The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-11
Ereuiug Ttle9raph
FRIDAY, MAY IL, 1866.
"There's Something Rotten in the State Of
Denmark"

Denmark"
The conduct of the Board OF Trustees of the
Gas Works, and more especially of the Chief
Engineer of that establishment Mr.. MANUEL,
in regard to the proposed investigation of the
books of the concern, bodies something wrong,
that needs must be concealed. When the
accounts of an office are all correct, when the
balance between the debit and credit sheets
is exact, and honest management is revealed
on every page, men are not wont to shrink
and combat against an examination; it is not
customary for them to battle and refuse to
open their books. 1t is only when some
fraud, some treachery, some breach OF trust
most ilagrant and evident has been com
mitted that they fear to have the record of
their stewardship audited, and their ac-
counts brought to light. 1t is only de-
hnquent that fears to have his superior
look into the official record of finances
under his control, and we should judge
from the conduct OF the gentlemen interested
in the control OF the gas trust that they de-
served to appear before the community in
the character of terrified defauters, who
dread TO have their doings investigated lest
some hidden villany should be revealed. We
do not say that they have been guilty, but
we do assert that the attitute they are as
suming conveys the impression that they
have indeed been false to their trust. That
the people think them so is due entirely to
themselves.
They are quibbling and refusing to allow
Investigation unOn thp most trivial sbo al
low pretexts, one Of which is that the Coun-
ellis Of our city have no authority which
authorizes them to investigate the books of
the Gas Office. Let us look at this claim for
one moment. The members of the Board
are elected by Councils, they are the crea-
lures of the Councils choice, they are the
servants of the power which called them
into existence. As the President of the
United States appoints the Collector of the
poIt of Philadelphia, so also do the members
of Councils choose the members of the Board
of Trustees Of the Gas Works. Can the
President not inves igate the doings of the
Collector? Can he not examine the accounts
of any OF the appointees of the Collector ?
And cannot Councils, by the same logical de-
duction, investigate the proceedings Of any
of their appointees or their appointees' subor-
dnates? The superior giving an office has
always the right to look into its accounts,
and we fail to see why the same rule should
not apply to the Gas Trustees. In fact, the
denial of the privilege universally accorded
to a superior is mere pretense, "a false excuse
for preventing the examination of what we
now begin to fear will not bear examining.
The opposition of the members eXcites suspi-
cion, and suspicion gives new cause for rigid
investigation.
When is remembered that for over twenty
years the books OF the trust have remained
sealed to the public, and the officers of the
city denied admission to the secrets of the
Board-when it is called to mind that these
accounts involve millions of dollars, and the
opportunity for deception and defalcaton has
been great, can it be wondered that the DeO-
pie, the source OF all power, demand to know
why an eXorbitant rate is charged for gas
and no cause assigned? We might suppose
that the secret Of its manufacture was not fit
to meet the vulgar eye, that the engineers
were like the alehemists of old, and the for
mula must be kept hidden like the origin of
the Greek fire. Really the conduct and
arguments Of the Board SAVIOR rather of the
thirteenth than the nineteenth century. As
regards the chief engineer, Mr.. MANUEL, we
cannot do him more harm than by leaving
him TO make his own record, and we there
fore pass his conduct by without comment.
To Colonel PAGE belongs the highest credit
fer persistent endeavors to have this ring
broken up.
He was not intimidated by the opposition,
Venomous and continuous as he expected it
to be, and by his fearless honesty has proved
himself, though our opponent politically, one
of the most valuable members OF our City
Councils. The Fifth Ward has never ,had a
better representative,
But one word more. If the Board have not
been guilty of fraud, then let them open their
books. If all is correct, then what honor will
rebound to the men who have kept in perfect
honesty an account unaudited for nearly q
quarter OF a century! But whether they con-
sent CT refuse, the people are determined, and
sooner or later all their deeds or misdeeds
must come to light and receive the judgment
OF an enlightened community.
The Massacre at Fort Goodwin.
The massacre of the garrison OF Fort Good