The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-05-23
COMPTROLLER Durham's Removal.

1t seems that all the truth regard
ing SECRETARY WINDOWS sudden &C
ceptance OF Comptroller Durham's
resignation has not been told. 1t
Is time that the country should be
put in possession Of all the facts.
!, When John l. Davenport's extra
ordinary expense account reached
the comptroller. his attention was
immediately attracted to 1t because
| Of the indoors ement on the back Of 1t.
| Ii bore the 20. h" Of President
Harrison, something unusual and
entirely uncalled for 1t had the in
dorsement OF Attorney General Mill
err. together with the request that it
be paid out Of the fund for the mis-
cellaneons expenses Of the judiciary.
This surprised the comptroller, AZ
tire attorney general has no more
right to handle the account or in
dorse it in any way than any private
citizen.
From the department of justice it
went to the first auditors Office. The
chief clerk in the first auditOr'e Office
is a Republican, and, instead Of pre-
senting the claim to Chenoworth. he
forwarded it to the comptroller
speedily, with suggestion that it be
paid out Of the permanent appro.
priation instead of from the fund
suggested by the encouragement.
/ Comptroller Durham investigated
the account thoroughly, and ex-
amined the law. No such account
for extraordinary expenses had
ever been presented by Davenport
during the Cleveland administration.
In the first place Judge Durham
held that Chief Supervisor Daven-
port was not ministerial officer Of
the United States, and hence could
not incur an extraordinary account
| under section SAG of the revised stat
utes. In the next place he objected
! to the items Of the extraordinary &C
count, among which was one Of over
81, 200 for rent Of rooms, notwith-
standing the fact that there are com.
modious government buildings in
New York: another Of S4OO for badg.
es for supervisors of elections: an.
other of from $500 to $500 for car.
riage and bus hire, running from
August till the November elections,
and Of from 1900 to $1,000 for secret
service detectives. etc,
Attached to the account was a
tag peculiar to the treasury. signify.
ing that the matter was to be passed
upon speedily. When Judge Dur
concluded thai there was no warrant
in law for the payment Of the &C
count lie called on the attorney gen
eral and told him SO. Then it was
that the incident occurred previously
described in these dispatches.
Now for the sequel, Judge Dur
ham began to prepare an opinion set
ting forth his reasons for rejecting
the claims. Window got wind oi
this and sent to the comptroller fol
the papers in the case. As a matter
of courtesy the comptroller allowed
the papers to 60 out of his possess
ion, though it is not usual to do SO
When Judge Durham had his opin
ion prepared he sent to Secretary
Window for the account. The secre
tary said that he gave the pa
pers to the attorney general. This
was unprecedented. The attorne,
general has nothing at all to do will
the treasury accounts. This was OF
Saturday. Monday morning the sec
rotary sent for the comptroller ant
notified him that his resignation wa
accepted from date.
The sudden acceptance Of the res
ignation was in order to prevent thu
comptroller from issueing his opinion
denying Davenport's steal. Thss il
the case in anutshell. 1t will doubt
less strike the average observer thai
the buccaneers are, doing business
at the old stand.