New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-08
GETTING FUNDS FOE 4 CAMPAIGN.
ANOTHER FREAK IN THE ERA OF RrFoRx'
How SECRETARY YAIRoHILD AIMS TO SECURE ONE
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR rnx DEMO.


WARRINGTON. Feb. THE virtues OF the democratic
party In s professions of and and
It's loud cries 70 turn out just
nnstrated-slthoush In \ way not ntsnded for publca-
tioo-n recent order issued by Secretary Fairchild
Collectors OF Customs These orders contained in
pamphlet forming pages SOL 500 ineusv kno
Is Document No. l.075. II Is dated January 2. 1885,
ana ts Introduction that contains decisions
OF tue Treasury Department for the month OF December
1897 upon the construction to be given to acts OF Con-
grsss relating to the tar navraon and other SUBJECTS
for the Information and guidance of Officers OF the
Customs aul others concerned"
Among the orders published Is one on page 5s6 which
seems harmless All vrtuous enough Its surface. and
whicn spens with the very image o. honesty but which
contains little joker OF tho most lively kind This
order Is caied a circular and bersd s596 Il
oears the heading Compensation OF United States
Attorneys In Customs sults The circular bears the
date OF Decembsr o. 1887. and runs az follows:
From AMI after the first day OF January next no ad
vance or allowance shall be made to United states
e27 Of the Revised stafutes auv other law authors
Ing alto OF fees by the Secretary OF the Treasury
thsrssfter actually tried other wise disposed OF where
,hs states Attorney bias appeared oy direction
amount OF compensation to paid received by them
shall be fixed in each and shall be such may ne
csrlad t0 he proper by the court In which the suit
or"nt and approved by the Secrety OF the Treasury
IN with q provisions OF Section s27 and all
orers or the Department herrtsfore Issued which
conflict herewith are hereby rrv0ked.
TIT, circular innocent on its face and II reads well
enough until the words and the amount Of compensa
ton to he paid" etc reached The attorney always
appears Ia tue GLASS OF be spoken OF further
unier the direction OF the Secretary the Solicitor.
But his compensation, otherwise called the Z" per-
quistes, Is the thing The provision concerning the
cortinoation By the court I'm winch brought
subject to ;he approval OF the of Treasury
contains the Joker. which is effective by the final
sentence. which revOkes all Of the Department
before issued.
The and substance OF all this is that Circular No
1896 lets down the for United States District
Attorneys to got all the fees they formal
court approval In actions brought by merchants against
Collectors OF Customs 20 gfully
acted In order to how the circular will work it Is
necessary to take q look AT Section s27 OF the Revised
Statutes, which reads follows:
When District Attorney appears by direction OF the
Secretary or Solicitor 81 the Treasury In behalf OF any
officer OF tue Revenue IN suit against such officer.
for any act done by hun. for the Of any
money received By him AMI paid into Treasury in the
compensation NAV be certified IN be proper by the
court IN which the suit Is brought and approved by the
Secretary Of the Treasury.
This section ia full force when John sherman be-
Secretary Of Treasury and Stewart l. Wood
ford United states District Southern
District OF New York. Up that tne IL il pretty well
New York CITY COVERED Nv the statute large. The
fees accIuing from the trial 81 such estimated
70 S3OOOO year. The annual extra sum thUs put at
the District Attorneys disposal avrrag % least
S2o0yO. Each o'se would occupy from three 10 hye
days and the bills pm woul3 AVERAGE 500 day. The
cases being tried hy an assistant Each there
fore lood TOR from 500 20 $500.
Secretary ~hcrnun's attention called 10 this state
OF things AM hr issued order limiting the ANN /
amount u be received from the trial Of such cases by
te attorneys 20 5000. with additional provision
FOR assistants. United states d. trct-Attnrney Wood
for AMI his down 10 the cent Incumbent,
Step zen A. " krr, Nr. Roots Democratic successor
were therefore cut down from possible 10000 10
S3OOOv year 10 the sum named IN tiie srd~r. the
efecfcd. placed al about elOOO 900 The Democratic
Administration however casting aDout Tor some means
OF gc.Ing NJ the spDiis without allowing anN body to
find IL ont. has had IFS attention directed 20 Secretary
Slernaus Orirr ana aimed 20 get around H. some well
known Ncw-Iork politicians SAID - have called
Secretary Fairchds attention IN tie possibilities or
src:ion ~ when relieved OF the $1,000 restriction It
estimated mat TIC remot al the strctiou would
increase che fund ln New York by $4,000 To
$40 200. and throughout the country by cool
SlOO 900. not he sneezed ut IN an emergency
campaign.
Bat rid OF the obnoxious restriction the
qucsrioL. IL would not 10 10 go al IL openly and
squarrv rrscnd fhc $1,000 order. There putting
boiling down Of Democratic wlts-and the
result was circular No $50 The including part Of
that docunont revosrs the shcrm order.
The Interesting part OF this rec~u order Is the extr-us
exrrc-ed to accomplish the tnng without raising
ripple. II worst 10 worst. however. 10 Is under
stood Secretary Frchld viii take the ground that
order limiting the amount sf fees annually 20 ench
Collector class OF sus referred 10 In SECTION
s9- was Illegal because II cOnictAd with the statute
ant mar n such limit ne made II should have
been accomplished nv tho Secretarys cutting down the
bills 70 that annual amount