St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-13
Minnesota, Dakota and Wisconsin Office
holders Who Have Failed
to Pay Up.
DefalcatiOns Run Away Up Into the
Thousands Some Very Bad
Records.
Floyd, Irwin, Tilden, Downer, John
Lind and l.. ID. Smith Among
the Guilty Ones.
The Republican Party MaIfgnfng
Gen. Black to Gain the Vote of
the Soldiers.
Reat the Govern ent.

resolution of the house of representatives,
Jan. %, 1856, requesting the secretary OF
the treasury to transmit to the house
statement of balances due to and from the
United States, acting Secretary Fairchild
caused TO be prepared an extensive and eX-
haustNe statement, which the house Or
d ered 10 be printed. All branches and bu-
reaus of the government have complied
with the request of the house except the
sixth auditors Office. The auditor in a let
ter to the secretary of the treasury, says:
Il have the honor to inform you that it
will probably require the entire services of
twenty-five clerks four years to prepare the
statement required" The sixth auditor
audits the accounts of So, 900 postmasters
and all other employees of the postofiice de-
partment embracing not less than 81, 600
persons. To make an aggregate, even, of
the accounts Of balances of so many Off
Gals would be too great work to under
take Besides the accounts OF the post
Office officials are usually kept correct, in
each quarter. and the work would be one
of supererogatiOn. The reports of all
other bureaus. however, have been printed,
and from them we CLEAN some curious facts,
Since 1856, P. Beauprle, collector of Gus
toms for Minnesota, has owed the govern
ment SSS. So.
Since 1870, the government has owed
James d. Graham 81. A. for services as to-
biographical engineer for the lighthouse on
Green island, opposite Green Bay, Wis.
Since 1864, the government has owed
James McFetridge. of Minnesota, $685. 90,
for services as collector of customs.
Since 1860, John White, of Milwaukee,
Wis, has owed SS5.
Hon. George r. G. Floyd, secretary of
the territory of Wisconsin. has owed the
government sos .S5 since 1856.
Hon. Francis Gehon, marshal of the
territory of Iowa. has owed $224.60 since
1S43.
Daniel Hugunin, marshal of the territory
of Wisconsin, has owed SS4.9S since 1S49;
while Champion j. Hutchinson, marshal of
Wisconsin, overpaid his accounts to the
government S1.33 in 1850.
Hon. NJ. w. Irwin, Marshal, Mimi, was
the thriftiest of them all. Since 1857, the
year Of the great panic, he has owed So.
IS. While every one else was suffering
financial loss, Irwin was evidently serving
his country with an eye single to her
treasury.
Another marshal of Wisconsin was
OudIl6S NJ. IcfOSt. Ill 1911. hG
to owe the government $933.71.
You would scarcely expect it of one of
his name, but in 1852 Henry L. Tilden was
marshal of the territory of Minnesota, and
he so managed his accounts as to be short
81, 992. Moreover, he still remains on the
list of delinquents Being dead. the prob
abilities are that he will never pay up.
Samuel s. Burton, who was receiver of
public moneys at La Crosse Wis, in 1875,
owes the government so 04.
John B. Dowher. receiver of public
moneys at ST. Peter, Mimi. 1870. owes
81, 144.03, But the government owes him,
on Sioux Indian lands, S749 46, and on
Winnebago lands, S39.79.
Charles G. GOodnow, receiver at Tracy,
Mimi. owes 50. O56.47.
The government has owed Henry Hill,
receiver of public moneys at Greenleaf,
Mimi, 1,274. 10, since 1870.
John Lind, another thrifty receiver at
Tracy, Mimi, owes the government ST.
622, IS.
C. H. Smith. receiver at Worthington. in
1885, owes So, 30S.04. There is thrifty
man for you.
Wisconsin has one honest man. His
name is Norman Thatcher. He was re-
ceiver at Menasna, Wis, and the govern
ment owes him 1856. As.
Prior to 1926, David Duncan, collector at
Michilimackinac, owed the snug sum of
$50. 6S0.9S.
Wisconsin cannot brag much of her Nor
itZ Schoeffier, the collector at Milwaukee,
Mr.. Schoefier shuffied St, 411.29 out of his
adopted country in 1875.
MinneSOta'S honest man is John Fl. Allen,
receiver at Fergus Falls i'll 1880. The gov
eminent owes him ST.
James G. Braden, receiver at LitchfieId,
Mimi, in 1859. captured S4, 292. 80. TAX
ing that extra 50 cents looks piggiSh.
John D. Evans receiver at Minneapolis
in 1857. got away with So, 9SS.47. That
was the year of the panic, too: and John
evidently intended to keep the wolf from
the door. Logs were currency in those
days all along the Mississippi river, but
John preferred United States coin. In the
following year. 1858. while the panic still
continued, John was receiver at Forest
City, Mimi, and managed to place 81
$40. 95 more where it would do the most
good 1t is wonder. at this date. that he
did not go to the United States senate.
William Holcombe in 1858. was receiver
at Saltwater, Mimi, and was thrifty to the
extent of So, 3S1.47. Such men as William
are still living in Saltwater, some of them
against their will.
Away back in the days of Jacksonian
honesty and official simplicity; in the days
when public office first became a public
trust, Thomas Lee was receiver at Green
Bay, Wis. 1t was in 1887 that Thomas
Lee got away with S6.O11.66. That was a
biz sum for those days. If Thomas had
lived nowadays he might have done as we'll
as any of them.
While Sidney Luce was receiver at
Duluth, he managed to owe the government
So 290 90. That was in 1867
John T. McKenna was clever receiver
at Deadwood, Oak, in 1878. He managed
to make his office worth $500. 10 extra.
l.. d. +. POOre may have belonged to a
poor family prior to 1877, but in that year,
while receiver at Watertown. he got ahead
of the record to the tune of So, $40 So.
All of the other members of his family
! ought to be envious of Lorenzo d. Smith.
Lo was receiver at Faribault i'm 1854, and
in those dull times he managed to get
ahead of the government SO. $685. So. Not
even the celebrated John Smith, nor any
other member of that wonderful family,
can beat LorenZo's record.
Paul d. BOutell, stamp agent at Mime
apolis in 1875, successfully served his
country for $1,000 more than his lawful in
come.
And so it goes along, all through the
record. The instances given above are but
drop in the bucket. The recapitulation
of all the defalcations shows that there are
now due the government, and that does not
include interest. the sum of $25. 500, 600.
| These defalcatiOnS and errors run aWay
back to the foundation of the government.
They are what the merchant would call
'sbad debts" The books show so much
due, but at the same time you know it goes
down on the lost" side Of the account. for
it will never be recovered. 1t would be
| difficult to make party matter of it, as the
| losses are about equally divided among the
various administrations. The greatest
amounts are probably to be found within
the last twenty-five years, but that is be-
| cause there have been SO many more mill