The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-07-30

that paper IN elaborate aoCOune 81 tne
wordy renconire between DR.. Conover
and DR. Cowgirl 1t so-called ratification
meeting il Palatka : few days ago Il
what Putnam" says is to be taken Is
reliable, Conover triumphantly refuted all
DIR. Cowgill's charges; and yet we have
strong suspicion that the refutation was
by no manner Of means success Brother
Sawyer, of the Sun and Press, is bound to
traverse Conover's denial of the payment
or promise of payment of money as 3
consideration for getting ont of Stearns'
way in 1876, or admit that he slandered
him. II he makes this admission and thus
tries the virtues of coat Of whitewash,
there may be others who viii step to the
fore and rehearse what they know. This
charge, then, may be taken as still undis-
posed Of, for the reason. that it may be
susceptible of proof Let us hear from
Brother Sawyer.
We are afraid, too, that Conover was
somewhat reckless in some of his denials,
or that " Putnam has doctored his
disclaimers by way of helping the ex-Sen-
ator out. For instance, DR.. Cowgirl
charged that Conover was not Republic
can and instanced, among other things,
that he had disregarded the action of the
caucus which had nominated Montgom-
cry for Speaker at the session of the Leg
islature in January, 1873, and was him
self elected by Democratic votes. =" Put
nam says:
Conover admitted that he was elected Speaker
by the aid of Democratic votes but did he there
by become Democrat Did his acts as Speaker,
indicate anything of the kind? Repeated ballot
ings had been had but either party failed to elect,
and the Democrats being suddenly taken with a
spasm of virtue Joined their votes TO few Re-
publicans' and elected Conover Speaker.
This is a small matter, but even in small
things the truth is always best. Instead
of there having been repeated ballot
ings, "there was but one ballot, and Como
yer was elected on that ballot, his vote
being % to 90 for Montgomery, and | for
Stewart, cast by Conover himself OF the
% votes which elected Conover, % were
cast by Democrats and by Republicans.
The election was pre-arranged between
Conover and the Democrats, and there
was nothing "sudden" about it. The
Democrats wanted to split and cripple
the Republicans all they could, and they
Joined forces with Conover as one means
of desired end. Let the truth of history
be known.
Again. "Putnam" confuses a grave
matter by misuse of terms and shows
that either Conover failed to state the
case plainly or that the correspondent
misrepresented it. We quote:
The fourth charge was that, during Conover's
administration of the Treasury Department Of
the State, there were recovered into the treas
ury a million or so of State bonds, which by
some hocus pOcus process-nobody knows how
| were reissued and the proceeds Of the same
appropriated by Conover and his friends fol
their personal benefit.
| Cowgirl stated that when COnover was Treas
urer of the State that he received in due course
of business, million Of State obligations known
as the "greenback bonds" When the Legisla-
| ture met committee Of three was appointed
| anime the accounts of the Treasurer and see il
| the same corresponded with the number and
| amount of the bonds recovered into the treasury
and if the books and bonds agreed they were to
take possession of the latter and destroy them by
| burning them. The committee performed their
duty and reported TO the Legislature that the
| Treasurer's accounts were all right; that they
| corresponded to the bonds recovered and that
the committee, as directed by law, had destroyed
the bonds by burning them.
Sometime after - years, believe, some
| of these bonds which were reported destroyed
reappeared and were again presented TO the
treasury for payment Thus showing that all OF
| some portion at least had not been burned, but
| fraudulently reissued, and were in the hands o
! innocent parties and the State liable again fol
| their payment.
Dr. Cowgirl insisted that, in his judgment, Con
over was in some way responsible for the reissue
of these bonds a thing accomplished by entering
| into q COLLISION with the aforesaid committee
| Conover replied by confirming CowgilPs state
ment that everything was found correct in the
| Treasurer's Office by the committee appointed &c
| examine his accounts; that the redeemed bonds
corresponded with the books, and that the com
mittee took possession ofthe bonds as required BY
law to do. Where was there anything in this e
| implicate Conover! He kept his books right
received the bonds as they were presented fol
| redemption and turned them over to the commit
tee as required by law, when they were called
for His responsibility ended where the commit
| tees began. How could he (COnover) be helC
responsible for any reissue? Conover had per
formed well his part, and If any the bonds were
| again put on the market it was the committed
who were responsible and not Conover. The
committee stated emphatically in their ofticia
| report, now a matter OF record, that they had
burned them; but IL they had stated falsely and
retained some Of the bonds, how" asked Con
over, does DR.. Cowgirl propose to hold Conovel
responsible? Why does he not-wby has ht
not-proceeded against this committee and had
them indicted and prosecuted by due course oil
| law p II is going long ways 10 suppose tina
Conover entered into q collision with the com
mittee for the reissue Of the bonds. There wa
no necessity for such collision, for If the com
mittee were dishonest and desired TO repOssesi
the bonds, or any part of them, they had only Il
| act on their own will as everything was in theiI
own hands TO do as they pleased. There was nc
necessity for taking in an outside party 70 thei
| crime. At least, Cowgilps statement is only {
| suspicion, founded on no evidence at all, anC
should not be used against any man, unless hi.
past life justified such implication, and as Como
yer has, after q most searching investigation into
his official administration of public accounts, BY
Cowgirl and Others, been acquitted Of all pecula
ton and corruption, IL is but fair that his goOd
name should be permitted TO count as against any
suspicious of COLLISION with committee for tht
reissue of the public bonds for their persona
gain.
This is all 30 muddled in statement a.
to obscure the facts. DR.. Cowgirl could
not have charged, as stated in the first