New-York tribune., 1872-09-12


criminate Hartranft, are forgeries, or rather
as we understand the averment, that they
were never made by him, but by some one
who personated him. This rests on the state
ment of Yerkes himself. said to have been
made in the Penitentiary to reporter. Our
information is just the other way. 1t Is
that W. II. Kemble, acting for Hartranit,
has been time and again at the Penitentary
to persuade Yerkes to make an exculpating
statement, and that he steadily refuses. DC
this "a it may, if it be a case OF false per-
sOnation. there is a simple way of proving 1t.
LET the magistrate before whom the affidavit
was made 60 to the Penitentiary Gf Kemble
on Get in. he CAM and see if Yerkes IS the
man who made oath before him. This is
better than the vague disavowal OF convict
made to reporter. 1t really seems 10 U.s. IN
matter involving issues so vital 10 'ne
public, TO Gen. Hartranft, and The Norm
American, no pains should be spared to clear
it up. We are ready to assist.
So much for the precise point which Is
made as to matters of fact. One would sup.
pose from it that the only proof OF
Uartranft's guilt was these af1idayits. The
truth is, they are merely cumulative. Does
The North American (here again, in all
friendliness, are we slipping into the inter
roeative) mean to say that Hartranfts "ac-
count current of stock speculatlODs with
Yerkes was the right thing Would Mr.. Ed
win NJ. Lewis, Cashier of the Farmers and
Mechanics Bank, think it right for any one
in 2 fiduciary relation to him, or his Bank,
or the public, to BIO dabbling In soil" and
. nd Waters "
and using the information which his con-
fdential position gave him to "bulp and
"bear" the stock marketi This Is exactly
what Hartranft did, and this The North
American does not pretend to deny. Let the
Yerkes afidavits be what they may, and, on
the evidence, we believe them to be both
genuine and authentic, there is no doubt as
to the letters. One of these cannot be too
often quoted. 1t is at once official, affection
ate, confidential, and urgent:
AUDrToE-G ENERAL's OFFICE
HARRISBURG, March 9, 1870.
DEAR YERKEs: Buy soon IA possible 100 shares OF
Oil Creek and Allegheny Valley Railroad, and then have
my account. rather have an extract made from my
account 50 that the exact loss have sustained
on oil Creek Let mo have them as soon as you can CON
veuently. Tie AiiracU-G6nerdt has giren dectSiOn
6gGnst our settlement oil creek uhich takes me sTch
,fht ont don't know what tO say about on Creek as
a Investment. 1 tnink ChdHtoa hIo tnht
Will 90 rp but everything else Is dropping. but niue
else can je expected from OIL Creek What do Won think
of gold YOurs, &c. j. f. HARIRANRT.
Here the steady men of Philadelphia will
admit, is the true ring of the stock gambler
the echo of Third d-street and the " Barbary
"Coastr-and the writer of this was and is
the guardian-tho COntroler-the Auditor OF
the Pennsylvania Treasury! Now, We again
nut it to the reputable and seIVat.ve North
American and its constituency, is such man
fit for higher trusts 7
One other word. Our respected contemporary
afirms that Hartranft's "recOrd has never been
"questioned or attempted to be questioned by
"any reputable authority and that none
assail it but "common calumniatOrs.n 1t is no
part of orr function to graduate the respecta-
bility of the component parts of tho Philadel-
phia press. Our duty compels US to read
them, and. reading them, we find one organ
of public Opinion-a fervent supporter OF the
Grant Observation-Disclosures advanced Republican
we of course refer to MIR. FOrney's Press, day III
and day out, not only questioning the Hartranft
record, but denouncing it as black with all
manner of official delinquency. When in won
derment we ask, did this accredited eulOgist
of President Grant sink TO the low level Of a
common calumniatOr 4