The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-07-07
The Mystery of 81. 600.

If Consul General Michael, formerly
Chief Clerk of the Department OF State.
and Morrison, the disbursing officer OF
that department, wish to save themselves
from dismissal for participation in piece
of graft amounting to 81, GOO let them tell
all they know about the transaction. We
have no knowledge that they got cent
of the money; we assume nothing Of the
sort; we are quite willing to concede that
they did what some superior told them to
do. But they have got to tell all they
know or suffer the penalty. That might
as well he made clear to them, mainly for
the wholesome effect upon other clerks
in the public service.
Mr.. Rosenthal, painted portrait of
Justice Day, who had been Secretary of
State, for compensation of $3.50, includ-
ing the gilt frame, which cost 500. The
voucher, however, was made out for
$2,45o. Michael says this was done by
order of Secretary Hay. Mr. HAY is
dead; no one would suspect him of a dis
honorable act, and as he was man of
large fortune, the sum Of 81, 600 is too
small for him to have compromised him
self with even if he had been that sort of
a man, which no one has ever insinuated.
If Michael is correct, and Mr. Hay di-
rected the item of ST. 600 for some legiti-
mate public purpose to be Struggled into
this voucher, the people in the depart
ment must have some knowledge of it.
1t is conceivable that the money was spent
for some secret service purpose, not to be
disclosed to the public but the officials
must have had some knwledge. How
ever, when Mr.. Rosenthal went to the
Tor ~ 1Aflf .Nl tot 70 II Il
order for painting the portrait of ex-Sec-
rotary Root he was told by DIR. DENLY,
who succeeded Mr.. Michael, that he could
not have the order because he charged
too much, and in proof thereof the voucher
for S2,45o was produced DENLY had no
idea that Rosenthal got only $3.50 This
creates presumption of graft that can be
overthrown only by more explicit infor-
nation than Michael and Morrison have
given.
A still more sinister aspect is given to
the matter by the withdrawal OF the
voucher from the files five years ago. If
Mr.. Root ordered this he should be able
to recall the circumstances. If he did
order it, why should it have been deemed
advisable to have the voucher turn up
again? And what childishnees it is to pre-
tend That after It's fVe years absence from
its place it was accidentally discovered
lying on floor not far from waste basket
into which it was apparently seeking to
crawl With the voucher was a sort of
explanation, evidently not written at the
time of the transaction, and very likely
not written till it was deemed prudent to
find the voucher; and with it was a re-
ceipt which Mr. Rosenthal has no recol-
lection Of ever seeing.
Under these circumstances the COM
mittee which made the investigation is
quite justified in recommending that
Michael and Morrison be dismissed, and
this recommendation should be acted on
at once unless Michael and Morrison can
tell credible story about the affair
Such action should be taken as will make
it unlikely that other chief clerks and dis
bursting clerks will be parties to any such
suspicious transaction.