Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-04-27
What Is an Auditor For?

u
can imagine that Auditor Massey is at
tending to the duties which he is en-
ployed by the State to discharge, SO
long as he is roaming about and engag-
ed in the work of denouncing the laws
of the Commonwealth, the decisions Of
her highest court, and doing injury to
both the public credit and the creditors.
Surely, this is not the work to which
the Public Auditor is called, and for
which he is paid liberal-a very ex-
travagant salary, indeed, if the State is
as impecunious as he represents it to be.
Did any auditor, in the past history OF
Virginia, ever devote himself to such
work as now occupies large portion OF
the time of Mr.. Massey?
Now, we may well inquire of any
reasonable Readjuster, what should be
done with head clerk in any private
establishment who should leave his
desk, day after day, and 60 out in the
streets, to decry wherever he could find
hearers, the financial condition of his
employer, and make public avowal Of
his unwlllingness to settle fairly with
his creditors What, we repeat the in~
quiry, should be done with such head
clerk 4? There can be but one answer to
this question, and that is: he should be
summarilv dismissed from employ
ment.
And Parson Massey is playing this
very role. AS the chief financial officer
of the State of Virginia. it is his duty to
lie at his Office daily. That is his first
duty. His second duty is to respect the
laws, as judicially determined by our
highest court, and to do all that in him
lies to inspire confidence in the integri-
ty and ability of the Commonwealth he
represents, to fulfill all her obligations
to her own and other people. We need
hardly inquire whether Mr.. Massey is
doing all this, for the public knows full
well that he is not so doing. On the
contrary, he is neglecting his proper
work, the work of his Office. to exhibit
himself on the hastings as blatent
demagogue, wherever he can find audi
ences willing to listen to his arraign-
ment of the courts and to his denuncia-
ton alike of the public creditors and of
those who recognize the justice of their
claims; while, at the same time, he rep
resents the State whose interests, in an
evil day. were committed largely to his
keeping as too poor and too far gone in
the ways Of dishonesty to deserve rev.
erence from self-respecting men. All
this, and more, John E. Massey, "Au-
ditor of Public Accounts" is doing, IN
spite of law and decency, to drag old
Virginia down to still lower depths of
degradation.
From plain citizen Massey, turned
aside from preaching the gospel of truth
and honesty that once engaged his ia
Tents, we might endure this, since no.
body but Massey could be held respon-
sible for his conduct, and his utterances.
But it is far otherwise with this man
holding high position under the State
government-the position, above all
others, that demands prudence and in
tegrity in the administration of the pub
lie finances, and just recognition of
the claims of all to whom the Common
wealth is indebted. But as this man
has, not only fallen far short of his du-
ty, and outraged the laws of common
property in his superserviceable zeal for
his party, he ought to be removed from
the office he disgraces: And the best
sentiment in the State, as well as out of
it, would applaud the agent that should
effect his removal. Such lesson is
needed at this very time. Boldness in
defying the laws, should be met with
equal boldness in executing them and
in Furnishing the offender with dismis-
sal from the Office which he prostitutes
as no other ever did prostitute that Of
| fic e before.