Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1875-05-18
THE WASHINGTON FRAUDS.

nerd. The Enterprise is mistaken, the ,
Phoebe RECORD makes scurrllous reier- s
ncs to no man or to no newspaper.
Personalities in the columns of paper {
We believe to b. uncalled for, prove ,
nothing and assist no argument, there ,
fora we never use them. Bat puoiic 1
men, especially when filling great pubic
offices, must expect to have their ofiicia'
deeds examined. criticised, condemned
or praised, as their merits may appear
to call for. No man in this Repuohc'
however highly placed, but must expect
to have his public acts and words criti-
cised and commented upon. In this
connection. it may be remarked, that
those whose official careers are free from
stain. invariably court the fullest and
most searching investigation and the
freest criticism; it is those who feel that
their public acts will not bear scrutiny,
who so reseut inquiry and make such
fierce war upon those who, in the exer-
cise of their undoubted privilege, choose |
to censure. Returning again to the
question of Shepherds guilt or inno-
cence, We can only say that no one
will rejoice more than we to find that he
is free from blame; that his hand Is
not soiled with the unlawful gain OF
dollar of the millions that were wasted
or unlawfully or Improperly used. Al
the time of the District investigation,
that took place last Summer, we wish he
had seized the opportunity to make clear
the disposition Of the immense sums
that were illegally squandered in the
building OF sewers that were speedily
choked or fell to decay, or in pavements
that were soon worn out, or IN the
grading of lots belonging to government
officials, tAttorney-General Williams, for
instancel or that were paid for false meas
urements or for work that was not done
at all. 1t may be we sincerely hope it's
that Shepherd knew nothing about these
delinauencies but the fact remains the
same, that as Chairman OF the Board OF
Public Works, be ought to have known
something about the work for which he
was allowing immense sums that hHa
not been earned Further still, as
Chairman of that Board, he knew the
limit of the amount allowed by law for
such purposes, and deliberately spent
many millions more than that amount.
We would ask whether that was lawful,
honest or defensible in any possible
manner, especially when committed by
sworn officer. 1t is no use to attempt
to estimate SO grave transgression.
Shepherd is no fool. He is q man Of
great ability and daring. He knew he
was doing wrong and must not now
blame anybody but himself that the
consequences are not pleasant. 1t is
also equally useless for him to say that
none of the plumber was traced directly
to him. We do not know that it was
We paid no notice to the charges of this
paper or that correspondent, but we do
take heed to the evidence given at the
Congressional investigation, which
clearly unfolded an organized system of
robbery. Shepherd may not have re-
ceived the proceeds thereof. For argu.
ment sake, say he did not; but is he moi
equally guilty when standing as he did
at the head of the whole affair he per
mitted others to steal by wholesale? HI
may say he did not know it. So mucl
the worse for him. He ought to hav
known it. 1t was his business to maxi
himself certain that the money was pal
for an honest and legitimate purpose an,
when he had reached the limit authorize
by law to stop and not gone on scatterin
millions upon millions to which he ha
no earthly color of right or title 5
much for Shepherd, who, we can onl
say, if the last investigation did him il
justice, will probably before Nnotht
committee of another Congress, ha,
ample opportunity of demonstrating h
innocence. Now word for Mr.. Ente
prise. Why did you say that 1.-THE inve
tigation which followed showed no int
nation of fraud2" 1t did show frau
enormous frauds. that do what it cou
the committee could not gloss over. III
committee says that $l2, 200, 900 was e
pended over and above the authoriz,
amount. Was that fraud? Was not gr
ding Attorney-General Williams l.
fraudF Did not the evidence of Gu
show fraud2 Did not the evidence
Col. Wright Riyes show fraud? Are Il
the frauds matter Of public notorie
that it is impossible to deny2 Why tn,
does the Enterprise authoritatively d
clsre that ''the investigation showed
fraud" We will further say that we
not take the New York Sun in such M
ters as reliable authority any more tn
we do the Enterprise. We, like OIL
journalists, have to take the evidence
wrong doing or the reverse and form
opinion at once. which later events II
prove to be right or erroneous as the C
may be. If the latter, we always v
lingly and freely acknowledge our err
So in the cese in point, when we
Spring and Summer daily read the {
dence produced before the commit
charged with the District Investigate
we came to the conclusion that Sh
herd was the head and front of that b.
Of robbers known as the District Rim
Since then no further testimony
come before the public save that addu
in the safe burglary cases, which had
effect OF confirming our previous imp
sions. If Shepherd is injured. It i
his power at any time to prove it, tho