New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-23
AN OLD OFFICIALS VIEWS.
THE DOCKERY IMPROVEMENTS on THE SYSTEM
OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON.


OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: The dispatch from Washington crtclsng
the "Dockery act TO reform the United States
Treasury. IN The Tribune OF this morning. recalls
facts not perhaps destitute Of public interest.
The fever Of reform attacks all newly appointed
officers of the Treasury and members Of commit
tees Of nvestiga ton and ike other acute diseases
IL is always most severe at the first attack The
patient forgets that the creator OF the system ana
a long line OF his successors were men oil some
capacity and experience. and believes That ne ha'h
gotten more wisdom than all they that have been
before him in the department. The course Of the
disease is uniform Its danger point both TO The
patient and the Treasury system is passed when
the patient learns that his predecessors were men.
of some ability whose work should not be lnterfercd
with by him without extreme caution.
/ have had the disease. At the end OF my hrst
month in the department I had the greatest con-
tempt for its Of rer-tape. and set about sim
pfying matters with great enthusiasm My cure
was early and effectual. At the end OF four years
| had learned that we had Treasury system
which protected the moneys Of the Republic. ana
could not be changed materially without exposing
them to danger.
1t unfortunate for me- as 1t Is for the gen
eral public. that history OF the Treasury OF the
United States exists. That history has not been
written. There is a legend that the system was
created by Mr. Hamilton, but what principles were in
his mind or what ends he had in view are only to
be ascertained by a study Of the workings OF the
system. If that study is thorough, II VIII sho"
that the existing is very safe system ana that
the few losses which have been made under 1t
have generally been caused by a neglect OF pm
ciples which were intended to have uniform APP
pcation.
The objects Of National Treasury system are
first TO secure the payment into the Treasury OF
all the moneys which belong to it, and secondly to
prevent the payment Of any money out OF II eN-
cept under the authority of act Of Congress. IT
the question whether money shall be paid INTO or
out Of the Treasury is left TO the decision OF only
one man. and he is dishonest the Treasury VIII DE-
robbed II two men must concur. the robbery be-
comes twice as difficult: If three, a iraul Is SUI
more difficult but not Impossible, especially II the
three are in the bureau and responsible to the
same head. Now. is there any way in when
concurrence conspiracy between THESE th'ee
men can be made impossible? Probably not Out
the nearer we can to it the better VIII De
the system.
Mr. Hamilton knew that the subordinate IN
bureau would be a check upon his superior
from whom he had his appointment ana 10 "hon
he was responsible. Such a suboriinate would opey
his superior rather than an act of Congress Thore-
fore he constructed his Treasury system upon TINS
fundamental rule Every dollar paid into or out OF
the Treasury shall have the sanction Of at least
three competent and presumptivey trustworthy oin
GERS each responsible to and removable by an
ferent superior and having official relations with
each other.
What is complained Of as red-tape' and what me
immature officer or committeeman Is set upon re-
moving or improving. is the operation OF TINS RUE
which his experience will ultimately show MIN 'is
Indispensable the security Of the treasury
will give a single example of It's operation. \ con-
tractor In the War, Posoifice or any department
presents claim. 1t must first have the approval
of the department in which 1t originated III thch
goes to the proper auditor In the Treasury toT rdn
vcstigation. If II Is authorized by an Az OF toH-
has accrued a
tract, and the amount IL correct all as SHOWN ny
the files. the account is approved by the Auditor
troer. The duty of this officer is revlsory ana ]h
If they raise any question the Controller decides
~ II they do not ne also approves Inc account
vino draws warrant for its Payment TINS war
is not paid until it has been sent to in e cSn
been entered upon the books Of the Register. after
.'6les" as they are called, containing all the pa
pers are sent to the Registers ties-room, where
'n smonnts are paid or covered into the Treasury
by a like system Of accounting by the same number
OF the Treasury is subjected substantially to the
kind Of nyestgaon 1t is obvious hai an
many obstacles in running such sane' that
s sns such claims never do pass There have been
cases of loss by interposlng false papers INTO me
the Treasury by fraud which passed through regu
lar process is, I believe. unknown; ,r.. ..
be defrauded There must be conspiracy between
M least three persons In as many departments,
which either deceive the heads of those departments
or 10 which those heads are privy III these three
parsons were In the same bureau. receiving their
apoIntment and their instructions from the same
officer they might and In some cases would, obey
that officer II directed by him TO pass fraudulent
claim But under the existing system such II result
is impossible. 49,, .,,
There have beer several losses by fraud through
the Assistant Treasures. But these are not under
the Treasury system. Every loss with the circufn
stances OF which am acquainted would have been
prevented by that system
My conclusion, after an experience or about
four years. du,ing which / endeavored 10 acquaini
myself with the theory well as the history or
| the Treasury that system devised by Alex
ander Hamilton. perfected by so many able sue
| cessors which for century had protected the
Government against fraud-which had adapted IT.
self TO the growth of the country and had been
pronounced by many inanciers the best National
system In existence-could not be much improved by
me or by any else Of equally limited experience.
| The Dockery Commission. with much less expert
ence, came TO a different conclusion. / am
prised that their amendments have come TO grief.