The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-02-06

between two districts. adding to each
$4,000 the 10000 Of Ohio will be de-
vidcd between twenty districts adding
5000 to each. Vermont will then have
one representative to population of
about 10000 Ohio Que to population
Of about $4,000
Mr.. Wizards supplemented bill adding
nine representatives would save TO YER
mont its present representation and it
ought TO find friends enough to carry
But it must be confessed that there
seems 10 be no hope.
THE NEw GOVERNOR OF WASHINGTON
TfRRIroRY.-The appointment of James
f. Lcgate, as governor Of Washington
territory, is forcible illustration o. the
wide difference which exists between the
theory and practice of the administration
and its friends under the new system of
civil service reform. Mr.. Legate, at the
time Of his appointment, was well known
to be under a cloud in Kansas, where he
has figured for some years as an active
and not particularly scrupulous local
politician, on account of charges pending
against him and now being investigated
of having bribcd certain members of the
Legislature of that state to vote for Sena-
tor Caldwell. 1t would have been only
decent if the Kansas senators who obtain
ed for him his governorship had waited
until he had cleared himself from these
charges before hurrying him off to the
Pacific coast with presidential appoint
msnt in his pocket. But this recent
affair in Kansas is not all there is against
him. 1t WAS proven by his own confess
ion, and by abundant testimony taken by
a committee Of the House in the XLth
Congress, that while holding an appoint
ment as special mail agent, he was in
Washington during the impeachment
trial, endeayoring to corrupt senators by
brides to vote against the conviction of
johnson. He was in the conspiracy with
Wooloy, Perry Fuller, and others, and
offered TO obtain the vote of Senator
Pomeroy for money consideration. Dur.
ing the trial h. obtained the appointment
Of postmaster at Leavenworth on the re.
commentator of Mr.. Pomeroy While
seeking this office he sent Cornelius Wen
dell to the postmaster general to exhibit
a letter purporting to be written to him
(Legate) by Pomeroy, in which the sem
ator offered, in substance, to oppose i'm.
parchment if he were given the patron
age he wanted. Senator Pomeroy swore
before the committee that the letter was
forgery, and his clerk, Mr.. Luce,
swore that Legate had offered him $1,000
to forge such letter, he being able to
initiate the senator's handwriting so per-
fectly that NJ person could recognize any
difference, but that he refused. Lcgate
was thus shown by his own confession to
be corruptionist and, by Mr.. Luce's
evidence, to be guilty of attempted subor-
nation of forgery, and by Senator Pome-
roy's statement, to be forger In spite
of all this Senators Pomeroy and Cald-
well are reported to have personally per-
suaded the president to nominate him to
the governorship of Washington territory,
and the Senate confirmed him. The
worst part of this thoroughly bad bust
ness is that the president was fully in
formed as to Legate's character by
Pelucius Garfield, delegate from Wash
ington territory, and entreated not to
outrage the people Of that territory by
sending such man to act as their Cover.
nor. Mr.. Garfield requested the presi.
dent to recall the nomination, but no at
tention was paid to his request. The
facts stated as to Legate's history are
gathered from the report of the committee
which investigated the alleged corrupt
use of money to influence the votes of
senators on the impeachment trial; this
report has long been in print as House
document. 1t is reported that Senator
Sumner will lay these facts before the
Senate, at the next executive session, and
move to reconsider Legatc's confirmation.
Washington Dispatch 10 Tribune.
Either tho above is a very presumptu.
Gus falsehood, or there arc grave reasons
for questioning the cxpcdiency of re-
nominating General Grant for the Presi.
dency 1t may be possible to construe
such action on his part, as the result Of
too great confidence in the Kansas Sena.
tors, thus throwing the responsibility Of
this disgraceful appointment upon them,
but even upon that Interpretation it would
DO at least doubtful policy to pcrpotu-
ate him in the highest executive Office Of
tho nation. We can sec no way of re-
tanning our good opinion of the admins
tration but by disbelioving tho truth of
the statement. We sincerely hope it
may be denied. In fact we can readily
believe there may be another side to this
story. Let us have it.