The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1880-09-03
Expansive Sneel6 .

1t is announced that the friends of ex-
Gov. S. F. Chadwick have actually ap-
preached members of the Legislature and
'ssoundedr them with view to ascertain
ing whether they could be depended on to
vote for ssreiief biIl'' for the said Chad
wick, condoning his late fraud and steal
ing as Secretary of State Such an elabo-
rate amount of cheek it was not believed
that even Chadwick possessed. After due
trial. the State gets judgment against the
ex-Secretarv for about six thousand dol
lars. a mere bagatelle when compared to
the amounts he has robbed the State of
while acting as Secretary and Governor,
and he puts mp poor mouth and asks that
himself and securities be relieved from
paying the judgment. 1t might be con-
sidered little cheeky if the man who rob-
bed your till of six thousand dollars should
appear before the Legislature of the State
and ask that a bill be passed relieving him
from the effects of the crime, but it would
not at all consp1re in sublime impudenee
with this effort of Chadwick to evade
just accountability. Competent persons
state that 100000 would not reimburse
the State for Chadwick's malfeasance-
extravaganza and dishonesty. Had the
Legislature tilat ordered the Investigation
which secured the judgment against Chad
wick. made a sufficient appropriation to
enable the counsel for the State to 60 down
to bedrock in the investigation of all the
rzlscalties committed under the Grover
Chadwick rule, the gross amount found to
have been stolen would have a>tonished
the people of tins State. In remarks on
this subject fFe OGegont,Dl says
The halt has not vet been told of Chad
wick's maIfeaSance. ami in all probability
it never will be sifted To the bottom. But
competent persons who have looked into
the subject are of opinion that one hundred
Thousand dallars would uot make good to
the State what it lost through his extrava-
gance and dishonesty. The committee of
Investigation and counsel for the State
were greatly hampeicd in their work for
want of au appropriation to secure the at
tendance of witnesses. 10 money was
placed at their command for such purpose.
aud many OF the witnesses were in remote
and ont Oft he way places. The investiga-
ton, therefore. was confined mainly to the
rccord-and the record had been manipu-
lated by Chadwick himself 1t is notorious
the unwilingness of officers to perfom SER
vice relating 10 the conduct of the proceed
ings. Particularly the action of the Dis
trilt Attorney at Salem in refusing to take
part with the counsel employed by the
State was embarrassing, and cast a shade
of doubt on the counSeifS authority. And
we have been told that officials of Marion
county for time refused to file or serve
papers in the case A great effort was
made by interested parties to show that the
action of the committee. OF the Governor,
and of the counsel for the State. were acts
of fia9rant uSurpatioD. We believe that
John NJ. Thompson, Esq. counsel for the
State. has done his work well as it could
have been done. with the means at his dis
posal. 1t was not 10 be expected that he
shonld advance money to pay costs and ex-
penses and it was unfortunate that the
legislature which had ordered the i::vesti-
CATION and directed that counsel be employ
ed to prosecute the delinquents had neglect
cd 10 provide money for these purposes.
As it is, only the surface of the frauds has
been touched. 1t has not henn nticipated
that much of the State money would be re-
covered the suits were prosecute d chiefly
to make an example Of he principal actors.
Aud this is another reason why 40 relief
bill should be thought of. We haye said
that the amounts found against Chadwick
represent small part only of the losses
suffered bv the State through his system
Only on 24 Illegal accounts for conveying
prisoners to the pcnitentiary was action
brought, whereas the same charges found
to be illegal and fraudulent in these "a cases
occur in 9S accounts allowed by Chadwick
tor such service. Again, only the amounts
allowed i'll 81 accounts for conveying insane
persons to the asylum were sued for. hut
the illegal charges were allowed in 167
cases of tins kind. 1t is not doubted that
Chadwiek's fraudulent allowances to him.
self and others during his term of office
will exceed 100000 drawn directly BY
warrant from the treasury. to say nothing
of the enormous sums got improperly from
the State through indirect metho Is. But
as counsel were cranped for funds, AMI as
no more than SO. 600 could be recovered
on ChadWick's bond. it was not thought
advisable at this time to sue for a greater
amount. Moreover large amounts of these
illegal charges were not sued for in these
| cases. in order that the State might retain
the right TO sue and collect them from the
parties to whom they were paid. It will
be seen therefore that yet the prosecu
ton has scarcely got through the shell OF
the frauds. IT nothing more is ever to be
done. certainly what has been accomplish
ed should not be undune through social
ed relief bill. Relief may be granted in
| cases of misfortune. but whoever heard be-
| fore of relief being so much as asked against
| the consequences of deliberate, organized
| aud wholesale fraud Impudence may
| indeed rise TO sublime heights, or sink to
| low depths but here it is outdoing itself
| in both directions.