Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-07-18

lo"Lis III ISSpoh SS lo siAS ASltSF ia SSC
Chandler published in the associated
press papers this morning:
lNpIANNrolrs, Ind, July II.
To Hon W E Chandler. Sir
find in the newspapers this morning q letter 10
me from yourself, written yesterday and circular
ed through the associated prsSS Iou complain
that do you an injustice in my address to the
people of this city made the evening before. In
that address srEed: We need to have the books
in the government offices opened for eNapiina-
tlon,' and as an illustration | cited of
fraudulent voucherSi in one of the bureaus in Your
department.; and that upon your TESTIMONY before
a subcommittee of the senate il appeared that
the frauds amounted to S63,OQN, and is not
every word OF that true! You were brought he
fore the committee and testified aS stated You
admitted under oath that the sum of money lost
amounted To S6S 600, but your defense l. that en-
heZzement did not wholly occur uader your ad-
ministration, but part Of it was under that of
Your edeceSsor. II seems to have covered n Pc
Rod from June y, 1850, Town TO January =.
1884 Does that help Vour caSer You We're At the
mead of the department year and nine months
of that period, your predecessor about enc year
aud 10 months He was in Office at the payment
of the first false voucher, June 2lSt, 1884, ana up
TO April Il, 1882 when you cane in, and you con
tinued theme until the last false voucher was paid
January -, 1881, the period Was almost equslly
divided between yourself and your pre-
dereSSor. How much of the Sd3000
paid out under yourself and how
much under your predecessor your letter
does not show; hut, sir, upon the question that |
was discussing does il make any difference who
was secretary when the false vouchers We're paid
argued that cases like this when frauds are con
cealed in vaults or in the books of the depart
ment, the only remedy of the people is by a
change of control SO that the books and vouchers
Sh all come under the examination of new and dis
interested men. Do you think | am an wered
when you say was mistaken in supposng that
in this case the frauds We're all under Your admin
Stration when i'll fact part of them
extended back into that of Your
predecessors? Why, sir, that makes
your case worse for the bureau of medicine
li11S lnfn In he
serious fact is that il could and did extend through
two administrations of the department, period
of nearly four years without detection But ii
becomes more serious. far as you are tndivd-
ually concerned, when the fact is considered that
you had notice and yet took no sufficient action.
The information upon which | spoke was from
Washington the 36th of last month by the asSo-
ciated press. the same that brings me your let
tera The associated press obtained its informa-
the investigating committee: If you
were not correctly reported, that
time for the complaint and correction. You tes-
titled that the total of the suspicious vouchers
discovered 50 far was about S63,0O0. and that
money fraudule silly obtained was in some instan
ceS divided between watchnan in the depart
men, the chief clerk and kIrkwood in charge of
the accounts. Now what notice had You, accord
ing to the associated press report of your teSti-
mony you received a letter last year charging
Carrigau one Of the parties with drunkenness,
and after that man came TO you and told you
that kirkwood and Cavegore were engaged in
frauds Did not that put you upon the notice, and
at the investigation you testified that some in
quiry was mad and that the conclusion was that
while there were some suspicious circumstances
they did not warrant the conclusion of guilt.
After notice verbal and in writing. you left the
men in Office you did not bring frauds to light,
nor guilty parties to punishment. 1t was Gov
ernment Detective Wood who discovered the
frauds and the associated press report says Wood
declared that he would have no further dealings
with your department, but would press an invest
igation before congress. What is your next
cusey Worse, if possible, than all before You
say large number Of cor grossmen, including
some gentlemen of great influence and
position, recommended that the head of the
bureau, DR.. Wales, should be reappointed
Members of congress know nothing of frauds
they had no opportunity to know. 1t was within
your reach and duty. They were probably his
personal friends, you Were his official superb
or but in fact did you reappoint himY uuder
stand not. Perhaps the detective disc vered the
frauds too soon, but DR. Wales was not one of
the three guilty parties He neither forged,
vouchars no embeZzled money. His response
bity in this case is just the same as your own.
He was official superior os the rogues as you
of himself well as them.
Neither he nor yourself exposed frauds or punish
ed the parties, have not thought of or consider
ed this as a case of politics. In addressing my
neighbors said that this and like cases would
admonisl them to demand civil service reform i'll
the removal of all from Office who will not seek to
promote it within the sphere of their official duty
and authority. Respectfully,
r. A. HESDniCKs