National Republican., 1885-08-10
THE CASE OF PAYMASTER GEN
ERAL SMITH.

trial OF Paymaster General Joseph A.
Smith, United States navy. The high
standing Of the accused in social and
business circles, his recognized ability
as an officer, his brilliant war record,
aud the peculiar nature of the charges
brought against him all combine to
render this cause celebre in the annals
Of naval courts martial. Ittherefore calls
for more than passing comment.
The charges and specifications, as of.
icially presented, are too voluminous
for reproduction ia these columns, but the
gist of what we may call the indictment
is that the accused extended the time
for deliveries Of articles bought under
contract beyond the time specified
therein; that he enlarged contracts
that is, by bureau order increased the
amount Of articles named in the con.
tracts, and that he directed that articles
bought in one fiscal year should be paid
for out of the appropriations for the
next.
On these charges and accompany.
ing specifications Gen. Smith was ar.
raigned and compelled to stand his trial
by court martial. 1t was a court of in.
quiry which formulated the accusations.
How little the findings of such tri
bunal may bo depended upon, and how
easily the simplest and most honest busi.
ness transactions may be misrepresented
and made 10 appear as serious ofienses,
has been clearly demonstrated to those
who have followed the course of this
trial.
In answer to the charge that the ac.
cused officer extended the time for the
fuliillment Of contracts, increased the
quantities of articles specified therein,
and paid for articles bought in one
fiscal year from the appropriations made
for another, sections of the Revised
Statutes were quoted, which, it is
claimed, either expressly or by implica.
ton, confer the power to do any and all
of these things. 1t was shown that un.
der the law the chief Of bureau is only
the agent of the Secretary of the Navy.
It was further shown by the testimony Of
the ex.Secretary Of the Navy and by
record evidence that, in all the cases
mentioned in the allegations, he, the
Secretary, either tacitly or expressly ap.
proved the action of the paymaster gem
eral, thereby adopting his acts and
making them his own.
Mr.. W. B. Moore, late deputy fourth
auditor, appeared before the court and
testified to some twenty or thirty cases
of contracts that had been made by
Smiths predecessors in Office where the
time for delivery had been extended OF
the quantity increased, and in some o
these cases both had been done. In al
these cases Mr.. Moore testified that til,
bills had been paid and had been audi
ted and approved by the treasury oti
cials. He further remarked that til,
number of such cases that he could fine
in the Treasury Department was lmitot
only by the time allowed him to look fo
them.
Mr.. Doe, an old clerk in the bureau
of provisions and clothing, laid before
the court long list of cases taken by
him from the records of that Office, il
which it appeared that the articles
bought by contract in one year had beer
paid for out Of the appropriation for the
next fiscal year. These cases were al
contracts made by Smiths predecessor
in office, and the bills arising thereundel
have all been audited and passed by tho
treasury officials.
| It therefore appears from the records
of the Navy and Treasury Department
that it was iime.honored custom to ex
tend contracts, TO enlarge contracts, ant
to pay from the appropriations of on
year for articles delivered in anothe
year.
From information given US by oil
treasury officials we are warranted i,
saying that in every Office and depart
ment of the government it has been tn
established custom and usage to do thes
very things which are now charged
against Gen. Smith as crimes. And w
may add that these will continue TO b.
done by the most honest officials, be
cause it is simply impossible to appl.
inhexible rules TO such business mat
ters.
To suppose that Gen. Smith will b
condemned for following not only tn
established custom Of his own Office
but the traditional usage Of every othe
department of the public service woul'
be such a supposition as we are incapa
BILE Of entertaining,
So necessary is ii in business some
times to modify contracts that the Off
Ger who temporarily succeeded Gen
Smith in the charge Of his Office has al
ready found himself compelled in twt
instances to extend the time for deliver,
under contracts. Thus we have tn,
strange spectacle presented of Gen
Smith being tried by urt'martial, Will,
his successor in Office, Commodor,
Schley, is doing the same thing. Yet
in doing this no one doubts that Schle,
acts, as his predecessor did, for wha
he deems the best interests of tn,
government, nor is it believed that he i
in danger of being court'marlialed.
1t has been shown during the trial tina
Gen. Smith advertised much more thar
his predecessors bad been in the habit o
doing; that the prices paid by him were
a good deal lower than his predecessor
had paid; that losses by deterioration
handling, &c., were reduced under hit
L =. r IL Al