The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-02-24
Govern or stone ana u. orw,s Frauds.

The Dubuque Herald has been leading the
corporaIs guard of democratic Journals in
this State in attacks upon Governor Stone tor
his alleged completely in the 0ssse sseaiings
of Sal. 900 in swamp land finds beiepang TO
certain counties of The State. he upslft'. OF
the whole thing now turns out TO be- aceor-
ding 10 the Lerdid own expression, toy
Stone criminal negligence. IL Is not pre-
iei lha, the Governor received single
mill efthe s,ealings. Il u not pretended
thai ha was pryy, ia snr OF the slightest de
gree. to 0rsig specu!ations. II lie not pre-
tended that he knew anything about them
al all. All there is nov, int the charge against
governor Sseue, is, that he wasgailsy OF Grim
inal neg genes.
| We inay be absolutely certain that, if there
had been anything on which to hang even the
least suspicion OF charge OF personal DIS
houesty on the par Of Gov. Stone, the Her
aid would not have hesitatea single instan,
in making that charge. \ whole year has
elapsed since this matter was publicly can
vas sed. There mas been plenty Of time TO
eet at the fac, of Governoe stones specnla
ton if that fact existed. That il does not is
proved beyond all question by the tacit con-
| fession OF the leading democratic journal Of
the State.
We have expressed our opinion Of Gov.
Stone generally heretofore. 1t is quite well
known, not TO put too line point upon it,
thai we never have the least inclination TO
sneezs when he takes snuff. But that he rs
a man dishonest in money matters is some.
thing we do not believe. He is generous.
Perhaps it may be said with truth that in the
management os his own business affairs he is
careless We have lived q neighbor TO him,
and We know that as public spirited man,
person of many and liberal charities, and
as one who would not cheat another out OF a
farthing, he was universally esteemed. He
had many bitter political enemies, and many
bitter personal enemies. but net one among
them all who would not say that he was
strictly upright in money matters. He was
the poorest horse trader we ever saw. He
Invariably got cheated, till be got possession
Of a miserable, spawned, ring-boned animal
(for which he gave good black horse that
sometimes lifted his hind legs on to the buggy
dasn) which nobody that knew horse from
Ia cow would have endured in his sight, and
that old animal has been out to commons
lever since. Stone never was known to cheat
anybody in any trade, or 10 be grasping after
money.
The idea, therefore. that he would 90 to
grabbing the public money was preposterous
TO those who knew his character. 1t is Ger
tain he never received the benefit of a single
penny of Orwig's stealings
The truth is and the whole truth so far as
this matter is concerned, that Governor
Stone happened to get for his Private Secre-
tary dishonest man. This Secretary did
some very bad business, without the Cow
lernor's konwledge. So soon as the Governs
or heard OF the dishonest transactions be de
manded ar investigation, That investigation
will result, before its final conclusion, in the
lrecoverv Of all, or nearly all, the money
which was unlawfully appropriated by the
lguilty party This may show criminal neg
lligence' on the part Of Governor Stone, in
the opinion Of democratic journals Il is Ger
tainly the opposite of the negligence their
officials use in such cases, for they always
neglect 10 say anything about it At all, and
so their negligence" (which is not sscrimi-
} nal at all , results in their spectators
going unwhipped Of justice for the sake Of
the party We suppose Governor Stone was
not as careful as he should haye been in thi.
matter. This was the result Of a want of bu-
siness education. Aud that, we take it. il
about all there is of the charge against him