The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-10-01
MORE CORRUPTION.
The Very Startling Majority Report Of
the Springer Committee.
HOW THE REVENUES ARE WASTED
Cunning Methods of United states Mar.
shalls--rhe Texas Case and One Far
Worse In Illinois, Abolishing
the Fee System-Et

| WASHINGTON, Sept 30.-The majority
report of the Springer committee on
United States Marshas' accounts, is
made public. 1t is signed by the Demo-
cratic members OF the committee, and
says;
"a stream never rises above its source
and as long as those WI possess the
power OF appointing these GERS, have
no appreciation of the dignity of
the public service, and lrd offices
| only AS reward be- bestowed npon
their most unscrupnlous political allies,
there is not much reason to hope for any
great improvement In tho character Of
our appointed officials.
Testimony before the committee
clearly shows thu utter ineniciency and
crinAnal practices have prevailed i'm
naEf parts ot tbit branch OF the public
serNNp for many years past. and that
the &Nernment hos been heavy loser
thelH There y q sameness ~ also
Vart@ III the testimony. The inNosti-
| CATION reveals thteWonderful unanimitv
withNhich tho officers participated in
alnlgst every fraud, and in several por-
tom Of the country have plundered the
pubic treasury hY false, fraudulent and
fictiuhus charges, sand yet the variety in
the rvpys and ldeans by which they
have Worked their schemes is equally
curinfs, and shows they have taxed their
ingenuity tothe usmostto find modes for
accomplishing the one unhallowed pur-
pososf getting money they were not en-.
tiled to. They charged for arrests not
mad9 for travel not performed for ex-
penses not incurred, for guards not en-
ployed; and they knowingly rendered
false accounts against the government,
miSppropriated public funds, became
deiaultors to the government and To
courts, increased accounts after they
were made up, accounts In the name of
hctltious persons; arrested persons upon
lalse charges worked up by themselves.
eNt1rled money from private citizens,
and I'm ways without number have
swiihled the goveHiment and oppressed
tho people.
Nhmorous illegal acts are cited on the
part of the United States Marshals In
| thesSouthern States, in proof of above
chatges, the report calls special atten-
tonto practices exhibiting the ingenuity
OF the officers in CVading the law and
the shameful prostitution of the powers
OF their Office, icr unworthy ends
Frivolous and VeNatious prosecutions
had becn so common that an offer was
made to stop il, and an order was issued
that no United States Commissioner
should issue a warrant Of arrest i'm in
lcrhHl revenue cases without affidavit
nom tho Internal Revenue officer that
ne had examined the case and that tho
prosecution ought to be had In order
to oNado this the deputy marshals
secured appointments as revenue of
iicors, 50 aS to BE- able to make tho
official affidavit required. They then
worked up cases as deputy marshals,
Ngned the 0ilida' 5 as deputy col
lectors and then SCI cd the warrant as
deputy marshals, ~ this way com
pletSly nullifving ,he order made for
J the protection OF egA as II would be
diliMnit TO devise a.. heme by which
the dearest rights OF iI,a. suid b,
morp thoroughly trad led lnder foot.
Continuing, th0 report says: "rhC
,-os.lmouy shows that Stillweli III. Rus
sell, rs marshal of tho Western district
ot Texas, so managed the affairs OF his
Office that IN about tnrae years $4,000 OF
Government funds PASSED through his
hands in such a mysterious man
ncf that IL could rot be-
accounted for, besides amounts Illegally
takon from his dcptlos aud which VIZ
capnOt ascertain. The marshal carried
of the books belonging 10 his Office,
SWindlod private citizens, and accord
ing 10 testimony, wholesale forgery was
committed In Ills Oh.ce FOR the purpose
OF defrauding the government. Russell
was Indicted, tried and convicted, and IN
now serving out his term of sentence in
the Southern Illinois penitentiGry at
Chester.
In regard 10 the partial investigation
OF the Southern district OF Illinois dur
ing the Wheeler lucuInhency as mar
shsl, the report says, "Thero appears
from testimony ~ ha = controversy be-
tween Marshal Wheeler and bis
former chioi deputy, ten. j. ". Roeco,
a. ~ which uf thenfis responsible for
tue false aud iictitious accounts render
cd against the gOyer;gnent. As 10 that
We have noihirg % say, but it is clear
that Marshal Whseler cOnuOt FREQ him
son from his just responsibility by lay
tcg the blame for Meso Illegal acts On
subordinatos wholni1Ie selected and aI,-
painted TO porfOruf the duIies OF hla
ONCE, Marshal " Deeler admits under
oath that his sdm. Illustration has been
exceedingly loose nd imperfect, and
that false, fraudulent and fictitious
Charges have crapt into his nc
counts. UntortunsAly for Wheeler aud
other officers who make similar confess
sions, their offices worO never 40 loosely
managed rs 10 causb them to suffer any
loss; all losses Operated to n dlsads
vantage Of the Government. in no
single Instance do,sSt appear they ever
charged less than tBey were entitled 10,
and In the majority of cases they
charged for more tlan the law allowed.
Of john Hall, who was marshal in the
western district Of Pennsylvania FOR
nine consecutive years, the report SAYS:
| "lte actually returrUd as earned during
these nine years $JS803, when in fact ne
had really earned $lS5ajl. This spirit
OF speculation secured nc one time reach
up 10 examiner deiartment,h We may
Wall agree, SAYS pac report, with the
chief examiner In tAying that the abuses
I os tAo 100 system are not confined to
any district or s~,tlon of tho country,
hut arc, with n fow nota-
bie exceptions, 20 prevalent and
80 obvious that 1t isnot to be Wondered
NJ that deputy marshals and deputy In.
| tcTuM revenue colliciJrs havo boen set
iowa as j, they we'e tho enemies OF the
| people, such n syatematic scheme OF
detrauding tho public aud haErassing
peMeHbIo citizens 0f lhe country Is Of
course without any possible justiiica,
tion or excuse. IL DIES seem as ii those
IN ldgh positions having appointing
| power had made any reasonable effort
~ secure honest ahd' capable mon they
would have met with better. slcrass. In
fact IL is hard to understand how any
man, unless himsSff gn expert ia these
wicked practices WElalled padiscrimi+
natcly Ia hid mbIff oond
succeed in seltriing Aoi many
dlsroputablc public officials, but h very
peculiar civil soryiee rule adopted In the
appointment and pShfDtion or this class
oi officials, viii fdnbtless account for
somo Of the had Jeshlts. Tho report
moro names soveV ,othcialswho were
rewarded bY promdN0ii or Otherwise, In
spite o. Illegal acts,!Rnd says!
with such q sydtin for the selection
and advancement Qf officials, itis MOTTO