The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-09-17
A FUTILE ARIsAIGNAIENT


:
WAslIiNGToS, D. G., September Gig
ures may be made 10 lie in the most
curious fashion. This is illustrated in tie
speech OF Mr.. George B. Post, Secretary OF
the Congressional Democrat Committee,
made at the Dcmocrltic ratification meet
ngin this city last Thursday night. In
orIer to prove the alleged falsity OF the
official statement OF aefaleations in The
Government service wuich showed COM
parativly small percentage during Repub-
lican administration, he instanced the
INNING up OF the several annual reports
Of the solicitorof the Treasury as to the
amounts for which suits we're brought in
each year on Treasury transcripts. TO
these several sums for each year he add d
the amount each year reported as offered
in compromise Of debts due the United
States.
4 moments reflection without even any
knowledge OF actual facts, will convince
Mr.. Post himself OF the iasity,of his pre-
by n comparison OF the Solicitors reports
and the Treasury statement. Firut, the
amount sued for in any given year is not
significant OF the amount OF defalcatioR
for the year, as Mr.. Post assumes. A great
proportion Of this Indebtedness runs back
many years, some OF it into Democratic
times. Second, the amount sued for is
not necessarily significant OF the amount
in default. Many suits are brought for
large sums in excess Of the amount actu-.
allydue. Besides this, suits on the same
official bond are often brought in different
districts where the several securities re-
side. Consequently the report OF the So
licit0r duplicates, and in some instances
triplicltes the amount oi the default. Two
instances may be mentioned OF the first
observation under this head, viz: the
case OF Bridglnan, an Indian agent, sued
in 1881 for Sl0l,g00. While the suit was
pen ling the accounting officers on expla.
nations furnished perfected vouchers for.
merly suspended, reducing this large bal.
ancc to $4,000. And this last amount is
subject to further reduction, and may be
entirely wiped out for similar reasons. In
not n few other cases the accounting oiii.
Ger could notbe allowed credits, although
it was proved the moneys had been hon.
estly expended for the United States, and
in many OF them the Courts have not hes.
itated 10 admit the credits claimed by the
defendant. n &.i{S5 Ii t-sl
Another instance is the case OF james
b: Stntnlan, u Collector OF Internal Rev.
enue appointed by President Johnson. In.
his CASE the amount reported due by the
accounting Ulcers, and reported sued for
in the reports OF the Solicitor Of the Treas.
ury, was S6l4,7754. Subsequently, aud
while suit was pending, this balance was
reducedto S35a, l04 byallowances TO which
the defendant was clearly entitled. A
case OF Robinson, Paymastcr in the army,
may also be noted, somewhat different III
character. e
In one of the Solicitors reports he is re-
ported sued for $4,000 and over. The
whole amount had been actually. on de-
posit to his credit in q designated deposit
tory, undrawn by him and SO deposited rs
was required by law to do. The bank,
however, had L a few days subsequently
closed its doors, and the question was one
otncgligcnce in making the deposit. The
Court unhesitainsly decided in favor Of
the defendant. = S .. Z, IS 30 s. : Is