne
complished by John Sherman. who
made it his plan to gather the business
directly under his own control. In this
way all the innumerable eases of fraud
or attempted frauds on the revenue &C
to the subordinate clerk, although thu
statutes expressly provide that every.
thing of this sort shall go to the
Solicitor. They are referred to ar
officer known as the head of the customs
division. These decisions involve
millions of dollars yearly. They affec,
larger interests than any other which
the Government makes, and vet fol
more than six years not a single custom
case has been sent to the Solicitor.
Office. They arise every day under on
complex Tariff laws, and are passed
upon by clerk. Perhaps this ma,
account for some of the extremely
queer decisions which have emanatee
from the treasury Of late, decision.
which, like Cesars wife, have not beer
entirely above suspicion.
Take the National Banking Bureau
The law expressly says that all suit.
and proceedings arising out of the pro
visions of law governing national bank
ing associations shall be conducted b,
District Attorneys, under the direction
and supervision Of the treasury" Thi
would seem to be plain enough. Ane
yet all the litigation arising out Q
broken banks, wrecked o. ruined il
quick succession all over the country, il
left entirely in the charge of clerk il
the office Of the Comptroller Of the Cur
rency. The suits are mainly conducted
by special counsel hired by him, instea,
OF the District Attorneys. They ar,
never sent to the Solicitors office.
But the most glaring perversion o
the law covering the Solicitor regard
compromise cases. All compromise
must be recommended by the Distric
Attorney, indorsed by the Solicitor
and then decided by the Secretary
| Very few people understand the pro
portions which his business reaches. Il
almost all cases of customs frauds, o
delinquent bondsmen. and numberles
instances where judgments have beel
obtained for the Government, com
promise is sought. All kinds Of politi
cal influence are brought to bear
Members of congrss, consider tn
gaining Of a compromise as great sci
vice done to constituent. Where $
much depends in financial way upo
the decision, great iirmness am
strength are required. But here agai
the Solicitor is ignored. His recon
mendations are not acted upon direcfl
by the Secretary, but are referred b
him to the Navigation Division. Her
opinions are written which often entirel
oppose those given by the Solicitor
Sometimes they are substituted therefor
and followed in preference. Take th
famous Rothschilds case. That fir
owed $4,000 to the Government as
| pana1ty for sauprliuu II Was wei