The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-04-01

L L.
Kramer we apply to Mr.. Sharpe Crime is
Judged by the interest, and not by the sum
acquired by the depredator. To take one
dollar more than the legal allowance, was to
peculate; to take money, without the au-
thority of law, from the public treasury, is
q crime well understood without naming it,
Did Mr.. Sharpe ever give the Township
| the days work, for which he took pay, ac-
cording to the wages allowed by the statute?
If he did not do the work, he took the
money wrongfully, and knowing it to be an
unlawful gain. The amount does not give
character to the act; he admits no took
enoughto constitute him an embezzler by his
own confession, and renders him amenable
to the law, as well as public opinion-th the
! tribunal before which we are trying him,
and in which we shall, more in sorrow than
in exultation, obtain verdict against him
that will carry its stigma through his Pc.
litical life. -
Mr.. Sharpe is experienced enough in life
to know that, as defendant in a criminal
accusation, his. own testimony is of no avail
in his defense. The man that will take the
public funds Illegally, is presumed to be
reckless enough to deny it. Why has he
not submitted the books to the examination
Of impartial persons Why did he not con-
sent, yesterday, to go through the records
with the editors of this paper and Volksbote
and make up from them full and complete
record of the doings of the Trustees We
were ready and anxious for the service;
ready, too, to do him fall justice-to correct
every error in the published statement; to
accept his own explanations of his own ac-
count and that of his associates. Could an
honest, upright public servant ask more of
the press or of his accusors? But instead
of asserting to so fair d proposition, he took
the books to his own'house, and we and TIE
public are deprived of the sight of them.
OF what avail, then, are the assertions of
such a card as the. following, from such
man, under such circumstances? ~
To the Citizens Of EVans0ille:
For the first time in my life am accused
of dishonesty. The Journal, for partizan
purpose, contains statements in regard to tho
Township Trustees, which tend to hlacken
my character in the public mind Charges
are made against me which have been sprung
on the eve of the city election to be used to
defeat ME for the office of Mayor, for which
| am a candidate at the solicitation of many
citizens. here pronounce the statements
in the Journal, SO far as they relate to my
self, to be utterly false in their most impor-
tant particulars. The charge that | re-
ceived 1890 for fousteen and a half months
services as Township Trustee, is utterly false
| received nine hundred and seventy-fve
dollars for my services from April, 1853 to
March 3lst, l859--sx years, being an aver
age of $l62 SO a year. This is shown by
the books of the township which have al
ways been open to the inspection of all.
Ii this remuneration be excessive, then /
am blamable, but not otherwise. The SER
vices rendered in the construction of
bridges, culyerts, bitches, &C.; in laying
out and altering roads, and providing for
the poor, and performing the other duties of
Township Trustee, is greater than is gener-
ally imagined. The allowances made the
other Township Trustees are in the same
ratio for the time served. Such unfair and
disreputable electioneering tricks as have
been resorted to in the slanderous charges
made in the Journal, will only be despised
by all honest men. For my character re-
fer you to my whole past life, and hope that
no citizen of Evansville will credit the state
ments duplicating me, without having first
examined the matter for himself -f ...,
saH 1854 z8 s. Hr Lsr p. SHARP,
In putting his name to the above card,
Mr.. Sharp has committed darker and more
flagitons act than in taking the money, for
when be signed it there was the damning
record before his ewes falling him his asser