The Red Cloud chief., 1893-10-20
CAPITAL %AUTOCRATS.
OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON WHOSE
4 ONLY LAW IS THEIR WILL.

A Striking Example II the First Comp
troiler Of the Currency, whose Decisions
Cannot Even he vetoed by theP President.
who Has the Power Of Removal.
! Among the most remarkable features
Of this government by the people Is the
extraordinary authority vested in certain
subordinate officials at Washington.
For instance, no man in the United
States yields such power in money mat
ters as the first comptroller Of the cur.
rency. He is entirely independent OF
the secretary Of the treasury, and Y
the president has no means Of coercing
him, o the following story shows:
When Grant was In the White House,
First Comptroller Taylor refused to
countersign q warrant for the payment
Of q big claim out Of the funds Of the
treasury. The president summoned him
and said:
"You must sign"
II will not, Mr.. President" replied
the recalcitrant official.
"Then I will compel you to do 80" said
General Grant.
"You have not the power" rejoined
the comptroller coolly and respectfully.
1--WE will see about that" said the
president. II will consult the attorney
general"
The attorney general, on being con-
suited, stated that the comptroller was
right-he could not be forced to coun-
tersign the warrant. Next day tho pres
ident summoned Mr.. Taylor and said:
II find that I cannot compel you to
countersign the warrant. However, ]
can get another first comptroller"
Every we'll, Mr.. President" replied
the officer. "You can have my resigna.
ton, but not my signature"
In fact, the only way in which the
president can override o decision Of this
powerful official is by dismissing him
and appointing another man. All OF the
accounts Of the government, except those
which relate to customs and the post.
Office department, are settled by war.
rants countersigned by the first comp
t%roller. Without his signature the pay.
ments cannot be made.
There are two autocrats in tho post.
Office department. One Of them is the
assistant attorney general. 1t Is his
function to decide whether matter of,
fered for mailing is immoral or not. He
acts as censor for tho people. Whenever
a postmaster in any city is doubtful re
garding the morality Of a publication
that is sought to be mailed, he forward,
a copy Of the suspected work to tho thirt
assistant postmaster general, by whom
It Is referred to the assistant attorney
general.
Very likely tho latter may DO too busy
to investigate the subject personally, il
which case he turns 1t over to Of hi
2 clerks, who peruses it and marks an,
. passage which he considers indecent
Thus the law lord has simply to glanc,
I, over the selected tidbits of impropriet,
u and pass on them. The assistant attor
. ney general also determines what mai
matter shall DO considered fraudulen
and DO excluded as such from the post.
The third assistant postmaster genera
is himself an autocrat. He has authorit,
to exercise his own discretion in depriv
! ing periodical publications Of tho ad
q vantage Of second class postal rates
Q Publications intended for advertisir
purposes primarily are not Above,
y those rates. On account of the "Kreutze
!. Sonata" q whole series of books, of whic'
1t was one, was shut out Of the mails.
! Publishers commonly get out vol
umes in series, because in this shap
~ they go second class as periodical publ
Ie cations SO long as they are issued q
1aack fpr,r ff,,,nc n 0yaae T1o In,.,so
' against that work did not actually ca
e clude it from the post, because it coul
Ia be and was sent at first class rate.
, sealed, so that nobody could lawful
open the package and find out what wa
y inside.
The autocrat Of the department {
agriculture is the chief Of the bureau {
r. animal industry. He has authority I
"A kill any animal he may choose anywher
in the United States. When one of b
v inspectors reports that such and sue
pc cattle are afflicted with an infection
is disease, he orders them purchased an
:. slaughtered. The value Of tho beasts
!" judged by two appraisers, n chose
IN by the owner and tho other by tho b,
he reau. If they cannot agree, they al
+. point q third person to decide. In caf
~ a man refused to have his live stoc
o thus disposed of, tho police and Unite
ce States marshals would be summoned.
n. The payment a~djudicated is made b
= check. The chief Of the bureaus autho
hs ity in such matters is absolute over Il
territories and District of Columbi
30 For operations in any state he must ha,
the consent Of the governor, but the 60
n J. ernor's consent cannot DO withheld b
- cause he is in q position to coerce Il
n. state. II he chooses, he can quarantir
the state, preventing all animals fro
g. going into or coming out for an indeI
70 mite period.-St. Louis Globe-D emocra
g. ~
Wire rs . Strengthened.