Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1884-10-30
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER, 80, 1884.
A Valuable Machine.
Chicago Inter Ocean.

Chicago Inter Ocean.
II patent automatic, self adjusting
lie-sxpOser and: political flea-cracksr
could be attached to Democratic orators
like Hendricks, Bayard and George A..
Post in this campaign there would be a
great hauling off of Democratic speakers
and most of them would be in the dry
dock undergoing repairs. Post, Secre-
tary of the Democratic Congressional
committee, recently undertook to deny
the truth Of the official statement made
by Acting Secretary Coon, of the Treas
ury Department, showing the losses in
the receipts and disbursements of public
moneys from the beginning of the gov
ernment down to June 30, 1883.
The statement was first made pursu-
ant to resolution of the Senate in 1876,
and has been renewed and continued to
date every four years since. Mr.. Post
apparently never having become famil-
lar with it, thought it was some new
campaign dodge prepared at the Repub-
lican headquarters and sent in to Mr..
Coon to sign, and which he naturally
signed without examination" some
what as Mayor Oakley Hall used to certi-
fy to Tweeds court house bills. Secre-
tary Post therefore made counter state
ment to the official statement of the
Treasury Department and proceeded to
but against the facts.
He took the nominal amounts sued for
by the Solicitor Of the Treasury during
sthe past three years, deducted from the
total amount claimed the amount actu-
ally collected, and charged that the bal
ance was the amount of the defalcatiOns
of that year. He also took the principal
sum of all unadjusted defalcatiOns with
out crediting the sums collected from
bondsmen. On this basis he was able to
aver, which he did very stoutly, that in
stead of the total dsfxlcatiOns under the
Arthur administration from its begin
ming to June 30, 1888, being only 1894
90, as certified by the Treasury Depart
ment, it was $l,550,S0027. Then in the
same speech by different set OF items,
which, however, Mr.. Post also sOlemnly
averred to be correct. he made the dsfal-
cations of the Arthur administration
amount to 5000, 800.29.
Just then Secretary Mcpherson applies
the patent automatic self-adjusting lie
expOser and political flea cracker. This
instrument separates the sums claimed
in suits carefully from the sums actual.
ly found to be due, distinguishes between
principal defalcatiORs and government
losses remaining after recourse to sure
ties has been exhausted, sorted out from
Posts statements the defalcatiOns which
do not relate to the period referred to
whether being of date prior or subse-
quent to that period, and 10! of the six
million certified by the valiant Pos
there remains only the humble fgurei
found in the Treasury Department.
Just now public audiences should be-
ware of Democratic lightning calulatOrs
especially Post, Hendricks and Bayard
Hendricks little story told to the Demo
cratic convention about defalcatiOn il
the surgical department, without men
tioning that the surgical defaulter is ,
Democrat appointed on the request o.
Randall and Carlisle, both of whom
smiled curiously as they heard Hendricks
make the point, should immOrtaliz,
Hendricks as joker. And Bayard! why
if the patent automatic self-adjustini
lie expOser and political fea-cracke
could be fastened near Bayard's cOunte
nance so as to correct his falsehOOds a
fast as he utters them he could not max
a speech at all.