The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-08-24
THE GEORGIA FRAUDS.
Valuable Correspondence From That
State.a

LIE IOllOWlng associated press dis
| patch came on Friday:
Atlanta, Ga, Aug. 2.-The Impeachment
| curt organized here to-day. Goldsmith ap-
peal ed with his council. Judge Hopkins,
who waived arragnmeni and asked for ten
| days in which to plead and defend. Time
i was granted.
The inside history of the frauds in
Georgia, and the personnel of the dis
honest officers, are here given by the
special correspondent of the LEADER
in Georgia.
STONE MOUNTAIN, GA, Aug. 16, 1879.
To the Editor Of the Leader:
In the Georgia legislature the house
Of representatives has preferred arti-
cles of impeachment against Washing
ton L. Goldsmith, controller general,
for high crimes and misdemeanors in
Office. Goldsmith has been in the office
ever since 1872. The impeachment is
based on an investigation made by a
committee appointed by the house to
examine the wild-land department of
that Office and its general management.
The result has disclosed the most out
rageous frauds, and robberies of which
the said w. l.. Goldsmith, and his
brother, J. NJ. Goldsmith, whom he has
kept in his employ in office, are guilty.
The Atlanta Constitution, democratic
paper, at times very conservative and
plain spoken, unhesitatingly declares
the enormity TO be greater than any
that has .disgraced the annals of the
country since the Yazoo fraud.
That very great Irregularities have
FLOR long while existed in the manage
ment of the office, such as making false
and fraudulent returns, falsifying rec
ords, appropriating moneys of the state
to private uses have been apparent to
many. Many attempts have been
made, time and again, by one and
other, to bring such to the attention Of
the custodians of the state, but with
little or no avail. 1t was whispered
around by many democrats that an ex-
posure of frauds would only be an inju-
ry to the party, do little or no good,
and Goldsmith was at any rate "fast
horse,'' "sound democratic gentle
man, Mr.. Goldsmith had no doubt
wrapt himself up in the full assurance
that all his excesses would be overlook
ed, and if discovered would be condon-
ed by his indulgent party by whom he
received all the tender attentions of a
pet lamb. But very unfortunate for
him, there are some men belonging to
the party not to be bribed by paltry
sums, and exposure of his fraudulent
acts have been made, and he must now
meet them all before a high court of
impeachment.
Mr.. Goldsmith is prominent mem
Der of the Baptist church, as is also his
father, Turner Goldsmith. 1t appears
that he has succeeded finely in working
himself into the full confidence of his
denomination, as he has that of his po-
litical party. Only year or two since
he was chosen moderator of an ecclesi-
astical body known as ''The Stone
Mountain Baptist Association, which
includes Atlanta and several important
places as diocese or boundary.
His father has generally taken very
prominent and active part in all the
deliberations of his church, and it is
said, few years since, was very active
in bringing all republicans who belong
ed to his church under arigid system of
disciplin, when they dared to say any
thing reproachful of the members of
the democratic family. One thing,
however, it is to be presumed that he
was somewhat derelict in teaching his
sons: ''honesty in the best policy"
Since Goldsmith is to be impeached,
the air around the state capital is thick
with all sorts of rumors that found exit
in all the other departments. This is
very likely. Investigating committees
have been appointed to look into their
recesses. What reports will likely be
made, the public is not yet informed.
Republicans of Georgia, as well as of
other southern states, have long since
been the objects of all sorts of abuse,
and scurrilous epithets, emanating only
from blackguards and rapscallions who
have been claiming for themselves a
monopoly of decency and honesty. Self
praise amounts to little Let the rec
ords of the two parties be fully shown.
Facts will speak louder than any words
or long newspaper articles. Let them
be shown. LARKIN.
pppp MICS