Sinecure Clerkships

jllif!)ipn Jlrps. A personal uitncK upon Uen. ijsker, OomniÍ88Íoner of Pensions, by somo clerks wUoiu he had discharged, has led to a sej wa of statements and countor-etatements by which the parties to the quarrel have Tuauagod to protty thoroughiy bou not only eaofc otlier's but their own reputations, and to make some farther damuging and mal-odorous revelations as to the way somedopartmentsof the Government urr being managed. Gen. Baker, in respondiug to the accusationsmade against him, usaorts that thoy were brought by í rmer clerks in tbo Pension office, who bad heid sinecure positiona and had fiually been discharged at his solieitation. ïhe firatof these, Mrs. Helen M. Barnard, wan appointed a copyigt on July lst, 1871, for the Chicago District. She never reported at the Pension office, except to rtraw her salary, and disrejjarded an or(íar direoting her to do so. She oontinutnl in tile positionfor two years, but spent her timo in tho reporters' galleries of Congress. All tho work she did in these two jreara was to copy ten sheets which were sent to her, with efghty names on eaoh ■heet, aad this so oarelessly that they had to bo rocopied at tho office. The second party to tho attaok on the Commissioner is a souiewhat notorious Washington correspondent nanied R. J. HintOD, who, the Commissioner saya, drew full pay as a clerk in tho Census office for two yearB without doiug any work, and afterward was ten months in the Pension office drawing full pay, but doing absolutely nothing to earn it. It is also said tht he was at the same time drawing payas clerk of a Congressional comruittee, but devoting most of his time to his newspaper correspcndence, being employed by sevoral journals. These charges have brought out a response from Hinton, in tho forin of an aflid;ivit. He does not dony the soft peiiuuiiipiic; on me contrary, üe makes oath to it. He deposes that " he was placed ou the rolls of the aforesaid offioe fts a teinporary olerk, at a salary of $1,200, account of politioal and clerical servicesie was rendering as secret;ry of the Republican Resident Executive Committee, durinit the whole of the State olections of 1871, and throughout tho laat . Presidential campaign." He further tvrers that " the plaoing of his name on the rolla was ag.unst his own judgrnent and inelination," and "that he did not then, and does not uow, believe in such mothod of compenaation." Virtuous Hintoa ! We blush to record the weaknes of human nature, but it must be added that Hintou con'qaered his acruples and took tho pay. But his xcuse is ready : " The woman tempted me, and L did eat." The terupter in this case, however, was not a fair and blushing Eve, but a trio of venerable and wily politicians. He deposes T rl ti T i I r f f i i ti f r s r m s I - í J_ ment; that it was done, acoording to the best of bis knowledge and belief, with the knowledge and consent of the Secretary of the Interior, and through the effvrts of Tlon. James 31. Edmundt, Senator ChanSkr and g-Senator Harían, one of the proprietors of the Daily Chrunicle of this city." Por shame, Judge Edmunds ! Fie, great War Senator! How oould you, pious Harían ! Betweeu you, you haveseduoed the coy Hinton, and the fall froui graoe of a newspaper correspondent rests upon your consciences. This ia not the flrst time that it hag been charged that men have drawn pay for nominal service in Government offices while really employed in partisan Bervices ; but we believe that never before has a clerk go charged made oath to the truth of the charge, and named the persons who procured bis appointment Of oourse the thing is utterly wrong and indefensibie. It w simply a theft from the public of the amount of this man's salary, and t'ue men who suggested and effected it have done their best to bring the Eepublican partv into dimn-anp ftnd obloquy.