The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-04
"OPENING THEBOOKS."
DEFALCATIONs OF REPUBLICAN
OFFICE HOLDERS
During the Years that Party Was
in Power-A Startling
Exhibit.

Washington special to the New York
Herald. One OF the most striking
chapters Of the Democratic campaign
handbook now in press will be that
which is devoted to the defalca ion Of
yRepubIcan Office holders during Re-
bublican sway. 1t is said to have been
prepared with great care and much
labor from the official figures. Toe
chapter is headed "OpeniDg the
Bo0ks.' 1t is as follows:
"The Demo cratic party, through its
press and by its speaker, declsred for
the pas ten yeas publicly that il it
could turn the rssCals out and get at
the hooks they could demonstrate that
the Republican party, in its long lease
OF power had, through its various Off
GERS, by deia,cstion in collections and
disbursements, stolen millions OF the
peoples money. Mr.. Tilden in 1876
claimed the amount to Re over
$5,000,000. The amount will reach
$40, 900 or more. Under
resolut on OF the Democratic House
passed January 28th-and which was
called mp again July 9th by Mr.. Ben
ton McMillin, OF Tennessee >, just pre-
vious to the adjournment OF the first
session OF the Forty ninth Congress
the Acting SECRETARY OF the Treasury
transmitted in letter to the House
of Representatives executive doc
ume Il No. 1853, Forty ninth Congress,
first session, in which 1t is shown OH
cislly that the balances now due the
government on account Of defslcations
In disbursements and collections since
1861 is Sl2 S93, 476 AS.
In this document each delinquent
is named and the exact amount due
the government stated. This does not
include the overhsuling OF the &C
counts of the Postoffice Department,
OF which the honorable Sixth Auditor
reported to the Secretary Of the Treas
urv in letter March 10y as follows;
"You are aware that this office adults
the accounts OF oAer half the officers
aud employees OF the government in
the civil branches of the service, as
shown by volume 2 Of thu Biennidl
Official Register, the amount involved,
$IS5, 900, 900 last year, requiring ac-
counts with over 6b, 900 resolving and
ditbursirg officers, who, employ or
supervise and pay an army Of en-
ployes."
The Auditor also says that the
amount of work would be 80 enormous
to get up the acc cunts OF all these Off
cars and get at the baapc due from
Q ch ons OF them that 1t is impossible
with the present 10 &c to acc )mplish
IL. So we fad from an examination Of
the hooks ir pat, showing only about
hat Of the disbursinS aud receiving
officers accounts, that the balance due
by these receiving and disbursing Off.
cer', for which they have defaulttd to
the government, Is over $4,000, 000.
The balance due from oilers amounts
by the same ratio to a larger sum.
The foregoing statement and table
which is hereinafter inserted do not
include shortage, as has been said, in
the Sixth Auditors office. which hiss
charge of the vast expenditures OF tue
Post flee Dspa'tnent. 1t was there
that Do -sey, Brady and the,stsr route
thieves figured. Nor does 1t inc ude
the shortage in the Third Auditors
Office, which embraces the eXpeudi-
lures OF the War Department, where
Howeate Hodges and other kindred
Splits had their day. Nor does it in
cluds the shortage in tue Fourth Au-
ditors office, which has charge OF ex-
pe1diture3 in the Navy Department,
where the Robson gang paid more for
the repair OF old ships than they orig
inaly cost, and had no ships left.
The records will show thai since the
Democratic administration took hold,
as is heretofore shown in the report of
the Fret Comptroller OF the Treasury,
an earnest efiolt is being made to col.
lect all OF the balances, nd with much
greater success than could have been
anticipated owing TO the long lapse Of
time.
This is simply partial peep in o
the books. The short time that the
Democratic administration has been in
power renders 1t impossible at this
time TO give full exposure Of all the
discrepancies and defalcations Of the
Repuo lean Office holders,,who were
not prosecuted for their robbery and
plumber, but kept in power by the Re
publican party. The branches OF the
service in which these deialcAtions oc-
cured ara shown by the following Ia
ble-and the figures are official: