The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-17
FIFTH AUDITOR ALEXANDER.
An Efficient and Capable Official who In
sisted on Doing His Duty.

sisted on Doing His Duty.
Washington Special.
Considering the fathfulness with which the
Republican party has rewarded the politicians
who served it with government Offices, it is not
to be wondered at that the present administra-
tion wants to fill all places OF responsibility with
men Of its own choosing. but under that higher
idea of the public service which is coming into
vogue-an idea that public officials should be re-
warded for their services to the government that
pays their salaries and not for their services to
political party or parsonage. a man like Fifth
Auditor Alexander would be retained in the
government employ if practicable. 1t is not
at all certain that Mr. Alexander would not
have staid had he desired it, but, expecting as
a matter of course that with the advent Of a
Democratic administration he would have to co.
he made arrangements some time ago to enter a
law firm, and, the time having arrived for him
to carry out his engagements he has asked to
be relieved. Mr.. Alexander has done two things
in the four years he has held Office which re-
quired some courage and good deal OF work.
aud which deserve to be remembered Up to
his time from the foundation of the government
the expenditures of consuls and ministers under
the State Departments appropriation for con-
tingent expenses had never been audited. They
are supposed to have been examined in the State
Department, but there is no officer there en-
powered by law to audit the accounts, and no
examination they got there was legal auditing.
1t was customary for the department to send to
the Fifth Auditor a mere statement of
the objects for which the money had
been spent and his action on the statement
was confined to pro torma approval. Ot
course, it was not an auditing at all. lie never
saw the vouchers, and had no knowledge of his
own regarding the expenditures. MIR Alexander
decided as soon as he became Fifth Auditor that
it was part Of his sworn duty to really audit
these expenditures; and he sent to the State
Department for the vouchers They were de-
clined on the ground that they had been exam
ined in the department that the Secretary of
State had certified to their correctness, and that
from the origin of the government that had been
held to be enough Mr. Alexander said it wasn't
enough; that his approval Of the accounts was
something that the law made him responsible
for and he was not going to approve anything
that he did not know anything about lie began
his fight when Mr. Blaine was Secretary of State,
and he continued it under Secretary FreliDg-
huysen. Both Of them took strong ground
against his claim, and insisted that
only the approval of the approval
of some unknown clerk under them. was final
The matter came up in Cabinet meeting moro
than once The two Secretaries of State in
sisted on their supposed prerogatives, and there
was an effort to get the contumacious Alexander
removed and replaced by somebody who was
willing to let things go on just as he found them
without asking whether they right or
wrong But Comptroller Lawrence came to the
defense of the auditor. The accounts had TO go
to him after Mr. Alexander got through with
them, and Judge Lawrence refused to approve
the accounts unless the State Department sub
mitted all the vouchers. The First Comptroller
is very important functionary under the gov
ernment. Not one cent of money can be drawn
out of the Treasury without his consent. 1t was
not deemed polite to remove the First Comp
troller and the Fifth Auditor for the offense Of
insisting on seeing the vouchers for the expendi-
lures of public moneys, so the State Department
backed down as gracefully as possible, and Mr..
Alexander won his point