The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-11-06
AN AMERICAN SCANDAL.

a majority report OF the Com
mittce on Expenditures in the Depart
mcnt Of Justice, United States, has
been prepared for submission TO the
House of Representatives upon the
reassembling of Congress. The re-
port expresses hopelessncss for any
great improvement in the character
of appointed officials. so long as
public offices are regarded only ms
rewards to be bestowed upon the
most unscrupulous political allies of
those having the appointing power.
Introducing the result of investiga-
tions, the report says:
The testimony before the com
mittee clearly shows that utter inefli-
cheney and criminal practices have
prevailed in many parts of this
branch OF the public service for many
years past, and that the Government
has been heavy loser thereby.
There is a samcncss, rs also a varl-
city, in the testimony. The investi-
cation reveals the wonderful unani-
mity with which these officers Of
almost every grade and in the several
portions of the country have plunder-
ed the public treasury by false,
fraudulent and fictitious charges,
and yet the variety in the ways and
means by which they have worked
their schemes is equally curious, and
shows that they have taxed their in
genuity TO the utmost to find modes
of accomplishing the one unhallowed
purpose of getting money they were
not entitled to. They have charged
for arrests that were not made, for
travel that was not performed, for
expenses that were not incurred, for
guards that were not employed.
They knowingly rendered false ac-
counts against the Government,
misappropriatcd public funds, be-
came defaultcrs to the Government
and the Courts, increased accounts
after they were made up, made up
accounts in the name Of fictitious
persons, arrested persons upon false
charges worked up by themselves,
eXtortcd money from private citizens,
and in ways without number have
swindled the Government and OPP
pressed the people.
Instances are then given in large
number of the official vagaries Of
judicial officers, only one or two of
which need here he reproduced as
fair samples of the whole. The late
Marshal of South Carolina is charged
with nine illegal acts during an in
cumbency of twelve or fifteen
months, with making returns to the
Government Of only about one-iifth
Of the fees and commissions earned
by him in civil cases, and presenting
for payment accounts of Deputy
Marshals when lie knew they con-
tanned false, fraudulent and fictitious
items. When frivolous and veXO.
tious prosecutions had led to the
issuance of an order that no United
States Commissioner should issue q
warrant of arrest in internal revenue
cases without an affidavit from an
internal revenue officer who had
examined the case, the Deputy Mar
shals secured appointments as
revenue officers, and were then in n
position to work up case rs Deputy
Marshal, sign the required affidavit
as Deputy Collector, and then serve
the warrant as Deputy Marshal,
They kept a large supply of war
rants signed in bIauk, armed with
which they were prepared to arrest
any person they might see fit upon
any charge imaginable, in violation
of the revenue laws. OF seventy
deputies employed in South Carolina,
the accounts of fully one-half had
been examined, and there was not
one without flaw, and in the naio-
rity of cases there was absolute dis
honesty. In about year and Il hall