National Republican., 1886-10-02
THE REGISTERS BALANCES"
cratic Misprosentation and Peryor-
sion of Them.

Their Nature and Value, and Demo-
cratic Mispresentation and Pervor-
sion OF Them.
The following letter will explain itself
WAsHISGToS, d. c., Sept 81, 1Ss6-lLy
Dear Sir: have yours Of the Goth instant,
mentioning that the Democrats OF Long
Island are gloating over "the recent dis
closures Of the register OF the treasury
showing that "yast snms" Of money have
stolen by Republican officials.
The Democrats Of Long Island take
partial view Of the case. II the registers
"disclosuresn show that 'vast sumsn OF
money have been stolen by Republican
officials, they also show that other "vast
sums have been stolen by Democratic
ofiic ials.
The total sum OF the "balancesr due the
United States is given on y. 20i OF the reg
is,er's statement at $25, sos, 1914 or this
sum the Democratic campaign book for 1886
Up. 1il) states tnat $12,S93, ,476.4S accrued
since the year 1861 This leaves Sl2,9l5,-
I17.02 as having accrued before 1851. SO
that the Democratic "defaultersn are
proved on this showing, to have been
equally expert with the Republican. But,
IN point of fact, they were thirteen times rs
expert. The statement OF the registers
"baluncesn does not include the business OF
the Postoflce Department. or Of certain
bureaus OF the Treasury Department. 1t
is, therefore, incomplete. Supplying the
emissions aud Including all the operations
OF all the branches Of the government OF
the United states, this is the net result:
OF all the losses, both In the receipt and
In the disbursement Of public moneys, US
ascertained by the Treasury Department
down to June 80, 1888, and officially printed
Aug. 13, 1884, the percentage for the period
prior to June 30, 1861, was 50 81 for every
$1,000; and the percentage for the period
from June 80, 1861 to June 80, 1888, was 80
cents for every $1,000. During the latter
period the total receipts and disbursements
were S3G, 767, ,S5l ,73l.4S, and the total losses
were $14, ,467, 1912, or 80 cents per 81 900.
So that the rate Of losses prior to 1861 com
pared with the rate OF losses since 1861, was
the proportion which 50. 81 bear to 30 cents;
or over thirteen times as great. In other
words, to use the current Democratic
phrase, Democratic "defaulters" have
been thirteen times as agile and successful
us Republican "defaulters." Or to put it
into another form, the Democratic officials
prior to 1S6lsmanagGd to ''lose" out Of
sum total about one-elghth as large, nearly
twice as much as the Republican officials
since 1861 were able to do.
The claim of loss OF S25, 500, 19i.40 In
"balances," is made on the theory that
every "balance" carried on the books Of the
register is an actual loss and defalcation.
But that Is not true. There are "balances"
on the books against the names OF John
Adams, President of the United States;
John Quincy Adams, minister to Russia;
Daniel ID. Tompkins, Vice-President OF the
United States; Andrew G. Curtin, minister
to Russia; Augustus G. Dodge, minister to
Spain; Alexander II. Everett, minister to
Mexico; Caleb Gushing, attorney for the
United States before the Hudson Bay Com.
mission; James Gadsden, minister to
Mexico; John Lothrop Motley, minister to
Great Britain; Joseph A. Wright, minister
TO Russia; j. Sterling Morton, secretary OF
Nebraska territory; James W. Nesmith,
marshal OF the territory of Oregon; Gen.
A. Bayard, envoy to Ghent; Reverdy John
son, minister to England; Francis Lieber,
umpire of the American and Mexican COM
\ mission; Henry Middleton, minister to
| Russia; John +. Ward, minister to China;
E. w. Stoughton, minister to Russia; and
| very many Others OF like grade of character.
No one believes that these gentlemen were
or are "defaulters," but all are alike lii
loried In the sweeping denunclation OF the
| Democratic campaign committee.
| The "balancesn disclosed by the regis.
ter's list are not defalcatlons. The acting
| Secretary OF the Treasury, transmitting the
list to the House Of Representatives, did
not cay that they were. EIo said that the
sums named are "the balances due the
United States as shown by the books OF the
register Of the treasury" They are not de-
falcatlons, because the accounts are unset
tied, and like unsettled accounts In private
business, there are Offsets against them
And II we can infer anything from the seri
GUS collapses already suffered by the United
States In suits to collect "balances" like
unto them, the offsets constitute much til,
| - aN hal . D.,l
| the Democratic campaign committee, no
content with the accurate and official state
ment both Of the Acting Secretary of the
Treasury and the register of the treasury
adds to the words used by them, and de
clares that these balances are now due the
government son account OF defalcationa
indisbursements and collections" This ID
q clear case OF Interpolation and Of willfu
perversion, but II is not without abundant
precedent In the practices Of Democratic
national committees. Undoubtedly both
before and since 1861, there are some cases
Of actual, fagrant, and purposed default
but in the great majority Of these cases "bal
ances" represent merely imperfect vouchers
and disputed questions OF fact or law, o.
both.
An apt illustration OF the value OF these
"balancesn In showing actual Indebtedness
is supplied by the last report OF the Secre
tary Of the Treasury. On pages 5l6, 517,
and 5lS OF that report 1t will be found tha
on the 10Th OF June, 1885, the Hon. DAME
Manning, Secretary of the Treasury, &C
cepted 500 IN settlement OF an 'indebted
nessn OF s., ,0D764 by Hon. Henry W. Hoff
man, late United States depostary, Baltl
more, Md. Justice to Mr.. Secretary Man
ming requires the admission that he asked
and received from Judge Hoffman the ful
amount due from him to the United State
on This account. If tho other "balances'
In the list are good ip the same proportion
the Sl2, ,s93, ,l76.4S In "balances" which hay
accrued since 1861 will shrink on a test o
trial to about SlGl lGS In cash Supposln
that the remaining "baancesn should prov
ten times as valuable rs the Hoffman sin
dGbtedness" did prove TO be, what meage
ratio the resulting 81 100000 would bea
10 the nearly S31, 900, 900, 900, which wer,
the sum total OF business OF tho governmen
from 1861 TO 1888
1t seems like trinng with popular lnte
ligence TO give more time to these "balloO
fguresn OF the registers list OF bogus "bal
ancee.N
If, however, you find that tho Democrat
Of Long Island stll remain incredulou'
and you will Indicate what additional proc
may he required to give them full appr,
citation Of this magnificent humbug Of "dC
falCations,n will try to have 1t supplied.
In am, very respectfully, your obedlen
servant, EDWARD MCPHERsoN
Hon. JOSEPH NMMo, jr,, Huntington, Lon
Island.
Excursion 10 Charleston for the Benefl
of tho Sufferers
For the benefit Of the Charleston sufferers IN
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad Company will fell eS
| CuTsOn tickets to Charleston and return