New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-10
TIE FiIRCHILD COMMISSION.

Tho announcement that Secretary Carlisle
coI,ed unon ex-Sccrctary Fairchild soon after
his arrival in town is Il reminder that MI. Falr
child is the nominal head Of what Is calicu
commission consisting olive forget how many
distinguished persons who have been engaged
for the last three or four months searching for
frauds i'm the administration Of the custom
House in this city. This commission was APP
pointed by Secretary Carlisle very soon al'er
his entry upon office. 1t was not known 1or
long time whether it was a commission or
detective bureau or Democratic campaign
committee in the pay Of the Government. Inc
pioneer of it was Mr.. Pondexter Dunn, Il favor
ite son Of Arkansas, who sailed into the JUS
tom House one morning in breezy. Dlithcsome
way. and, seating himself on table with his
lccs swinging under him. unfoldcd himself 10
the rcportcrs Next Mr. Daniel Magone. after
bciuc rcported at intervals ut Yonkers and
other way stations on his progress from the
interior, sauntcrcd slowly in and joined him.
self TO Dunn Mr.. Fairchild approached the
seat of the commission with still more de-
| liberation and no little dignity. Having taken
n look through the crack of the door mt so much
Of the commission rs had come together, he
warily drew back, remarking that he was " NOT
in it." Dunn and Mngone continued to sit
there however, and draw so day.
A little later they attached legal lumnary
named Macfarlanc to the commission, and be-
gan bombarding the office with conundrums OF
the most complex and bcwildcrng character,
intcrspcrstd with rather broad intimations that
most Of the persons connected with the collec-
Int. in
varicators cquivocators, pcrjurers and thieves.
Secretary Carlislcs experiment with the silver
payment proposition had not at that time be-
gln To bring forth its full fruits. and the pub
| lie mind not being occupied with the tumble in
stocks and financial panic which followed, the
| commission for while held attention. Its pro
cecdngs furnished considerable amusement for
| dull season but presently Secretary Carlislcs
| financial medicine began to operate. and people
| forgot all about his nondcscrpt commission at
work uncarthing frauds in the Custom House.
| CrImblng credit. falling business firms, break
| ing banks. and the crash Of a general tumble
| so occupied attention that men ceased to care
whether the three or four or more statesmen in
| the Custom House were commission. n bureau
| or a committee, and almost forgot their exist
| ence.
| A little while ago, however, some one rose
I'D in the Senate and called on the Secretary OF
the Treasury for information as to what these
persons were doing, and by what authority;
what was the corporate name under which they
were doing business, and how much they were
getting for IT, BY that time, II seems, Mr.. Fair
| child had overcome his scrupes and formed n
connection with the other three. 1t then ap-
pearcd that the name OF it was the Fairchlld
| Commission, and that the statesmen composing
| il were drawing S25 day each from the Treas
! rry Nothing has yet been made public con
| corning their Investigations 1t Is not certain
| that anything ever will be- 1t IL interesting to
| know. however that Secretary Carlisle has
| taken the trouble To come to Ncw-York 10 find
| out about them and what they are doing to
earn their SO day. The whole cost TO the
| Government Of the commission and It's EN-
poycs and clerks must be somewhere from
] Sl25 to $50 day. Nobody knows what they