New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-06-22
4 DKEADFUL LTNOR.
campaign.

DHF1DFfL nj UOh.
Let us hope t.lat the painful rumor that
comes to us from the interior concerning the
noble acrobat who represents with so much
agility the XIVth District of this State III the
u. s. Congress is without foundation. For
Beebe is to orr mind 80 impressive historic
figure, so associated with large events. so
cioaped as il were with tremendous gOngs-0n,
that we cannot think of him rs having any
possible relation with merely commercial trans
actions; much less as being moved by mer-
cenary considerations in the discharge Of those
high duties to which his country has called
him. And yet George William Robinson says.
over his own signature in The Liberty RCgSter,
that Brebe, while Il member of the Assembly,
obtained an appropriation amounting to
S7474 TO reimburse three old men, to
wit, Seth Wiley, Jesse Parks, and Samuel
Lewis for losing their farms through defects
i'm their titles given by the state, and that
from this appropriation he deducted ten per
cent being S747, for his own services.
And George William Robinson AYERS that
these facts can be proved by atildayits. THIS
Is the wild, haggard rImor trait has panied
and startled us. George William Robinson
seems to be it, author and the The Liberty
Req ster its promulgator. And we undertake
to say thit 1t shows n bad heart in George
William Robinson and diabolical purpose in
The Liberty register to triile i'll this manner
with not only the reputation Of Beebe, but
with the feelings of forty millions of people
who know Becbe but to love him and name
him but to praise.
IL WAS k own of course that Bcebe had
heretofore been "a member Of the Assembly.
The impression that prevailed for little time
in March. that he bad bust into public life in
an abrupt and unccrcmOni0us manner and
landed on bis feet on the top Of two desks III
the Hall OF Representatives at Washington
without previous training or experience, was
soon discovered to be erroneous. Ii appeared
upon inquiry that he had served the State in
a legislative capacity, and as delegate to Dem
ocratic State Conventions had gained that easy
and fluent style and graceful action which
marked so strongly his first appearance on the
we were about to say floor, but to be
more exact-desks of tine House. There is
after all no school of oratory SO well calcu-
lated to fit n statesman for such work as
Beebe crowded into about ten minutes in the
last Congress as the average New-York DEM
ocratic State Convention. There il no ros-
trum like the back of seat or top of n table,
no gtsticulati0n so impressive as that carried
on with an ice-pitcher or chair. But we wan
der from the subject in hand which is the
allegation that Beebc charged ten per cent for
getting an appropriation for the three old
men, We say the thought of Bcebc's taking
this little matter of $747 under such
circumstances shocks us. We can conceive of
his working up the case and carrying the APP
preparation through, Of his skipping mp to the
top OF Il desk or balancing himself gracefully
on a chair back, and from such point of van
tage hurting his headlong arguments by col
umns and battalions upon the Assembly in IA
vor of the three old men; we can even mag
inc him drawing the $7,47i from the troasu
~; but to think of Beebe's calmly aud DELHI
erately sitting down and charging ten per mt
commission on it, we confess 1t oyercomes u.s.
1t seems such petty sum, and the transac-
ton has such "A commercial flavor that we
cannot associate it with Beebe. IL would have
been so much more statcsmanlike to have
taken the whole. But as the case stands 1t
is very manifestly Beebes duty to come out
with n card. For if the charge is not refuted
and the impression goes abroad that Beebe
charges commission of ten per cent on trans
actions of this character, it is liable to injure
his influence. We all remembcr-indeed we
can never forget-hOw near this indomitable
man came to saving the country during the
expiring hours OF the last Congress; SO near
that the whole House contemplated him
with emotion, and many members said there
had been nothing like it since David Dudley
Field sat up all night watching the flag; but
he never could have produced this effect in
the world if it had been supposed he was in
the habit OF charging ten per cent. Rbal and
thoughtless persons would have said he was
saving the country not from MOVIES of
patriotism. but for the sake of the ten per
| cent salvage, and the country would have been