Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-04-08

chased, and the price paid per box. The
claim was disallowed on that account.
In one case the claim disallowed was for
ten cents, and in the correspondence con-
cerning 1t six letters were written, max
ing two cents expenditure for postage
over the amount of the claim. Indian
Agent James G.. Wright is charged with
having overpaid to Wooden Necklace.
for transportation, seventy five cents, and
Bear That Stands and Looks Back, who
was engaged in the same job, got fifty
cents too much.
Lieutenant George II. Cornich, of the
Fifteenth Infantry, is called to account
for an imperfect voucher for thirty cents
paid to Robert Roberts, and is instructed
by the Treasury officials to obtain new
one. He reports that it is impossible, as
Roberts is dead. The Comptroller in
dorses this report as not satisfactory,
which means that new voucher must be
forthcoming from Roberts whether dead
or not"
John Stafford, Lieutenant, Eighth In
fantry, is charged with having army
mules shod without advertising for pro-
posals, or securing the consent of the
Secretary of War to having this job done
without. He explains that there was only
one blacksmith shop, and that to obtain
the consent of the Secretary of War
would have required months delay.
So, he says, on common business princi-
piles and the exigency of the service, he
had the mules shod. Under the broad
gauge Democratic craftsmanship Lieu
tenant Stafford will pay out Of his own
pocket for shoeing of the Government
mules.
An item in the accounts of Lieutenant
Thomas b. Dugan, of the Third Cavalry,
is disallowed for singular reason. The
voucher is signed "Beedileha, his mark.
Now, in some way it came to the knowl-
edge of the Comptroller that "Beedilhea"
is sQuaw, and that the feminine pro-
noun should have been used in connec-
tion with her autograph Lieutenant
Dugan explains that 1t was purely cler-
ical error; that it is difficult to identify
female from a male Indian, and his
clerk was to blame for the inaccuracy.
But the Comptroller declares that this
explanation will not go down, and so
Dugan pays the bill himself, amounting
to something over esteem" cents.
And so on and so on through page af-
ter page. The whole amount saved"
in this would not more than pay one of
the attorneys in the Pan Electric tele-
phone scandal, and in most cases the
matter is calculated to bring the Govern.
ment into ridicule. Especially is this the
case in the treatment of our Consuls, cv-
cry one of them being pushed to the last
extremity by this picayunish policy, and
put at great disadvantage in comparison
with the representatives of other govern
ments. Watchfulncss in this direction,
and great care and caution are excellent
things, but that there has always been
under Republican Administration but
don't think any officer has ever been
made to pay for coffin because he did
not advertise for proposals.
This report shows the mud line of the
high-water mark of Democratic states
manship-the same old party that would
not reduce postage because the Govern
mcnt couldn't afford it, and refused to
give settlers homesteads because the Gov
ernment could not afford to lose the dol
lar and twenty-five cents an acre charged
for the public lands. Great old party,
broad and statesmanlike old financiers,
wonderful reformers, and yet in all this
small bore business they are pretentious
and officious, and shuttle and snort like a
bob tailed terrier pup at q mole hole
p, ID. NJ, in Cincinnati Commercial Gu