Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-01
he Cost of an Investigation.

the Cost of an Investigation.
~ the committeeNappointed by the
legislature last winter TO Investigate
aHalleged over.issue of State bonds in
the year 1858, did not succeed in es-
tdblishing the fact that there had
Dep such an ovcr-issue, ii has at least
stsoeeded in running up fine bill of
expenses for the. State 10 pay as a re-
turn for its valuable services. Those
reaIbwned patriots and immaculate
stalwart statesmen, Elisha w. Davis
and Henry Huhn-by the boys famili-
trly called 'Lish and Harry-the first
named, as chairman, and the other, as
clerk, of this committee, have return
ed to the Auditor Generals Office, at
Harrisburg, accounts for expenses ag.
gregating the snug sum of s10,4161S,
on which amount warrants upon the
treasury amounting to 8,531.OS have
been drawn and no doubt paid-leav-
Iag a balance of nearly $1,000 stand
fg unsettled and awaiting the action
G, the department. Some of the items
tat go to make up the aggregate are
somewhat astounding. For instance,
$1,000 for the board bills of the com.
mittee. What capaciotis stomachs in
vestigators must have! Then, $1,000
for car fare, carriage hire and other
travelling expenses. 1t would be in
tefesting TO understand how the vouch-
es4fpr car fare were made up, consider
IL that probably every member of
the committee and all connected with
II travelled on free passes furnished by
tlF railroads. We do not know this TO
bee fact, but itwould be "new depart
ufre from old customs If il was other
vice. Probably II would be very un-
Ijust 70 holdeilher she Auditor Gener-
as department. or any member of the
C anitles except Davis and his clerk,
| + hnfesnonsible for this unblushine
hpcn he nublias Doubles
in due course of time we shall have
pointed and explicit disclaimers from
the members of the committee of any
part or lot in the disreputable work
and the Auditor General will fall
back upon the law of 1879 providing
appropriations for the payment of
special committees, including the one
to inquire into this bond business
which seems to have been purposely
framed to facilitate the preparation
of just such frauds upon the treasury
az the one under consideration. This
law takes from the Auditor General
the duty of auditing and settling such
accounts in thee old manner, and re-
quires nothing more than certificate
from the chairman of committee
that the vouchers are correct-thus
leaving nothing to the auditing officers
to do but issue the warrants. Under
a loose law of this kind il is easy to
understand how swindling raids can
be made upon the treasury, and how
difficult it may be to interpose OBJ
stacles when political sharps have all
the power necessary to successfully
make them. But after all, should
VIC complain : Indeed we think it al
most duty 10 advise the people to
be patient and forbearing-to take
the burden upon themselves and bear
it without making ugly faces. Some
doubling and unsophisticated individ.
ual may ask in astonishment, why
Will that individual please answer a
question: With a pair of liberal
minded and practical roosters like
Davis and Huhn at the head of a
committee-the one to do the figure
work and the other TO certify-is it not
a great wonder that the amounts sent
in for payment are not two or three
times in excess Of s10,4l6.1S Is il
not, therefore, a lucky escapeS
Blaine.