New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-23
HIS NAME rs BOWLER.

Thor, was once a doorkeeper of n Democratic
IIorso ~ Representatives in Washington who
ro,o,ced IN IN. name Of Fltzhugh. and hailed
from the State OF Texas. Fitzhugh specify ac-
nuired an exalted notion or the dignity vi hS
office. and In a burst OF confidence ne one oa!
wrote 10 a Texas friend that he 'fl'zhugU WAC
"a bigger man than old Grant mat naive uec-
laration was for some reason regarueu as III
Indiscreton, and. coupled with o'her lhuiscie-
lions II led to the downfall OF Fitzhngh' Derh-
ocratlc officer OF Democratic House OF Repre
sentativcs But times have changed IN "ashihe
ton since 1871 The Democratic party Is IN iuh
control Of the legislative and executive branches
Of the Government. and the former has become
70 n remarkable and wholly unprecedented eN-
tent. subordinate and subservient 10 the latter
President Cleveland set himself up AZ the mas
ter not only Of his party, but OF the party ma
iori,y that controlled the Lid Congress. II Is
,r1ie that the wild horses sometimes took the
hits in their teeth and deicd the efforts OF him
self and his cuckoo assistants TO control them'
hit. on the whole he was fairly successful In re-
Jnclng the legislative department OF the Govern
mcnt 10 submission.
Among the men whom he called TO his aid was
one Bowler Robert Il. Bowler. nephew OF the
late George H. Pendle,on. and said TO be Il
lawyer by profession in the same sense that
Grover Cleveland Is "A civil Service helorher
by profession Is 10 say, Bowler processes
:, no n LAWYER II was asserted al one time that
Calvin 4 Brice was the discovcrcr OF Bowler.
and had obtained for him an appointment as
Controller Of the Treasury. but the Ohio Sen
ator modcstly disclaimed any credit for the dis
covery or the appointment. Be that as II may
Bowler would seem 10 have turned out 10 he
man Of great and original ideas He Is not only
"a bigger man" than President Cleveland-whch.
~ course. appears TO be incredible-Dut ne ~
suncror 10 Congress and the Supreme Court
and all the inferior courts OF the United States
I, rho first century OF It's existence the Repub-
lie did not produce such a man. or II II ola ne
was moi apponted Controller Of the Treasury.
Bowler IL not a mere Controller; he Is also n
constitutional tribunal For some two years
povlcr pursued the even tenor OF his official
wav ~ his predecessor had done before him.
BECAUSE" as one OF his friends explains. he
"was unacquainted with the very high power
Dof his office" He was not aware OF the impor
tant fact that he was the custodian OF the Con-
s,,,ution OF the United States; that In him was
vested authority to pass upon the constituents
,,v ~ all acts OF Congress by virtue OF which
appropriations OF public money had been vo'ed
hv that body While he was thus held In the
bonds OF ignorance, the Controller did a num-
ber Of things the memory Of which must make
him shudder these days Some OF them, IL Is
s,,d were things such as an official would not
do who could not meet any constitutional scrup'e
,,.,,h tho historic question, What does the Con
stitution amount 10 among friends!' Inc Coh-
stitution OF the United States provides that no
money shall be drawn from the Treasury nut
Gin consequence Of appropriations made by law
and It is alleged that this provision was not op-
served or obcyed when large cotton claim was
paid last year in Difference to an official decision
., rho Controller. He also, 1t appears. approved
sugar bounty claims to the amount or some
SD GOO. 900. despite the fact as his friends say.
that .he has long been OF the opinion mat all
bounty paying by the Government Is wrong
II must be said however that as soon as tho
very high power of his Office was revealed to
Bowler he did not shrink from the attempt 10
exercise II. As We understand II, he holds that
II n law under which an appropriation Is made
by Congress Is unconstitutional In MS opinion,
il is his duty and within his power to prevent
the payment of money out or That appropria-
ton. This power. 1t appears, he proposes to ex-
ercisc for the first time in preventing the pay
ment OF the bounty que 10 prouuoe'S vi oee'
sugar under the act Of 1890 on account OF sugar
made by them before the repeal OF that law In
1894. 1t Is announced that Bowler viii near cal,
counsel ION August Z on the question or the
constltutionaliy Of the bounty provision OF the
act of 1900, and 1t Is also announced In MS De-
half that Bowler has long been OF the opinion
that the payment Of bountes by the Government
4 the United States Is unconstitutional. II
will at once be perceived that the claimants and
their counsel know now as well as they Will
after the hearing" what the decision will be.
or course we are not inclined TO give any
crcdence to ugly rlmors that are said to be
aoat to the effect that IL the claimants for sugar
bounties would consent Ito pay toll' to certain
persons In Washington, constitutional scruples
and objections In the Treasury Department
would speedily disappear. We would prefer to