The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-03-16
A Suspected Governor:

Ever since John w. Geary in bis last
annual message undertook to defend the
embezzlement of George o. Evans, a
strong impression has been made on the
popular mind that Geary himself knows
all about the defalcation, and that he is
in some way implicated in the dishonest
That elaborate defence was
so unusual. so unprecedented in an official
State paper, that public opinion instinct
lively associated the Governor with the
swindle. 1t was sorry spectacle to see
the Executive Of great Commonwealth
thus stoop from his high position and be-
come the open apologist of a man &C
cused of having plundered the treasury OF
large amount of the public funds. The
business Of an honest Governor is to aid
and assist in exposing fraud of such
magnitude, and not attempt to conceal
and cover it up by a studied effort to
convince the people that the charge is
Evans is more sinned against than ain
ming.
After the committee of investigation
was appointed, the question naturally
suggests itself, why did net Jshn w.
Geary present himself before it and ask
that he might, under the selsmnity Of an
oath, be permitted to tell all he knew in
reference to the matter? Such would be
the course that any man, but especially
if he were Governor, would promptly
have taken in view of publicly expressed
suspicion against him. But he saw proper,
for reasons best known to himself, not TO
adopt this self evidently necessary course
to vindicate his own personal integrity,
and to>day there exists strong and AL
most settled conviction throughout the
State that her Governor is not, like
Caesars wife, pure, but even beyond sus-
picion. 1t is a humilisting thought, but
his own conduct in the matter and all
the circumstances connected with the
fraud irresistibly point TO that conclusion.
The testimony of William Fl. Kenble,
who was State Treasurer at the time of
Evans appointment by Geary in 1867,
was recently taken by the committee and
is not at all calculated to relieve the Gov
srnor Kemble swore that the appoints
ment of any ore 10 collect the amount
due by the general government to the
State, was a farce-that there was no
necessity for it-that he himself had ad,
iusted and settled $4,000, 900 of the State
claims with the Treasury department
at Washington in 1S66-that Geary had
never communicated TO him the fact that
he had appointed Evans as the agent of
the State in 1867, and that he did not
therefore know and could not have known
that Evans was required TO make report
| to him (Kemble) twice q year. All this
| looks dark and suspicious and is calcula
ted to make the case against Geary much
more serious.
We publish in another column an article
from the Pittsburgh Gaethe as an evidences
of what are the views of leading repub
lican organ on The financial connection
between John w. Gsary and George o
Evans. They are plainly expressed and
easily comprehended.
The Pittsburgh Dispatch (radicsl ha.
also discussed the Evans swindle a
length, and on Wednesday of last week
closed an article in its columns as follows
"Gentlemsn of the Legislature, Gov
Geary should be promptly impeached.- =
There is enough of suspicion attaching t
him to warrant such action against him
This will put him on his defense in thes
matters. He has deiled the Legislature, an,
is suspected of criminal conduct as regard
the use of State funds. You owe it to your
selves. to the tax payers, to the Common
wealth 10 impsach him. We are cool in on
judgment. but decided. Gsary should b
impsached."