Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-10-05

usry.
ASSUMING HIS CONSTITUENTS TO BE
IGNORANT.
The latest authorized explanation
of the Cousin Joseph check and
voucher is worth reproducing in full,
as it appears in this article in Mr..
Vance's own newspaper. By way of
introduction, it may be remarked,
that false explanation is equivalent
to a confession that more can be Civ
en- which shall make the transaction
appear honest.
"Next comes the insinuative rig
marole concerning the expert in
printing Mr.. Joseph P. Alcshire
is accused of getting a free ride to
Washington, and running his hands
up to his elbows into the Treasury,
and stealing a hundred dollars, be-
cause his check for his service read
Pay to J. P. Aleshire, (expert Pub
lie printing! or order, $100.' Now,
any one capable of understanding the
simplest language, knows that the
expert public printing enclosed in
the above parenthesis, is simply eX-
planatory, so that it might be known
to which Department the expenses
should be charged. 1t has not been
indicated in any way, nor was it in
tended that it should be, achat speci-
fic services had been rendered, be-
cause this was a matter with which
the Clerk of the House had nothing.
whatever, to do. The services ren.
dered would properly appear in an
other place. Any other construction
is simply monstrous. Mr.. Aleshire' S
voucher received from Mr.. Vance,
and signed by him, says, AS expert
before the Committee on Printing.
1t does not say whether as expert
bookkeeper, or expert printer, but
merely shows that he was before the
committee In some capacity, and does
not state what. Mr.. Aleshire takes
this voucher to the Clerk of the
House, and receives a check intend.
ed to be drawn in accordance with
the voucher, and the Clerk is not SO
explicit as Mr.. Vance, ond merely
says: Expert public printing which
is sufficient to show that it is to be
charged to that department, and that
is all there is of it, and if it is wrong,
the Clerk of the House is wrong, and
not Vance or Aleshire."
AS this appears in Mr.. Vance's
newspaper it must be an explanation
authorized, if not written, by him,
since in a matter that has attracted
so much attention in his district, nc
explanation would be attempted with
out consulting him. This is by far
the worst attempt yet made to escape
from the Aleshire payment, being a
direct insult to every one of his con-
stituents, because its success must
have been based entirely upon the
supposition that they are ignorant OF
the methods of transacting public
business. The expense of all Con
gressional investigations are charged
to and paid from the contingent fund
of the House ordering them. There
is no such thing known as charging
such expenses to any department" "
To make such a statement shows the
nature Of the case to be defended, and
the opinion Mr.. Vance must have Of
the capacity Of his constituents fol
being fooled. The words "Expert
public printing" appeared on the
Aleshiro check, in accordance with 9
provision making it the duty. Of the
Clerk in all payments to insert on
the face of every check the purpose
for which it is given.
OF course such payment should
show that Mr.. Aleshire "was before
the committee in some capacity" but
as matter of fact the report of the
committee shows that he was not eX,
amined at all, or even subpened, and
as Congressional committees only re
ceive the work OF the testimony Of
witnesses under oath, there is nothing
to show that Mr.. Aleshire did any
thing for the 800. On the point OF
receiving no summons, the explana-
tion makes the following admission
and assertion:
"But, they say, what did he dol
He was not regularly summoned, etc.
etc. Well, what further summons
was necessary than for Mr.. Vance to
write to him, asking him to come on
to Washington, and run over the
books in the department, and see foi
him positively whether all was right
or not? Mr.. Aleshire did SO; he was
competent to do so; he is graduate
of one of the best commercial col
leges in the country, and has had con-
stant practice in bookkeeping in his
fathers mill for many years.
Here it isreasserted that Mr.. Ale
shire was the committees expert in
bookkeeping, and this in the face ol
the already published facts that Mr.
Vance, in his report to the House,
named Mr.. Charles E. Behle as the
expert in bookkeeping employed by
the committee; that his Democratic
colleague, Mr.. Singleton, in his speech
to the House three times mentioned
Mr.. Behle as such expert, and that
neither of them once referred to ex-
pert Aleshire, or to any other than
Mr.. Behle.
VANCE EXPLAINS THE PAYMENT TO
HIMSELF.
1t may have been the figures of
the payment to himself by Mr..
Vance which suggested the above
words, amounting, if we recollect
right, to $4S." The voucher covering
the Vance payment of House funds
to Vance was $48 so.
A friend has forwarded an extract
from a speech delivered by Vance on