New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-23
HAS THE PRESIDENT BEEN IMPOSED UPON

THE UNsAyORY RECORD OF ERNEST P. BALD
WIN. RECENTLY APPOINTED F1R'T AUDITOR
Washington March % SpeciaD.-Iresdent Clevc-
lands first exception 10 hi rule barring eNohcc'
holders has been made In the case oi E'hes' =
Baldwin. OF Maryland, nominated on MONDAY 10 "
First Auditor Of the Treasury. To cite the language
OF a Senator who spoke OF the case. "the nomination
Is simply Infamous baldwin, originally from the
District OF Columbia came from Missouri In 1850 ana
was appointed Deputy First Auditor OF the treasury
under Judge Chcnowith, Of Texas. VINO was Nuui'o''
In a shor, time h. developed into reformer OF the
first magnitude, and spent most or his tinie III oe-
vsing schemes to change the methods OF business
which had been adopted by Alexander llamiiioh anu
continued by such secretaries as Albert ''aiiauh'
Hugh McCulloch and John sherman. In MS EFFORTS
as a rcformer he claimed 10 have the pachhs VI
Senator CochreIl. Of Missouri lie boosted liat 'hc
Treasury system rotten and that he was soihs
TO dcvi.e plan TO save the Government millions d
dollars wasted on n worthless method OF bookkeeping
He induced Senator C)ckre to introduce resolution
I'm the Senate calling for an investigation INTO INC
methods of doing work In the Departments, ana whch
the resolution passed he became the investigator
the Treasury Department. The result OF ''e hNc'-
tigation, was three volume report OF l,ooo P's's'
stored away IN secondhand book stores ana JUNK
shops incidentally baldwin got into debt ana Dor
rowcd money right and left from division chiefs,
clerks and his own sub)rdinates. His creditors pressed
him vigorously and he resigned ostensibly 10 80
into private business but largely OH account OF the
clamor OF those from whom he had borrowed.
lie prevailed upon respectable merchant h'meu
Daniel shanahan TO give him interest In his bu'i-
ness I'm consideration OF his influence to get con-
tracts with the Departments to supply them VIII"
paints oils lamps. etc. AS he had a ready tongue
and "a plausible manner, Mr.. Shanahan was leu 10
believe baldwin, and accepted the proposition. III
short time Mr. Shanahan found his stock diminishing
and no returns TO show for II. lie accused b''""''
Of rascay and dishonesty, and set about ee'ihg II"
of him. Baldwin offered to remain in shanafan's en-
ploy at small salary clerk. drummer or genera
utility man. but he was elected from the establishment
lie was then out Of Job. wholly impccunion' ana
loaded with debt. In conjunction WIN MS o'o'ner'
Morgan Baldwin, who had been clerk IN 'le III
terror Department, he set up a claim agency OIL
small scale on Seventhst. but with all his genius as
"refoImcr, he could not make the business pay ana
closed his Office lie then turned up rs inc edtor
CT an obscure paper at Laurel, Nd, known as me
Laurel Democrat which he turned Into a " personal
organ In the interest Of Senator Arthur r. German
whose home IS at Laurel.
As soon as Mr.. Cleveland was elected Baldwin set
about getting Endorsements lie secured the sigma
lures of the Missouri delegation and the backing OF
senator German and II Is said at the Treasury that
he filed a letter from exSecretary Fairchild ana ex
Assistant Secretary and Civil Service Refor1ner leh
:. Thompson. both stating that Baldwin was an expert
accounting officer lie is indeed an expert OF the
1rst wafer Among OlneTs iToih """" Nv oo'iO""
money while In Office Captain A. +. Mcmillan,
then Chief Of Division. at present Deputy Fist
Auditor and Baldwin's deputy TO be-
When the clcrKs In the auditors Office heard OF
Taldwins nomination they were dumoundcd. They
could not conceive that with anteceientS Ike
these would be selected chief a such an important
Office. some OF them disposed 10 s. to >ecic
tary Carlisle and tell him what they knew OF Baldwin.
but were restrained by considerations not difficult 10
divine Mr.. Shanahan, when told OF the appointment,
exclaimed:
Heaven and earth 1t can't be possible. Why.
that fellow Is absolutely unfit 70 fill so responsible
place. OF course he Is smart became the victim
OF his peculiar methods and suffered. the Govern
ment I.rObably will suffer- II Mr.. Carlisle wants to
know something about him let him put me OH the
stand" -
Evidently somebody has imposed upon Mr.. Carlisle