Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-07-27
From the Miners journal.
Honest Charley BuckaIcw.

The particular friends of Mr.. Buckalcw
boast that he is an honest man. We de-
ny the assertion, and can prove him to be
one of the most shameful and daring pub
lie plunderers in the State, aud we chal-
lcnge any person to deny it.
We have 33 Senators, and we find by the
report of the Auditor General, that for the
year ending November 80 1869. when that
body had n majority of Republicans, the
pay of the Senators for whole session of
the Legislature, including the mileage and
stationary was as follows:
Pay of members, including
mileage and stationery, S35, 80.
AT the last session of the Legislature
committee was appointed to investigate
the election of Gray and Mcclure, which
was composed of four Democrats and three
Republicans. Of this committee Mr.. Buck
alew was chairman, and had the casting
vote. This committee did not set, includ-
| ing all the sessions, more than five contin-
uous days. 1t was held in Philadelphia.
All the members had free tickets by rail,
to travel backwards and forwards. All
their expenses for board and liquors, &c,
were paid by the State for this committee
of seven at the Washington House. They
made the State pay Il bill for their board
and use Of a committee room, of 81, ,394, ,35,
equal to 1912 for each member All their
assistants were paid heavily also, as the
items Of the shameful bill will show.
| The members ofthe committee were paid
| $1,000 for their services as Senators. AS
Senators they made this investigation, and
all extra expenses they had charged to the
State-yet this committee of which Mr..
Buckalcw was chairman voted themselves
| $500 each out Of the State Treasury in ad-
diton to their salary, The taking of this
$500 additional out of the Treasury was
absolute stealing. But Mr.. Buckalcw took
! it and sanctioned it. 1t amounted to about
! S75 pay for each member, for each meet
ing they held, which was open robbery
they stole it because they had the power to
take it, just as robber does when has the
! power.
! But this is not ali-they stole for all
their friends thousands of dollars, and run
up IL bill to the amount of no less than
S26, ,O65, | for this Investigation, when the
actual expenses need not have exceeded
! $4,000, and would not have exceeded it, if
conducted honestly. We here assert that
convicted robbers, who are now serving out
their time in the penitentiaries Of this
State, are not as guilty as this committee,
because these persons were public officers,
sworn to protect the interests of the peo-
pie whom they represented, and the chair
man who approved of and sanctioned such
wholesale thieving, is the most criminal of
the whole lot.
Public plunderers and thieves may sane
ton such conduct and pronounce it honest
because these men had the power to steal
in their public capacity but no honest
man, we care not to what party he may
belong, can sanction such conduct, much
less support such Il man for Governor OF
the State, who would thus use his posi-
tion to steal the public funds for himself
and those around him. We denouucc the
Republican members of that committee
Just as much as we do the Democratic
members; but the Democrats had the con.
trolling power to check it if even one Of
the members desired to do so-but they
did not, and the chairman of the commit
tee approved it,
Here are the items Of expenses Of that
swindlng committee, which is unparalel
ed in the history Of the State