Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-28

! Senator Sherman, in his speech, Wed
/ nesday opening the Ohio campaign, stated
/ that it was matter Of great satisfaction
/ To him that the present administration
had not been able to discover that the
+ Republican party had been guilty Of any
/ crookelness during the twenty. four years
/ that II had possession Of the government.
The fact that a count of the cash in the
Treasury showed that all the money was
there which the books called for will
always be parsded by the Republican
press and orators as evidence that the
Republicans administered the government
honestly and economically. Even though
1t should be shown that millions Of dollars
were wasted, and other millions appro-
priated to purposes for which there was
scarcely any warrant in law, the Republi-
cans will point to the Treasury count as
proof that not dollar ever found it's way
wrongfully into Republicans pocket.
The people, however, will not be slow
to understand that there are other ways
Of getting money improperly out OF the
Treasury than to walk into the Treasury
vaults and carry it OF.
Within the last two or three days facts
have been brought to light showing a
reckless and Unauthorized expenditure
Of money. 1t seems that the court OF
Alabama claims has on its payroll
score of persons for whose employ
ment there is no authority in
law. Some Of these employees
are the sons or near relatives Of promi-
nent Republican leaders. One of them is
the son Of Mr.. James G.. Blaine. These
favored relatives have each, for years,
been drawing an amount annually that
would make Georgia farmer feel rich.
They have rendered no service worth
mentioning, and have been rather in the
way than servicesble.
A few days ago when a warrant was
drawn for their salaries the First Comp
troller of the Treasury said, with con-
siderable emphasis, that he wouldn't APP
prove it. These lucky sons OF lately inf1u-
entail relatives are now thinking that they
are very unlucky. To have their incomes,
on which they depend for their bread and
butter. suddenly stopped is not at all to
their liking, and they and their influen-
tial relatives have induced the court TO
lock horns, as it were, with Comptroller
Durham. and make fight for the privi-
lege of distributing cash to whom it
pleases and at its own sweet will. The
court, however, viii find Comptroller Dur
ham a fighter, and hard-headed one at
that. 1t will be glad to withdraw from
the contest before it proceeds very far.
10 Id .fafr hot
the court itself has been exercising Its tai
ents to discover ways to pTolOng IT'S exist
ence. There are those who entertain the
opinion that if il had been diligenti il might
have closed up the Alabama business
long before this. There are yet, however,
between two and three thousand cases to
be disposed of and the court expires by
limitation in December. AS long vaca-
tion was taken in the early part of the
summer, and the court does not meet
again until Oct. b, it looks as if 1t could
not pass upon all of them unless it is
granted new lease of life. Perhaps it is
working for a new lease. The places
which the members of the court hold are
very comfortable ones and pay excellent
salaries. But whether the court gets a
new lease OF life or not it is certain that it
will not be permitted to spend money in
the unauthorized and extravagant way
that 1t has been doing.
1t seems also that little of the crook
edness that had its source in the Pension
bureau during the DAYS Of Republican
rule has been discovered. II Mr.. Sher-
man and other Republican orators have
proper regard for the truth they will not
tell the people that the Republican sd-
ministration of the government was hon
est and economical.