The herald., 1895-09-29

and Illinois Mr.. Sanders stands pre-emi-
nent among all the former servants OF the
bureau of animal industry. No other
has rendered such Jealous and beneficent
service for SO small sum uof dollars.
The pilgrimage of j. H. sanders in be-
half of the plowmen OF the United States,
of his labors in Craven street and among
the newspapers of wicked London. are
embalmed forever among the virtues
and vouchers-of the United States de-
partment of agriculture"
Then Mr.. Morton drops upon the back
OF J. II. Sanders by printing all his ex-
pense accounts and sundry letters which
passed between Mr. Sanders and Adam Il.
King. consul general to Paris. These let
ters can hardly BIZ construed as temper
ance certificate. Mr.. Morton winds up
his remarks by the statement that Mr..
Sanders trip to Europe cost $4,000 and
produced just nothing.
This sort Of thing was only the begin
ming Of q sweeping Investigation into the
odd corners OF his department made by
the secretary of agriculture. As for the
result, it takes hardly line to tell the
story. In 1892 the amount of money APP
propriated but not used by the depart
menu'of agriculture and therefore turned
back to the treasury was $50, :9}.46. In
minist.ation, the amount turned back to
the treasury as not needed was $685.
429. o.. That is to say the saving effected
in one year of Democratic administration
was nearly $780, 900. The saving for 1895
is estimated at $500, 900. The actual saw
ing Is greatly In excess OF this amount,
as the department originally asked for a
smaller appro priation than had ever been
demanded before in it's history.
The secretary next point of attack
was the seed division. For several years
this bureau had been furnishing the
friends and acquaintances of congressm en-
and senators with all tho seeds, bulbs
and cuttings they wanted at an annual
aggregate expense of $3.50, 900. There was.
SO far as any one could determine, no
practical reason why the United States
should provide its legislators with things
to give away or sell, and although GUS
tom had sanctioned 1t and congress gen.
to stop the distribution. His method of
doing it was characteristic-he simply
conducted the seed division according to
law, and it promptly closed itslf. The
law under which the seed division was
created ordered the secretary of agricul-
ture to purchase seeds, rare and uncom-
mon to the country" For this congress
appropriated large sum of money, but
in practice it was found that instead of
the seeds being rare and uncommon"
they were simply the ordinary garden
seeds which could be purchased from any
nurseryman. Mr.. Morton thereupon wrote
letter to Attorney General Olney, ask :
ing for ruling from the department of
Justice as to whether he could buy any
other kind of seeds but those which
were "rare and uncommon" He was
told that he could not. Thereupon the
secretary inserted an advertisement in
the papers asking for bids from firms
willing to supply the department with
seeds rare and uncommon" Instead
of the usual mass Of bids only three
we're submitted. None of these met the
requireme nts of the department ana all
were rejected. This IS the simple story
of how the seed department closed itself.
No sooner was this accomplished than
Mr.. Morton-who had only carried out
the law-was made the recipient of a