Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-07
THE UsEoF PUBLIC PROPERTY.
Formerly FOR ,idden and How 1t is Now
Abused.

Howell Cobb, Mr.. Buchanan's Secre-
tary of the Treasury, says a Washington
special to the Philadelphia Times, en-
ployed the revenue cutter Harriet Lane
to take party of friends on a pleasure
trip down the Potomac. When Mr..
Buchanan heard Of it he sent for the Sec
rotary and admonished him that the act
was without the warrant of law, and that
honesty required him to pay the cost into
the Treasury. The President concluded
by saying: 1.-The use of public property
for private benefit or pleasure will not be
tolerated. 1t Is grave Offense." Mr..
Cobb paid. On a subsequent occasion
Mr.. Buchanan's favorite niece, Miss
Lane, who was the mistress of the White
House, aYailed herself of the same vessel
to take party of friends up the Hudson
to West Point. The President, on hearing
of it, addressed her a letter, expressing
dissatisfaction and sorrow that member
OF his own household should have been
guilty Of an act which could not be toler-
ated in the most insignificant of public
employees.
The TallapO0sa was lost while she was
on a protracted frolic, according to the
custom of the present administration
above all others. The custom has been
growing along with other evils which In
Buchanan's time would have led to the
impeachment of the guilty officials.
President Arthur, instead of rebuking the
practice, adopts it's himself and by his
example encourages officials not to hest
tate to use public property in the same
and other ways. Had the Tallapoosa
been lost under the same circumstances
before the present degeneracy had OBJ
tanned a hold on the government, the
Secretary Of the Navy would have been
dismissed in disgrace and held respensi-
bic for the lost property. Not so now,
however. Instead Of that another vessel
is appropriated for the use of the frolick-
ers. 1t ought to have been a warning to
them that on the very day Chandler went
aboard the frigate Tennessee she bumped
on rock and narrowly escaped destruc-
ton. Her loss, too, is regarded as not
improbable.
That a vessel engaged in frolicking
along the coast should be lost is but natu-
raj. The Tallapoosa more than once es-
capped the fate that finally sent her to the
bottom. She was always well stored
with liquors of every kind. The use of it
was not confined to the Secretary and his
frolicking friends. On one occasion,
when the President and Secretary both
were aboard, high officers of the vessel
were under its influence fact that took
special efforts and strict orders to keep
from the public. The TallapOOsa's end
was considered only a question of time
by old sailors. 1t was deemed inevitable
80 long as she was employed as a frolick-
ing vessel along a coast to navigate which
at all times requires sober brain. or
course, an official who will appropriate
to his use one part of the public property
will not be troubled by scruples as to any
other that he may want, either for his
pleasure or profit. When high officials
do such things openly hundreds of lesser
ones may for a certainty be counted on to
do them in secret. 1t is safe to say that
at least a dozen government craft of
different kinds are at this moment on
frolicking excursions, under the pretence
of inspection. Last summer a revenue
cutter was for a considerable time lost
sight of and there were fears that she had
gone down. Finally she was heard of in a
secluded place, where she had been taken,
on a pleasure trip by governmentoficia
the better to enjoy himself. She, too
came near being lost. Lesser DANA
ages to vessels while thus employed are
seldom heard Of, and there can be no
knowing how great is the cost which
otherwise would not have existed.