New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-14
OFFICIAL INTEGRITY.
TIE STANDARD OF THE CLEVELAND
ADMINISTRATION.
CAN BRfBEs DE TAKEN As LAwvzss' FEEsf-d
LETTER IRON gx-sECRErARY CMANpLER.


reform the alleged deterioration recent years of tho
public service and the character OF the sppontees Of
President Cleveland. make pertinent, the inquiries
What Is official integrity What Is official dishonesty
Whore Us the line to be drawn between the twoi
What Ia the standard Of the present National AID
ministraton
The Hon Thomas r. Bayard, declaiming not long ago
against what he considered the alarming growth Of
corruption in the National Government under recent
Administrations seemed to give his idea OF the
true standard OF official duty by account of the
sentinel on guard in Government arsenal, whero
bullets we're being cast. small boy standing by,
attracted by rapidy OF the process aud the bright
ness OF the rolling gobues. wished to take away with
him ono OF them memento. but was stcrniy for
hidden by the sentry who nobly SAID, No. they arc
the property OF the United States" General i. T..
Spinner while Treasurer OF the United States. also
at ated his views the true Obligation OF an Official,
on occasion when he asked to JOIN IN preparing
and publishing for sale book describing the various
United States He deoiinef. on the ground That
he believed that the whole time OF an ohcer ON fll
salary belonged the Government and that he ought
not any other money while holding h,s oihce.
Once upon time. certain comm ssOner Of internal
revenue resiCning his othce IN midsummer. took With
him to his house in Washington hali-ream Of paper,
intending to write report before Congress met.
Afterward concluding not to any report he
appeared at the Bureau and formally returned the
parer anc also a pocket-knfe which he had used
while commissioner. But 1t subsequently appeared
various large official contracts which had been CIV out
by the commissioner were not entirely free from
Suspicion On the other hand, II may safely DO
affirmed General Spinner, who
questioned model of official integrity. never refused to
give away his autograph. written with pnbllc pen
and Government ink on Official paper; possibly he
NAV have occasionally written few private words
under an official frank ana doubtless n he found
after his retirement few qulfes OF Government paper
in his desk at his house. or pen-knlie OF pench IN
bis pocket he did not Internationally carry them back
his successor There can OF course be 40 OBJECTION
to the utmost strctness OF Official integrity. II II -
sincere, but like those n'rratcd naturally
suggest that the actors therein NAV be sranng one
the gnat aud swallowing the camel; cleansing the
outside OF the cup and the platter. while inside they
are full from extorton and excess.
1t il fair to assume. however,. In view OF Mr.
Bavards little story that he would not steal directly
from tina Government much a little lcadcn bullet,
much less a of money. But there are other
met hods by which hgh officials sometimes do
make money tor themselves in addition TO their
salaries, by which they help others to make money
which methods in heir direct or Indirect result, are
more injurious the public service than all the direct
corruption and robbery that prevail. which latter
doubtless Mr. Bayard sincerely deprecates. One OF
these methods is the acceptance while IN Office OF en-
poyment lawyers. the motive aud usually tue
efsct OF the employment being TO Iciraud, depleic,
or iniure the Government in way. This i
growing evil. and shond be stamped out by rlgid laws
State ana Nation.
instances OF this indirect method ~ receiving brides
tor official influence He 10 the only Senator who,
while boldly defending his clients interests on tho
door OF tie Senate, has had the hdrilhOoi %
acknowledge that he did it as paid attorney. TN
Juk % lS>2. the Senate was considering an APP
propratOn to i the mach merry sDch of the tour
double-turreted monitors as tue Navy Depart ncnt
III ght think most eXpedent and best Tor The interests
NJ the service Senator B1varl intcgposed in lhe
debate in behalf OF the lI..lan ~ llolIngswOrth
Company, of Wilmington, Delaware, and demanded
that no discretion should be gwen a. 10 which OF the
vessels should have It's machinery com eted Out that
the Anphitrlte the monitor at the ,dfd OF this
company his clients, should be finished at all events.
In order to him injustice, his Lana udse wall DO
quoted
blildlng OF this one sHir, the Ampnitrle Tho
people who Duding this vessel. tho .AmPhitrite,
man M llR III
worth company. they are coastitaeu OF milne;
they hare hcd and stu hod 10 M III rctson Of counsel
aud clint (sic) prof sSiOnIdy
N0w onlS ask that cnEress shall take the steps 10
that vessel aw ~ from nat yard u pay tne 'essei
In such gree of cOmplrtOu snail enable ner To 30
auncnei and moved nut that III ~ sa not rest WIN hs
discretion merely of tn" Secretary OF tue Navy 10 not
propose to 10 him the discretion 10 move 'uch OF
In, sc four vessels he IT. visa fbat vessel
Sys oS oa f r%ey S are not @ 1ey are lobby
lists. they have no secret ag"uees OF Ian iences 20
impress, upon anybody, ont simply want tao dealt
with Just honest citizens Dug u be dealt with by
thrlI GoveInmenl. Therefore, 10 not orOuo,e 80 lar
can nefp that there snal Oe any ion"t IN regard
20 tho completion OF this d0ubr-tnIrssed monitor.
about or mere discretion resting upon II. Take lhe
vessel away AMI lot the money nos a. pie be applied
under OF the ADVISORY Board 20 complete tue
vessel. . Wnen ths senator frpm Kentucky offers
100000. will simply that will not DO
the eulosium of tue senator from De'ware uron MS
clients and constituents Let Us "oK at ths ol Tor
here for 1t he would not Sh tnat they should be
specially cared for more tuan others
Mr. Bayari. No All | want Is certainty. -C0n-
greSSi0,ai hecOTa, vol ID, part 7. page 6Ol6.
And thereupon the bill WAS amended TO the
satisfaction OF the counsel for the Harlan Iongs-
worth Company. THIS arrogant and shameless
a transaction disgraced the proceedings OF the
American Senate Ii Senator Bay seeks discuss
sion OF the why he the constantly retained
and employed counsel for the Harlan 4 Iollings-
worth Company he can be accommodated
WHAT annual sum-whetner more or less than
$4,000. which was the Senatorial salary OF Senator
Bayard was paid him by his eli ats, the Harlan ~
Hollingswoi tn Company. for looNug after their
in Congress- has not appeared buI III another
case the amount Of the fee IL known with which NJ
Bayard enriched himself under the pretence OF lie gal
work, by virtually selling his senatorial name. This
tee WAS So 900 "A socaed legal o. lnon in favor of
the validity of the notorious Maxwell land grant II
New Ne xico. The steal OF the pu lie domain nier
this grant the largest ana most atrocOus OF 81
that have been attempted. Ii Is one Of the cases
where the boundaries OF small Spanish grant,
possibly OF some validity as TO "A lew acres OF land,
have been frauduleny extended 10 embrace enormous
tracts not really included within il. After tho
American conrivers OF the scheme had succeeded by
manipulation in procuring the issue of Govern
ment patent tor the traudulently enlarged tract,
changes of nominal ownership were elected. ana at
last preparation made tor the grand swindle of
disposng OF the property to gullole European
investors IL necessary. however. to convince
the foreign victims that the title TO the Immense tracts
o land perfect. ana that there WIS no danger OF
a revocation OF the patent by the United States. Mr..
Bay ard was leading and then unsuspected United
states Senator This alone, however. was not enough
make his opinion desirable. But lie was also CHAIR
man OF the Committee on Private Land Claims. This
position made opinion from him of the first i'm
portance No would coubt the title 10 Land derived
IRON the Government il 1t proved by the opinion
of the chairman OF that committee OF the Senate by
which any question OF Its validity which might come
before Congress would be considered, and whose duty
il would be to attack the title II nusound
fraudulent Therefore Mr.. Bayards opinion
sought and obtained affirming the validity vi the title.
This made the swindling OF tue foreigners possible.
They we're swinded and Mr.. Bayard received for his
iee So 900, oeing his share OF the fraud The opinion
given III full IN IHE ruBrNt oil June 80, 1883.
There cannot be the slightest dodbt that his opinion
was wanted solely because OF his position Senator
aud chairman and b. must have known this when he
gave it. Ii is probably the grossesl record
the United States % the prostitution OF Official
position where the perperator has. after the Facts
havo become known. pretended To maintain
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