Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-01
JUSTICES HIRED THIEVES
THE CRIMES IN BREWSTER;S
DEPARTMENT DETAILED.

/ the Appointing POwers-Instances of
the Ingenious Methods Resorted to
by the Raseals-Alleged Culprits Who
| Live Near Home.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30.-During the
last session Of Congress, the Committee
on Expenditures in the Department OF
Justice examined a large number Of wit
nesses relative TO charges against the
government made by United States
Marshals, United States supervisors of
elections and other officers appointed by
or connected with the Department of
Justice. A report based upon the testi-
mony taken has been made for submits
sion 10 the House Of Representatives upon
the reassembling of Congress. 1t is
signed by the Democratic members of the
] committee. The Republican members
will submit minority report. In making
| observations on the appointment OF
United states officials, the report saws:
| A stream never rises above its source. and
| as long as those who possess the power Of ap-
| pointing these officers have no appreciation
| 0I the true dignity OF the public service. and
/ regard the Offices only a reward TO be be-
| slowed upon their most unscrupulous political
] allies, there Is not much reason to hope for
/ any great Improvement in the character Of
| our appointed officials.
| The report continues:
/ ic LGsllluDuE before the committee clearly
/ shows that utter inefiiciency and criminal
| practices nave prevailed in many parts OF
/ TINS branch OF the pub ic service for many
| years past, and that the government has been
/ a heayy loser thereby. There is a sameness
as also variety in the testimony. The inves-
| ugattOn reveals the wonderful unanImitv
/ win winch these officers of almost every
gtaue nave plundered the public treasury bv
/ iaise, fraudulent and fictitious charges, and
YET the variety IN the ways and means bv
| Whlch they have worked their schemes is
1 md aFr HN.aNe
taxed their ingenuity to the utmost to find
/ modes Of accomplishing the one unhalowed
! purpose OF getting money they were not en-
| titled to,
SOME OF THEIR CRIMES.
! They have charged for arrests that were not
peri rmed, for travel that was not performed
| Tor expenses that were not incurred, and for
! guards that were not employed. They know
/ lREly rendered false accounts against the gov
| ernment, Incorporating the public funds
| became defauters TO the government and TO
| the courts; increased the accounts after they
| were made Up. made up accounts in the name
Of hctltlOus persons, arrested persons upon
lalse charges worked up by themselves, eX-
| torted money from private citizens and in
| ways without number have swindled the gov
/ ernment and oppressed the people.
| The late Marshal of South Carolina is
! charged with nine Illegal acts during an in
! cumbency OF twelve or eighteen months. 1t
/ Is charged that he made returns to the gov
| ernment of only about one-hfth OF the fines
| and commissions earned by him in civil cases
! and that he presented for payment accounts
! of Deputy Marshals when he knew thev con-
/ tanned false. fraudulent and fictitious items
! The report says:
CRIMINAL INGENUITY.
| One practice deserves special mention, as
eNhiDltlng the ingenuity of the officers in
| eyadlng the law and the shameful prostitution
| OF the powers Of their Office for unworthy
| ends. Frivolous and veXatiOus prosecutions
| had been so common that an effort was made
| to stop 1t and an order was issued that no
United states Commissioner should issue a
| warrant Of arrest in internal revenue cases
without an afndavit from an internal revenue
| officer that he had examined the case and that
| the prosecution should be had. In order to
/ establish cases deputy marshals secured an
| polntments as revenue officers so as to be able
| 10 make the official affidavit required. Then
| iney worked up the case as deputy marshals
signed the afidavits as deputy collectors. and
/ then served the warrants as deputy marshals,
| IN this way completely nullifying the order
| made Tor the protection Of citizens. Many
| warrants of this character were signed IN
| blank blanks to be filed by inserting the
names of persons thereafter to be
discovered and arrested for alleged offenses.
One man who was a special deputy marshal. |
special deputy collector and stOrekeeper and
gauger, had fifty of these warrants signed in
blank. Armed with these he was prepared to |
arrest any person he might see ft upon any
charge imaginable in violation of the revenue |
laws. 1t would be difficult to devise a scheme |
by which more completely to nullify a care
fully laid down law for the guidance of these |
officials, nor one by which the dearest rights |
Of citizens could be more thoroughly trampled |
under foot.
SOME OF THE THEFTS.
The result of the Investigations of the |
late Marshaps official actions and dOings
show that in about one year and half IS, $50 !
in money advanced him by the government |
could not be accounted for. and the excessive |
and Illegal fees charged amounted to S6,524, |
making total deficiency of Sll,774.
o. Z. FitzsimOns, eXMarshal of Georgia, |
Is charged with illegally obtaining and re-
tanning $23 600, including SlLsO0 ''unjustly !
| Withheld 0enutleS
TO his own use.o
In the accounts of Gen. Longstreet. ex-
Marshal of Georgia, covering about one year.
1.-The Department has disallOWed about $4,000 |
as being illegal and excessive"
OF the accounts OF Marshal Osborn, of Ala |
bama, the fraudulent and excessive charges
amounted to 81 400.
THE ELECTION SUPERVISORS.
An examination of the accounts of the chief |
supervisors and supervisors of elections does
not reveal as much fraud as that of the mar
shalS offices. 1t is very probable, however,
tnat all Of il has not vet been discovered.
For the Congressional election of 1882 the ac-
count of Mr.. Davenport as chief supervision |
Tor the southern District OF New York |
amounted to S23,676, Of which 81, 236 was dis |
allowed, aud he was paid sl9,949. This is the |
account OF one Office only. In addition to this |
there was paid to supervisors in that district |
| Sj6.439. and in the whole State of New York |
| these officers cost the United States Govern
meut in that election $4,000. This is in ad- |
ditiOn to Sl9,949 paid MIR. Davenport as chief |
supervisor. In the Eastern District Of New
| York the accounts of Chief Supervisor
| Allan amounted to over $4,000 for the cleo
tiOn of 1882, and OF this over $1,000 was disal
| lowed. The examinations from Feb. ], |
| 1881, to Jan. ]. 1884, by the department eX-
| dminers show 265 cases with disallOwances
ammOuntlng to S34l .H0S. This sum only shows |
/ the amount of illegal fees that have been
actually discovered IN time to stop their pay
| ment, and, no doubt, is a small sum compared |
with the amount that has been paid without |
| objection. When we consider the amounts of |
money that have been taken from the Treas |
ury, and the tyrannical bearing of |
these Inscriptions officials % we may |
aminer in saying "that the abuses Of the fee |
system are not confined 10 aEy district or sec !
BILE exceptions. so prevalent and odiOus that |
| il is not to be wondered at that the deputy |
marshals and deputy collectors OF internal |
revenue have been shot down as though they |
were enemies of the people," such a sys- |
tematic scheme OF Cefrauding the public and |
harassing peaceable citzens Of the United /
states is, OF course, without any possible jus
tIfcatiOn or excuse.
STRANGE N THE EXTREME.
IL does seem that if those high in position, |
and having the appointing power, had made |
any reasonable enort 10 secure honest men |
they would have met with better success. In |
fact. il is hard 10 understand how any man, /
unless himself an expert IN these wicked |
practices and skilled in discriminating be- |
tweeE bad men, could have succeeded in /
selecting so many bad public officials But the |
very peculiar civil service rules adopted in /
the appOintment ana promotion OF TINS class Il
of Offices viii doubtless account Tor some of /
the had results.
one of the most Hagrant acts of injustice to
the people OF Montana was the restoration OF /
Associate Justice COnger to Office By the Pres /
ident. He had been removed because he had
been shown to be totally unfit, morally and /
otherwise, for the place.
SOME OF THE REFORMS RECOMMENDED.
The report concludes: - our committee in a /
sormer report to the House at this session rec
commended the abolition Of the cOrrupting fee |
system as a means Of cOmpensating certain /
court officials, and tie iZing of definite sala-
ries for United States District Attorneys ana /
Marshals, Many other reforms were pro-
posed, especial " IN reference to the fees of |
United States Commissioners and Clerks of
the Circuit and District Courts. The /
House with great unanimity incorporated
the recommendation into the sundry civil
appropriation bill, but the Senate refused TO
agree 10 these much needed reforms, and they |
thus failed to be enacted into law. The re-
forms proposed reduced the court expenses
over S5OO. 600 per year below the amounts ap-
propriEted and expended during the last fiscal |
veaF. 1t Is the opinion of your committee |
that the passage Of the legislative provisions
recommended and an economical adnlnlstra-
tiOn of the offices of the United States Court |
officials wOuld result in the annual saving Of
a much larger sum of money than the amount
above. Investigations have disclosed wantOn
waste Of the public revenues and criminal
disregard Of the rights ana safeguards of the
people.
Charcoal Iron Workers.
ST. IoTTIS. Sept. 30.-The United States