West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-10-24
The License Which Politicians
Tako with tho Truth.
secretary Mcf-herson's Recent statemen,
Co",rAdioted 10y HIstory-Some
Faets which Can Not DO
COntrovcrtcd.

VIZ uci son ilcS ana I Don SwcarS
20 them. Now. what are the facts?
I'm his speech last night Mr.. Posi-. Sec.
retary OF the Democratic Congressional
Committee. she'd much light upon this
interesting subject by making the fol,
owing important statement:
This statement of Secretary Nc.
fherson and the Acting SECRETARY of
the treasury as 10 the amount stolen
under Arthur Administration. Is so mt
terly at variance with the knowlcdCe of
every person who has read the current
news of the past six months. that its
lastly was exposed with the statement.
but AN examination OF the annual ro.
ports OF tho Solicitor OF tho Troasurv
who Is the law officer OF the Treasury
department charged with the prosecu-
ton OF the dcfaulting officers OF tho
government I'm civic suits. To the At
tofncy-General for the three fiscal wears
preceding June 50, 1883, shows this Nc
fhcrson-Coon statement 10 bo abso-
iutely false. so far as the amount they
report as stolen under Arthur's Admin
lstraliou Is concerned.
he following are tho figures 81 tho
solicitor OF the Treasury. taken from
his official printed reports.
Amount Of dofaIcations for the
year ending June 'n. lrsi. upon
which sui, has beon entero3 bv
Ihe nlted states Attorney gen
cSiiss'Ssd' Si' C 'Ss'ssi Ss same ., suits it.i5 ~ g
AIHo,,Ii To,sl los, 8, on 1i'sr sslre - sTa@i 70
ihe hscal year ending June Il
I,'@, upon which suit has born
cSsso%n''' g C5 5':SS'5 'a' On same 'i9 3 Il Z,
Total loss 20 the Government Ftss iss a.
bcialcntious during tho nscaI
year ending june D. tNt uB ln
which suit has been brought to
Collections b. suit on same ''lsSi w q q
Ta,oi ToiII .,,,,,, loss ,...; ... tsG.on "a
NnE the thrco years proeedlnx
June D, l-HL upon which tho
united states hns sued q 70.
cover in tho United states
rStsl Sodlrts amour, =, slSD.7D q,
same '''''''....'.... .............. ISap 50
Total loss 20 the Govornmcn, sIss1 Am y
Assuming that tho McPherson-Co Coou
statement Is correct rs 10 the loss to the
government BY reason Of defalcation Of
the United States officers from the com.
mencement OF Washington sAdmini-tra-
,ion down 60 1861, which they make ~2t.
AL, ,o29.32 for a period embra inc sew.
enty-two years, we will now show bv
the reports of the Solicitor Of tho Treas
ury' which have been transmitted A,
Congress by the Secretary Of the Tre,s-
ury and the Attorney General i'm their
annual reports that the Mcpherson
Coon statement is lally contradictory
ot reports OF those Cabinet Officers
from Lincoln's first inauguration down
TO June 30, 1888. These reports show
total loss under the eight years Of LIN
coin Administration from official defal-
cations after deductug collections Of
S24, ,657, ,972. 16.
Stolen under Grant Oarst torn ss.7C7sl.,,
SStoien under Grant (sccOud term 4.g1tsH sl
Stoich uhucr Hayes. ... ......... IegfEglsI
sto!en under Arthurs throc years Ia.0lt.soiG
Total 'oss after deductlnE collie
tons ....... .............. s1.I5r. .Gsas7
1t is thus shown by the official reports
TO Congress OF the different Secretaries
OF the Treasury and Solicitors Of the
treasury from 1861 90 1888. that during
the twenty-three years Of Republican
Administration of the Government the
theits OF public money aggregated
S4o,221, ,623.ZI while from Washing
ton administration down TO buchanan.
hoth inclusive, period of scvonty-tNo
years, there was p loss OF bat q2f AL
o2y.52.-au excess Of 81. .OG5. 7gj. %
stolen in twenty three years Of Repub
lican Administration over sevenfv.t,y,
years of previous Administrations COW
ering every President from Washington
TO buchanan. both inclusive"
The Acting Secretary of tho Treas
ury lent his signature 90 the McPhcrson
statement as correct. and thus
certified 10 fragrant falschoJd. as
~ shown by the reports 90 the CONTROL
ing Offices. hc law officers and tho
Secretaries Of the Treasury inrludfng
such men as Salmon T. Chase. William
Pitt Fesscndcn. Hugh McCullogh and
Lot NJ Morrill,. 10 furnishes another
strong reason why tho book of tho
Treasury should be- opened for inzpoo.
ton by new parties ln This cgunce.
ton 10 would be- well 90 refer tD tbs
following fact -Four years ago senator
Davis, Of West Virginia. when Chair
man of the Committee ON Appropria
ton Of the United States senate. over
hauled thoroughly the accounts Of tho
Treasury Department lie forced from
unwilling witnesses. all Of whom wcrt
officers Of the Treasury. tho testimony
that there were thirteen thousand
erasures ON the Treasurer book and
millions Of dollars entered so a. 10 make
the books balance without a SINGLE
item to show when the items were
so made on what had become of the
money. This extraordinary showing
did not receive proper attention at the
time because VIC were in tho midst OF
great prosperity
The magnitude Of the amount stolen
in The twenty-three years Of Republican
administration can be estimated in the
following manner:
il tho amount stated. namely. So
5Zl, l,bZj.Z1, was invested i'm standard
silver dollars, and stored in fho Treas
ury, subject 90 the order Of tire Star.
Reuters, and the order Of Republican
thieves who have taken DO. calculating
that 1000 pounds would MAKE n fair
load for % horse and cart and that
Sl6.OJO weigh ] l.Od) pounds. 90 would
take 2,Slj loads Of $40. 900 each load 10
haul 10 20 Republican headquarters
L.IimnL- mo a nnrL nuL Lc--o - b.. IL.