Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-10-13
Howgate's Case.

From the Philadelphla Iihes'
Considering that Captain Howgate is
supposed to have embezzled govern.
ment funds TO the amount OF hun
dred thousand dollars or so, and that
he has manifested not unnatural dis.
position to get away, the public will
scarcely share the opinion OF his coun-
sci that the requirement of ten thou.
sand dollars bail il unreasonable and
oppressive. There is no occasion Tor
any vindictive treatment OF Howgate,
and there is little danger OF 1t. In
deed. the only danger is that his case
will be allowed to drag along until the
good effect that might result from his
prompt prosecution will be lost. Yet,
after all, even the most exemplary pun.
ishment OF this pretentious swindler
will scarcely make atonement Tor the
criminal carelessness that allowed him
for 20 long the Unrestricted control OF
the Signal Service funds at time when
his immoral and extravagant mode OF
life was notorious to all Washington.
The story OF Howgate's personal intri.
CUES has been often repeated with quite
rs much detail as necessary, but the
manner in which he maintained his
official position and influence has never
been clearly explained and it is difficult
to understand how a subordinate officer
could have blossomed out into such
magniicence OF vice without the know!-
edge of his superiors.
Howgate is one of a class common
enough in public life, who make up in
eifrontery what they otherwise lack,
and with the slightest of proper quail.
fications impose themselves on the pub
lie as eminent men with such easy sue.
cess that they do not even find il neces.
sary to conceal their extravaganza OF
life. There are multitudcs of just suc1
men not only in Washington but in
every one OF our cities. They occupy
more or less prominent positions, with
small salaries or perhaps with no salary
at all ; yet they wear diamonds and
drive fast horses and drink the costliest
wines, and an easy. going public bows
before them and allows them TO select
its officers and TO handle its money.
Occasionally there comes an unlocked
for change OF administration and one
of these men is trIpped up and goes TO
Jail but the game is not stopped be
cause one player has dropped out.
Howgate's case is peculiar only be.
cause he was in the military service,
where we commonly expect-for what
reason il would puzzle US to explain-to
End a sterner virtue than in civil life.
Otherwise he was an adventurer OF the
common sort. He pretended to be a
scientific man. and the public took him
at his own valuation and gave him pre-.
eminence over the rd.working men
of science who knew the hollowness of
his pretensions but modestly held their
tongues. The worthiessness Of his char.
acter must have been equally well
known to those about him, but he
knew the way 10 influence and favor,
and II was not till his mode of life be-
came an open scandal in the news
papers that it ms to have occurred
to anybody that ais official conduct was
probably no better. How many How
gates are there at Washington and else.
where Who have not yet been exposed
This is question OF deeper interest
than the precise extent oi this mans
embezzlemeut or the proper amount of
his bail. A rogue of this stamp is not
an isolated phenomenon. lie is the
product of his surroundings, and that
which produces one such is likely TO
produce more.