Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-07-01
Turn the Raseals Out!

All the departments at Washington have
recently furnished examples of the corrup-
ton which taints every branch of the pub
lie service. These illustrations have been
supplied by officials who held important
trusts, and who have stood high iu the Re-
publican household as patriots of the purest
sort.
The stealings of Burnside are now traced
back through eight years, but nobody has
yet reached an accurate knowledge of their
aggregate amount. Burnside began opera
tions in the year of the Great Fraud, when
Grantism was in its last months OF official
tenure. He stole from the contingent fund,
from the salary fund, and frsm the pro ceeds
of the sales of furniture and waste p.spe1
intrusted to the disbursing agent.
Robert G. Morgan, lately disbursing eLi-
Ger of the Department of State, turns out
to be defaulter for large amount in the
very sanctuary of diplomacy.
Daniel Carrigan, formerly chief clerk,
and Edward C. Kirkwood, disbursing Off
Ger of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery,
have been engaged for years in swindling
the Navy Department by fraudulent vouch-
ers, and this has been done by COLLISION
with outsiders.
O. D. Cole, disbursing agent Of the Bu-
reau of Engraving and Printing, was
caught in malfeasance and allowed to re-
sign.
John Hall, lately United States Marshal
of the Western District of Pennsylvania,
grabbed $153, 1916, according to the tes-
timony before the Springer committee.
The internal revenue service is crowded
with extortionists, plunderers and vicious
officials who abuse power to make money,
and who make the Government odious by
corrupt tyranny.
The Indians are openly robbed in the
name of enlightened civilization. Con-
gress creates national park for the recrea-
tson of the people, and the Interior De-
partment converts the benefit into q job.
These and similar rascalities are cropping
out all over the country. They furnish
striking proofs of the rottenness of the
public service, and Of the absolute necessity
of heroic treatment in order to save our
imperilled institutions.
The alarming feature in these develop
ments is that in ninety-nine cases out OF a
hundred the thieves are men who have
been held in esteem, and who have used
their long experience in Office to swindle
the Treasury, by artful and daring devices
which were encouraged by loose accounts
bilty and general Generalization.
THE Civil-Service Reform act is a posi-
tive pro lection for these rascals. If Burn
side or any of his confederates had been
removed from office before their stealings
were discovered, there would have been a
howl of indie nation from the professional
reformers wEo advocate life term of Office.
Investi cations and exposure have failed
to provide remedy for these evils. In
vestigations have too often been perverted
from their intention by sinister influences.
Venal ofic ials are Indifferent to publicity,
because they know too many secrets to be
in fear of punishment or of removal. A
complete change in the administrator OF
the Govern ment offers the only prospect OF
real reform. Nothing but the overthrow
of the Repu lblican party Will ever reveal
the hidden crimes Of the last twenty years
of corrupt ule.-Ne,o York Sun.