The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-09-25

to prevent the nomination of Hart
ranft for Governor. He started from
Washington, went to Harrisburg
found the majority of the delegate
were instructed for Hartranft, ant
that he had no power or control owe
them then left Harrisburg and cam,
back to Washington before the Con
vention was over, and reported tha
the thing was done and that he hat
no power to prevent it. Applause.
Yet they say he is the candidate o
the Cameron ring. Here is one of hi.
principal hackers, who was there upor
the ground (pointing to the Hon
VIM. b. Mann, sitting near him), ant
Morris Coates, of Philadelphia, wa:
another, upon the ground; and yor
know that county after county, anti
Cameron, sent delegates instructed
for Hartranft, and that county after
county recognized as Cameron sem
delegates instructed for Jordan.
THE EVANS FRAUD.
Now my fellow-citizens, the next
charge that has been made-and
dismiss this charge about his being
the candidate of ring whit these re.
marks, because / will have to hasten
the next charge that has been made
against General Hartranft is that he
was implicated in the Evans fraud
that he attempted to steal from the
Commonwealth of PENNSYLVANIA
$500, 900 in the form of commissions
for collecting the war claims of the
Commonwealth against the Govern.
ment of the United States At this
point the speaker was interrupted by
the passage of procession, and the
discharge of fireworks outside the
building-REPoRTER. In regard to
this charge; the largest portion OF
what were called claims were presen-
ted at Washington before Gen. Hart
ranft came into Office. You will
further rememberthat there is no such
thing as an account of a State against
the Government Of the United States.
There can be no claim against the
sovereign except what the sovereign
itself chooses to allow. The United
States Government chose, by an act
of its Congress, to provide that it
would, under certain circumstances,
refund to the States the payments
which they had made for expendi-
lures during the war. You will re-
member that it is no part of the duty
of the Auditor General toaudit an ac-
count between the S ate and United
States, and that there could be no ac-
count, no writings, no papers, no
vouchers of any kind relating to these
war claims of the Commonwealth
against the United States on file in the
Auditor Generals oAcc, or that could
by any possibility pass through his
hands. Now you xill hear in mind,
moreover, that these vouchers, which
were asked for in the Office Of the
Auditor-General--
Here again the speaker was inter-
rupted by procession and fire works
| was about to remark that it is
claimed that the vouchers subsequent
" asked for from the Auditor-Gener-
al would furnish the account against
the United States. They were vouch-
ers of accounts which had been set
tied in the Auditor-General's Office
between citizens and the State, and
filed away, towards which the duties
of the Auditor General had been Off
cially discharged under Act of As
scmblv, and which he had nothing
more to do with. When the Govern
ment of the United States saw prop
er to allow the claim to be made
against it for moneys disburscd by
the State, it also provided that it
would recognize in the settlement of
the claim the Governor of the State,
or duly accredited and appointed
agent. In accordance with that pro-
vision, an agent was to be appointed
to present the claims to the Govern
ment, to obtain the money, and pay
it over to the Governor or into the
State Treasury, and the Auditor
General had nothing more to do with
it than you or |. Applause. That
was the status of the claims at the
time Evans was appointed Agent IN
der an act of Assembly by the Gov
ernor of the Commonwealth. He
made out the claims and presented
them at Washington, and received the
and paid it over-what was
paid over-to the Governor, and the
Governor paid it into the State Treas
lry, and all the Auditor-Gencral had
10 do with it was TO ascertain by eX-
of the accounts of the State
Treasury if the money paid had been
credited to the Common
wealth, and if it was there in the
hands of the Treasurer ready to meet
egal warrants drawn upon the Treas
lry. This was the status of those
,laims when it was accidentally dis
covered that large portion of money
lad been received by George o.
Evans which had not been paid into
he treasury of the Commonwealth.
after that discovery the
State Treasurer and the Auditor
ieneral applied to me, as their
counsel, residing in the city of Pitts
,urgh, as their private counsel, to
now what remedy they might have
nd how they could force this man
Evans to disgorge the money. dir
cted that the State Treasurer and
he Auditor-General should settle and
dust the account upon such data as
hey might be able to obtain, and that
hey should call him to account and
emand the payment of the money,
hat they themselves stated and ccrti-
ed to be due. Accordingly the ac-
cunt was settled, and he was called
0 account, and the money was de-
handed. What then? Why, he left
be State. When he was gone, they
anne to me again to know what had
0 be done now. l advised that
riminal charge should be made
gainst him, that warrant should be
ssued, that requisition should be
AIKEN, and that he should be arrested
nd brought back to the Common
realth to answer a charge of embez-
lement, but which was afterwards
ortured into q charge of larceny as