Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-02-14
Congress-.
THE DErAULTERs.

S', "qutCN Succession, 0 the suO<treasurers
) who were. or are TO be, substituted for
banks, and will show you that they prove
all ! ever charged 10 he true.
said that IN December, 1886. when Gen
Jackson gave his ceriitic aie that all wa.
we'll, honest. fair. this very leg-treasurer,
Swartwout, at New York, was in default
1886, 7lS. Well, sir, now il appears tina,
IN twelve months after, he was in default ia
the tune OF Sl,Ol6, 755 end three months
alter that time, was defanlter in the still lar,
ger sum Of s 1926, 705 go !!-Prev,ous to
my attempt at investigation, he had been
stealing public money a, the rate of Sc 900
per annum. Affer the cat pas belied, he
stole in one year, $500 ,236 So, and in the
next three months S208, $50 81. Yes, sir,
after the President had given him certifi-
cate oil honesty, and you, sir, and the House,
! and The committee, and the Executive had
shielded him from all The scrutiny, he stole
in one year the sum of $3.50 ,236 65, and in
The next three months al the rate OF more than
SSOO,O per annum-his dcfalcations aver
aging, throughout his official career, the sum
OF mere Than $40 900 per annum, for sew.
en- years-and this, too, tpe are told Without
me least suspicion! GA Jew may believe
it-bui don't %
Sir, said The other day that did moi re-
Joice in these public losses and calamiies,
though confessed did feel thrill Of ri
umph at having gained victory for the
truth The pet bank system and the sub
treasurers have exploded, as | said they
would, and exposed their hidden enormiiies.
concealed until they could be concealed no
longer but do not rejoice at il. made
me no booth TO sill and watch for the des.Suc
ton OF corrupt Nineveh But, sir, there is
one poor human being on this earh-alone
now in the world-wrecked in reputation
blasled--sligbted by men cot half as worthy
as he is-whose soul at scenes like these,
does rejoice, must exuit. Who and where
is he! Sir, il you will go down Pennsyiva
| MA avene 10 the corner of four and hall
street, beneath Mrs. Peyton's boarding
house you will find grey headed man ;.
stricken in years: his name is Tobias Wa,>
kins. That man for borrowing money Of
public officers. funds IN their hands, moi
converting funds in his own hands to his
own use, vas imprisoned on the 18th OF Au.
gust, 1929, and tried on three several indici
men,s, on all which he was convicted and
fined, or one the sum of $3.50, on another
$500, and On the third So 900. He was
| sentenced 10 be imprisoned three months on
each indictment, in all nine months; and
though imprisoned in August, 1929 he was
NOT released until March, 1888. Kept in
| jail three years and six months for real or
fictitious defslcstion of $4,000! Where are
now the defaulters of this reform admins.
tration !? Where is Swartwout, after en-
hezzlIng public money for eigh, years in
succession, till he had taken and carried a
| way million and quarier? Where is
Price Where is Gratiot? How long since
their carriage wheels proudly hurled The o.
lympic dus. OF the fashionable streets and
avenues OF your metropolis of court and OF
fashion: No marshais at their beefs-no
district attorneys prosecuting against them
triple indictments; they ran away, or walk
| Ell away, unforbidden and none 10 hinder
Them Where s Boyd? that land officer
de'anlier who appealed to s'Me nisfoytunes
OF speculntion,' to elect him to the senate of
his State, Mississippi! These are sIl inno-
cent and unfortunate or escaping defaulters!-
| These are fell handed public plunderers ,pe,
| plunderers, and go "nnwhipped of justice"
! Sir, so was Tobias Watkins unfortunate.
J He was torn and bred genfieman-daz-
| Zled by the iinsel glare OF this metropolis Of
splendid misery, and shabby spiendor,' Gas
| ], was once, with equal force, truth and
beauty, Described by that unequal orator Of
Virginia, John Randoph>-oi liberal minds
and habits too, had lavished some three thou
sand, improvidently, thinking in his heart,
| that he should be able 20 replace that sum,
1 end more, and make all straight and he
was imprisoned for his imprudeace for near
Iy four years and made 10 bear ielon'
brand! Ah sir, but he was gentleman
| he belonged TO oil the 'decency,' TO the
/ silk stocking geBtry'-he was not unfortu
nate 10 the amount OF millionaire was moi
too full handed TO he touched by the rude
hands OF the ipstaf-he was net deiaulter
I Of the great democracy, and poor fellow. he
| suffered for being gentleman. BY the by,
sir, that word reminds me Of the fact that
il was during, or not until The past summer,
your party fret discove ed that your Presi
dent was a gentleman The discovery was
made first, think by grannie Ritcbie.-
| That venerable gentleman took me 10 task
for Ending some gentlemen in Petersburg,
and as SET off, il seemed, boasted that Press
ident Va1 Buren, too was actually gentle
man Very strange! that made Presi
dent, The successor Of the Industrious in
| 1887, they did moi find out ,o be gentleman
until the summer Of 1885, They must sure,
ly have been trying 10 make him out
| Wing. For myself, always knew he was,
in The ordinary sense, gentleman and il
| was notifying TO me 10 see That the Enqui-
| rer by implication nj least, had supposed I'M
I'll lately. that the President Of the United
/ States could be other than a gentleman
| judging ] mean from its boast OF the sudden
discovery; but my colleague there, Mr.
Dromgoole) will not, however, recognize
Mr.. Richie as genuine Locofoco editor,
| (Mr DromgooIe said no, he is a Copserva.
tiye.) There is a cheering consideration
connected with this discovery though by The
Administration press; il is the brightest o.
men that has occurred for years OF Mr.. Van
| Buren's downfall Yes sir tina. CRY OF