The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-05-10
AoQuittal Of Col. crittenaen- State Affairs

guilty.
The remarkable feature about this trial Is,
that nothing was proven. 1t was not proven
that the money ever came into the hands Of
Col. Crittenden, or that he paid any ont.
Nobody seemed to have memory enough to
make statement that could be regarded as
evidence. Mr.. Bigger, the clerk of the House,
and his brother, the account keeper, nor the
clerk in the Auditors office, nor the bank
teller, nor the members of the Legislature
whose certificates had been altered, seemed
to be capable Of throwing any light upon the
transaction. 1t was very plain that $78 had
been drawn in each case when the amount
should have been SIS. 1t was very plain
that the certificates had been tempered with
and the figures changed from to - days,
and from sls to s7s, but no one could swear
positively about anything connected with it,
except that the two members said they had
received but the $ls each, but from whom
they could not swear. Col. Crittenden
admitted that it looked bad, but persistently
declared that 1t was put-up job on him
how, by whom, or for what purpose, he did
not know.
1t was developed in the course of the trial
that there had been number Of irregnlari-
ties In the accounts with members, in several
instances over-payment made, Others where
erasures had been made, and amounts
changed. While there was no criminal sus-
picion raised, it could not fail to impress all
connected with the trial that both with the
officers Of the House of Delegates and in the
Auditors Office, there is q great deal Of
looseness in keeping and adjusting accounts,
much more SO than is desirable or consistent
with healthy condition of State affairs.
Although the surface facts looked rather
ugly for Crittenden, we have never believed
him guilty. We could not conceive OF
young man Of his high character and sensitive
honor throwing away his reputation for the
paltry amount involved. It was foreign to
his whole life, and his acquistal, with the
evidence so indefinite and unsatisfactory,
was what might have been expected. But it
4 is very singular that no explanation, in the
whole weeks trial, and all the witnesses
that could we'll know anything about the
case, carefully examined, was given OF the
| forgery and embezzlement. That forgery
was committed, no one disputed-that en-
bezzlement was effected, did not admit Of
doubt. All the parties in any way connected
| with the transaction-the clerk who issued
| the certificate OF service-the doOrkeeper,
who should have received, paid out, and
taken receipt for the amount paid-the Au-
ditor who issued the check on the bank, and
the bank officer who paid the check-.were
examined, and no satisfactory explanation
offered, or theory given, consistent with the
innocence of the accused, or any other theory.
The jury was composed of intelligent gentle-
men-the prosecution was conducted by an
able attorney, and the defence made by bril-
liant advocates-yet no solution given to
locate the crime. The jury said Col. Crit
tenden was not guilty; and he was the only
one suspected, so far as the distant public
knows. Certainly they must have dark ways
about Richmond, that are SO impenetrable to
legal acumen, when so plain case of crime
cannot be traced to the party guilty OF per-
petrating it.
The evidence as reported in the Richmond
papers, Joined with the high character OF the
accused, justified the jury In their verdict.
The same evidence, however, shows that
there should be thorough wedding out Of
the officers and clerks in the Legislature and
Auditors Office. While there may be no
suspicion Of anything like overt crime, there
was clear proof of carelessness and incom-
potency, which shouid demand the closest
scrutiny and the fiercest remedies within the
power OF the Legislature.
1t was something of piece with the mis-
appropriation Of the 100000 Of the public
school fund. No one seemed to know any
thing about that, until Delegate Massey gave
notice that he intended to spend few days
in the Auditors Office, unless the iniorma-
ton he sought was produced. The Auditor
himself seemed to be surprised, when the
facts were developed. r
We do not pretend to bring in question
the integrity Of the State officers. On the
contrary, from what we have heard OF them,
we believe they are all honorable men. But
they have gotten into a slip-shod way oil
doing business that practically amounts
almost to crime, and il there is not an effort
to amend their ways, and some tangible
proof adduced that they have reformed,
there should be Wholesale cleaning out
from one end Of the Capitol to the other.
Not only are the interests Of the people
suffering from such carelessness, to speak
mildly, but the fair fame OF the Common
wealth is being tainted. Following SO soon
after the lapse of the State Treasurer and
Sinking Fund agent, and the exposure in the
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal transactions, II
would seem that crime had become chronic
in Virginia, and that no vigilance was equal
to the task Of correcting it. There is some.
thing wrong somewhere, and deeply wrong.
The full extent of the crime committed In
the basement offices, of which the exposed
criminal misuse Of State securities by Cole
man and Mayo was a part, has never vel
been shown. There has never been thor.
ough, sitting investigation. Why not? The
State would suffer less by full exposure
than by keeping the true condition Of Affairs
concealed from the people. 1t is possible
some of the head lights OF the dominant
party might be blurred, but the people would
be the gamers.
Machine politics, the corrupt, debased
and debauched caucus system, is the source o.
all these wrongs perpet-ated upon an unsus
pecting and confidIng people, and until they
assert their rights and exercise their au
thority, there never will be any improve
ment or reform. Virginia has been ridder
to death by the professional politicians wht
run the caucus. Whisky rings, controlled
by pot'house politicians, In State and mum
ipal concerns, have assumed the direction
of Virginia's destiny, and are breeding 9
crop of evils that will ruin the people II they
do not choke the designing tricksters off
They care nothing for the people. The:
never ask whether the caucus creature II
capable, honest and faithful. All they want
to know is, whether he is stuff out Of which
to mould plant tool, to do the bidding o.
the rings. That is all that is necessary. II