New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-24

The Democratic cry" Open tho books l'-vith
which the present Administration OF Reform signaIHed
Us Official advent, brings 10 my recollection htue
Irregulanty Of Senator Tellers, oomr1tted while no
was Secretary OF the Interior, tho consideration OF
which might have proved exceedingly profitable 90
bis Immediate Democratic successors. In 1852 the
appropriation for tho United states Pension once
was greatly reduced, reduction which appeared 10
render large discharge OF clerks absolutely neces
saTy but by Kindly and iudcious management soe'
rtsry Teller provided for the retention OF nearly every
Of the unfortunaes who would otherwise have had
to CO. distributing them here and thoro throughout
the other Bureaus OF his large Department. by the
oversight Of some subordinate, however, one young
woman who had an exceont record was left out In
the cold. An unlooEed.for domestic ahlction occur
ring about the same time sill further embarrassed
her, and she went to headquarters to state her I'M
fortunate case.
Secretary Teller received her most kindly, and
sending to the appointment ascertalned 10 his
regret that there was no vacancy in the whole De
partment 10 which she could be assigned. This in
formation, however, he carefully kept from hs visitor
telling her that she should be renstaed and would
be given leave OF absence with pay for the current
month. plous fraud was practlsed upon tho woman,
who drew her pay for the month referred 10 from
the United States Government, as she supposed and
shortly aferward received appointment In a dit
ferent Department She does not know TO this day
that her stipend for the month in question out
OF Mr. TelcPs own pocket, although this particular
item Of account viii doubtless DO found credited 10
him hereafter upon much moro voluminous and i'm
portant ledger than that Of the bank in which he
Keeps his private account. In many cases, also they
tell me- OF clerks who were discharged for insufficient
cause from Bureaus under him, tho victims, when
they went 10 lay the matter before him. were met by
the somewhat unusual inquiry for the Secretary OF
a great Executive Department 10 propound-" DO you
know for what reason you dismissed and upon
tho unfortunate empoye replying that he did not
know, he was told;
"Wal think perhaps, ron had better go back to
your desk and work unt you DO nd out the cause Of
your discharge"
Some Of these same clerks, I am advised arc still
laborng In the Official vineyard. without having vet
discovered why they thus discharged an hour
or two-under Secretary Tellers regime.
In the little tilt which occurred the other day he
tween Senator chace and Senator cockrell. In which
the latter accused the Northern Yankees Of numbering
the indians and stealing their lands Senator Chace re-
foted, In substance that ho wanted the gentleman
from Missouri distinctly to understand that the state
OF Rhode Island paid for all Of her lands which orir
naly belonged TO the Indians" and his retort ,ipon
the characteristic onslaught Of tho Missouri senator
derived not little OF It's force from the fact that the
state OF Rhode Island not only paid for such lands but
paid for them In product Of peculiarly Southern orr
gin. Just sixteen years after the landing Of the
Pilgrims, Roger Williams. who had been banshod from,
Massachusetts,. for being Baptist, believe, came 10