The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-04-04
VT. Farwcli,s Speech.

We are glad to see that the Kennebec Jour-
nal has printed in full Mr.. Farwelrs speech
on the paper credit frauls. We are not con-
scious OF being animated by any unfrendly
feeling toward that gentleman when we say
tina: it is one of the most unsatisfactory apol-
ogies for fraud that it has ever been our for
tune to read. Instead of meeting the ALE
cations Of the commission on the equailza-
ton of municipal war debts the speaker III
tIoduces mass of irrelevant matter oho"
that paper credits were not unknown anu uh-
annrec;atel in other States, that Burrill in
Boston and Blunt in New York did larger
buiness in that sort OF merchandise than any
body living in Maine could have any oppor-
tunity to do, that a large number of naval
credits were due to the cities and towns of
Maine, and that they were rishtfuIly assigned
to them by the commission appointed by the
general government, that the men who were
thus credited cost the State nothing by claim
= ing and receiving a bounty and that Gov.
Cony was not responsible for the removal of
Major Gardiner. On none of these things is
there noso or has there at any time been any
dispute. 1t is to be observed that with re-
spect to the paper credits proper-names sold
by brokers, as the equalization commission
era say, for $3.50 each-he offers only the
vaguest explanation possible. He says that
these credits were for "only 400 Marines
and that he assignment of these marines to
towns "grew out Of and was sanctioned by the
LAM If T,,1,v
Is surely not extravagant to ask something
more than the authority of Mr.. Farwell's
statement for the support of the proposition
that law of Congress authorized individuals
to rob the army and to rob the municipal
ties of Maine by exacting $3.50 each for names
that neither filed the ranks of the army nor
enabled the possessors thereof to reap any
pecuniary benefit from their military services,
X, IN fact, the names represented soldiers or
even men.
Let Mr.. Farwell make another speech or
write letter to his organ in this city in
which he shall meet the charges made in the
report Of the commissioners. To make his
task easier we will present in a concise form
the more important points that demand his
attention.
First. Is 1t lot true, as the Commissioners
allege, that bounties were paid by towns tt
individuals engaged in filling quotas, fo
names of men who did not reside in those
towns, though at the instigation of the sales
men municipal officers were induced to make
oath that they did?
Second. Surprising the naval credits to
have been in all cases properly assigned, what
right had substitute brokers and recruiting
agents to sell to towns men to whom those
towns were entitled without the payment of a
dollar?
Third. Is it true or not, as the commits
sioners allege, that certain gentleman who
!; testified before them, sold eighty or more ma
val credits to towns not entitled to them, the
gentleman having in some mysterious way
been allowed compensation from the State fol
his private losses?
Fourth. Was not that gentleman guilty.
morally if not technically, OF subornation Of
perjury when he procured the filling out Of
naval commission blanks with the fraudulent
; claims Of his customers, those claims being
duly sworn to as required?
-. Fifth. If the names sold in all the cases
mentioned were genuine and belonged to mer
actually in the service, and if they were right
fully credited to Maine, how did this hungr!
horde Of substitute brokers for whom MI
: Farwell speaks, become entitled to compensa
tl0n for them?
: Sixth. How do the reports of investigator.
committees cited by Mr.. Farwell exeuIpat
the brokers that made the fraudulent sales
We grant that they exculpate officials from
the charge of fraud, and that in the ars' re
port the svster, Of e~'ag abroad to fill Maine
-1avras is justified. But what has this to d.
with the rosues that sold for their own benefi
what either did not exist or did not belong te