Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-07-30

Cies, and i'm the selection of the subordin-
H'es, without exception, have taken first
into account the necessities of the service
aud the fitness of the officer or applicant. |
have in no single instance appointed a
man to office, or recommended an adj
vance IN his compensation, or his promo
ton III any way with any other view, or
because of any service which he had rend-
cred to the Republican party, directly or
Indirectly, in the past, or that he was eX-
p'cted to render on account of such APP
ruintnlent or promotion in the future
From an intimate knowledge of the re
qlirements of the service, can say with
confidence that the number employed has
never been excessive, and that the sala-
RES pad have never exceeded lar com
p"nsatiOn for the service required.
have read copy of certain reports that
appear to have been made to the depart.
ment by one y. Winsluw. dated respec.
lively August ~ December (. and IL
$50, and February %, lSSG, which reports
appear to have been Transmitted to the
N"uate by the secretary OF the treasury
and are contained in printed document
Executive f. Forty-Hinth Congress, first
session as to which | have only to say
that in 80 fgras they reflect directly or nv
implication upon the integrity or ELI
C!.ncy of the service in said district.
whether rs relates to the principal officer
u any Of the subordinate officers or en-
p.oyes, The statements are without foun-
Il ttlon and are either the ofISpringut iguo-
rance or OF malice.
should not consider such reports as
worthy of attention IN any respect but for
the TACT that they are responsive to letters
rom the secretary of the treasury direct
lng Investigations, and havA been hDuorpd
o. place IN the archives OF the depart
N.nnt.
II seems to me not Il little remarkable
that the Investigation should have been
o d"red subsequent TO the date of the let
, ter suspend ~ me from Office. and that it
should not htve been required to he made
/ ~ one VINO was At least the peer of the
officer under investigation
rhe huubiest citizen i'm this rruublic
h Is Il rght to demand that he shall be
tried by his peers, and the incumbent of a
h gh and responsible office commissioned
hV the chief magistrate and confirmed by
the Senate OF the United state, ought not
to he made an exception to this general
rule and | submit might fairly demand
that his official administration, if made the
subject OF an lnvtstlga' ion, should be eX-
AHMED by one VINO, from his experiments
and natural endnwments, might reason
ably he expected To be in some measure
qualified for the important duty. Ii
seems, however, that while the secretary
had at his command able and experienced
| agents and clerks i'll the department, he
saw tit to select for the work in this case
I man without experience, occupying the
/ lowest grade OF employees i'll the depart
meht, borne upon the "fraud.rOll, and
apparently with no higher ambition than
/ to rank as Il common informer.
| As to the general allegation that the
| affairs of the district during my admins
/ tration were conducted in an eXtravagant
and wasteful manner. desire to invite at
tentlDn to the reports of the supervising
special agent of the treasury department
/ for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1856. In
this report will be found a statement set
! ting forth the number of entries of mer-
chandise made, and the number of per
sons employed in the several collection
/ districts respectively, and the cost of col
Letting 81 in each OF the respective dis
/ trlctS.
| From this have compiled IA statement
setting forth the number Of entries. the
| number of persons employed, and the pro
/ portionate number of entries to each sub
ordinate in the thirteen most important
collection districts as follows