Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-05

scream abont the Tribunes mendacity':
"The recent theft Of vouchers and other docu-
mentS in York country, Penn, was committed
tor the purpose Of saving democratic officials
from punishment for embezzlement of public
moneys, and other frauds. Yet the New York
Tribune is base enough TO inSinuate that the
crime was committed by republicans
Tine basis of all this excitement is the follow
ing paragraph in the Tribune:
Commend us to a Pennsylvania ring for the
neatnesS and dispatch with which any thieving
JOB Is executed. Such an organization in York,
pennsylvania, stole the country vouchers which
might impiieate them; the legislature appointed
re-auditing committee to supply the deficiency
OF evidence; next, the ring stole all the treas
urers accounts for the past six years, and to
crown all, carried off the report of the re-audt.
ing committee. The only wonder is that the
rogues left the court house with one stone on
another
ut is clearly impossible for the Grant organs
TO understand that a newspaper may comment
on crime against public morals without any
reference TO the politics of the criminals. They
seem TO think that "thieving PENNSYLVANIA
ring must needs be Il republican one. Do thew
want monopoly of stealing in Pennsylvania"
Such brazen audacity as this can not be de-
veloped in a moment, nor in the course of a sin
gle presidential campaign. 1t requires long
training, even where the natural aptitude for il
is so great as to be amazing. The Tribune
means to say that it did not Obstinate that the
crimes at York were committed by republicans"
and yet, this is precisely what it did do, in its
notice of our article. The paragraph it quotes
from its own columns is not "the basis of all
this excitement" The "mendacity" denounced
by the Troy Journal appears in the paragraph
we quote from its issue of October 26th, which
is plain enough without the aid of "distortion."
But commentary is unnecessary. Our two ex-
tracts fiOm the Tribune speak for themselves.
We understand that ten. Banks and his sup
porters are discouraged. They have given up
all hope of carrying the fifth district. He can
not be reelected, although the labor reformers,
or company of men protesting to be labor re-
formers, have made him their candidate The
republicans will not vote fo- him. He has tried
in vain to persuade them. Some of his more
prominent supporters admit freely that he will
be defeated, but hope that the majority against
him will not be more than 1900, a hope that will
be disappointed. What will General Banks do
next? He is one of the most badly disappointed
and used up men in the whole Greeley crowd.
curious story is told which illustrates,
among other things, the thriftiness of Prussian
army administration and the rigor with which
even the greatest persons are brought to ac-
count 1t happened, according to a correspon-
dent of Belgian newspaper, that while Count
Won Moltke was experimenting the siege opera
tions at Versailles in the winter Of 1S70-71 he
ran short of snuff, and not finding any to suit
his taste at the local tobacco shops, he directed
one of his subordinates at the war office in Ber-
lin to forward without delay supply Of his own
peculiar brand. The snuff was bought and sent
forward with military promptness, and its cost
went into the military accounts. 1t served its
purpose of agreeably titllating the nose of the
great general, who, occupied with engroSsng
cares, most likely never thought of asking
who had paid for his snuff. But such
questions arc sure to find sooner or
later somebody in the Prussian ser
vice whose business it is to ask them and to
have an answer. The time for this one came
when the war was over and the books of the
various departments, which had been spending
money so prodigally, began to be examined.
One of the clerks who were employed on this
stupendous task, while checking the petty cash
transactions of the war office, came upon this
astonishing item: "For one pound of extra fine
with.of-Tonquin Observation-Disclosures
ted snuff, by his eXceency the count Won Moltke
commanded, three thalcrs seven and a half sill
Der groschen." To pass this unprecedented item
was out of the question. So the clerk made
memorandum of the entry and referred it to his
immediate official superior, with note, Or rath-
er an essay, critical, historical and generally ex-
haustive, arguing that snuff could not be rea.
sonably held a material or muniton of war
and that the outlay for its purchase ought not
to be made public charge. The memorandum
passed from one hand to another, through the
successive grades Of accounting officers, each
enriching il with an additional note EN-.
bodying treasures of learning and research,
until, in the course ofsiXteen months, the whole
series of officials had had turn at it, and the
question was then referred to the crown lawyers,
who pronounced finally that the item for snuff
could not he allowed. Thereupon Won Moltke
received formal letter, requesting with per-
emptory civility that he should pay for his
snuff, which of course he did, and there the mat
ter ended; but it is appalling to think of the
time, paper, ink and labor expended in saving
less than three dollars to the treasury. The
story may not be true, but it is characteristic OF
the Prussian service and not at all improbable.
Prussian officials work cheap, and patience,
thoroughness and fidelity are prominent national
traits.