The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-08-22


What has been done during the
brief administration of the Demo
cratic party to purify the civil SER
vice and for the benefit of the coun-
try cannot be too strongly empha-
sized or too prominently placed be-
fore the public. For years charges
Of irregularity and corruption had
been made by the Democrats against
the Republicans, and the latter had
strenuously and persistently denied
the soft impeachment. When, after
Mr.. Jordan's appointment as Treas
urer, and before he assumed the du-
ties of that Office, count was made
of all the cash in the vaults, and
that count was found to be correct
in accordance with the balances in
the books, the Republican press
made great deal of noise over that
fact and declared that they welcomed
investigation, for no matter how
searching an examination was made
everything would be found correct.
The new administration said moth
ing, but went quietly to work with
its inquiries. The results thus far
cannot be very gratifying to the
party lately in power. In nearly
every department of the Government
evidences of carelessness, negligence,
gross irregularity and corruption
have been found, and the investiga-
ton has only just commenced. In
the Agricultural Department it was
ascertained that exorbitant prices
had been paid for worthless seeds;
that seed of no value to the farmers
of the country had been purchased
in large quantities because the sell
lers happened to be friends of the
purchasing agent; that moneys APP
propriated for specific purposes had
been diverted to other uses, and that
the whole business of the department
had been so tangled up that nearly
all of the employees had to be fur
Laughed before the expiration of the
fiscal year because there were no
funds left out of which to pay
them.
In the Attorney Generals office
the reckless and excessive employ
ment of Deputy United States
Marshals was promptly stopped, and
other reforms have been inaugurated
which have been not only in the in
terest of economy, but also have rem
dered the service more efficient.
In the Interior Department extern
sive frauds in the public lands have
been discovered and measures taken
to bring the perpetrators to justice
and to recover the lands fraudu-
lently obtained back to the public
domain. The Indian question, which
has proved for many years such a
serious source of annoyance and APP
prehension, has been boldly met and
settled by ordering the eattlemen,
who have swindled the Indians out
of vast tracts of territory by pretend
ed leases, to vacate at once.
In the Navy Department improve
ments have been made in the system
of bookkeeping, and Secretary Whit
ney has done the country most
important service in the firm and
business-like manner in which he
has treated the question of construc-
ton and repair. He declined to ac-
cept the Dolphin because she was
not up to the specifications of the
contract. When Roach found that
he could not foist a badly construct
ed boat upon the Government he
made an assignment of his property,
thinking that by this means he
would embarrass the Secretary in
regard to the completion of the other
four vessels which he had commenc-
ed. Mr.. Whitney met the issue
squarely, and has informed Mr..
Roach and his assignees that he pro-
poses to take possession of his works,
and that the Government will COM
plete the cruisers, giving to Mr..
Roach any profit that there may be
or to charge to him any cost over
the contract price.
In the Treasury Department i'm
portant reform have been instituted
in almost every bureau. In the Blu
reau of Engraving and Printing over
a hundred surplus employees were
dismissed, the methods of work were
simplified and it is expected that
other consultations will yet take
place. The investigation of the
Coast Survey revealed a most demon
allied condition of things which had
been going on for years. Costly in
struments made for the department
had been diverted to private chan
nels, women were found upon the
rolls who performed little or no duty,
books were given away and money
was squandered in a variety of ways.
The chief and some of his subordi-
mates were shown to have been adj
dicted to the immoderate use of liq-
uor and the whole bureau was shown
to he in disreputable state. This
is the result of one of the first pro-
bings by Secretary Manning, and
others are in progress, which will, no
doubt, show similar Irregularities.
The instances mentioned are suf-
ficient to show the benefits of a
change of administration and, as
these have been ACCOMPLISHED in tho |