Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-10-08
Great Democratic Meeting in Baltimore.

On Monday night of last week, under
the auspices of the Irish-American citizens
of Baltimore, great Democratic meeting
filled Monument square full. Speeches wers
made by Gen. John O'Byrne, of New York;
Hon. George A. Post, of Pennsylvania;
Hon. Charles H. Winfield, of New Jersey;
Ex-Gov E. F. Pillsbury, of Maine; J. G.
Monaghan, of Rhode Island; and DR.. w.
H. Gale, of Maryland.
We give below, as reported in the Balti-
more Sun, a portion of the remarks of MI.
Post, and those Of Mr.. Pillsbury:
HON. GEO. A. POST.
Mr.. Post in his speech devoted himself to
a criticism of Mr.. McPherson's rejoinder
to Mr.. Posts speech at Washington this
month. Mr.. Mcpherson, who is Secretary
Of the Republican Congressional Commit
tee, recently got out a circular which said
the loss to the United States treasury by
theft and defalcation under the present ad-
ministration was only $5, 364O9. Mr.. Post
contended that the loss from defalcations
alone was over million dollars. Mr.. Nc
Pherson attacked Mr. Posts figures with
data obtained from Assistant Secretary
Coon, of the Treasury Department. Mr..
Post in his speech presented evidence in
detail of the correctness of his previous
assertion. He quoted from reports of the
Treasury Department 10 show that the
defalcations of Republican officials since
1861 down to June 30, 1888, amounted to
$50, 522, ,S25, exclusive of amounts collected
from bondsmen. From the reports of the
solicitor of the treasury the total amount
for which officials have been in default and
for which suit has been brought during the
last three years was 81, $50, 733. II, of which
only $1S, 933. so had been collected from
bondsmen. The report of the first comp
troller shows defalcations to the amount of
81, S54, 399.S 80 have been compromised for
$44l, 338.7S. The Attorney Generals re-
port estimates the stealings of the star
reuters at $4.000,000. "We now learn"
said Mr.. Post, ''from The MCPHERSON Coon
statement that these enormous amounts of
money stolen by the whiskey ring, star-route
gang, Howgate, Burnside, Morgan, Ott-
mann, naval medical bureau ring, and by
hundreds of other thieves, amounting to
at least one hundred million dollars, are
not charged as loss to the government
because not iudicially 'ascertained,' when
as an actual fact the cash is in the pock-
cts of the thieves and the United States has
only old lawsuits to show for it. p"
EX-GOv. E. F. PILLsBURY.
EX-Gov. E. F. Pillsbury, of Maine, said
he was used to talking to audiences, but
said he was not use to speaking to them by
the acre. He said he lived for IA years as
neighbor of Mr.. Blaine, and as schem-
ing, underground, burrowipg politician
that gentleman has no equal. But what
great act has he done that was for the good
of his country? In the civil war Blaine
was drafted, but he secured substitute for
two hundred dollars, and the substitute did
not go to the front, but was given soft
place at Augusta, Me. There he gave out
forged exemption papers, was detected and
imprisoned. The substitute afterwards got
his full pay for the time he was in prison,
and the city of Augusta refunded to Mr..
Blaine the 5000 he paid for the substitute.
laughter Mr.. Blaine, when first elect
ed to Congress, was assessed in Augusta as
worth less than $1,000. In 20 years in
Congress, with an aggregate in salaries of
100000 he has saved several hundred
millions of dollars and built fine residences
and supported costly establishments. The
speaker gave details of the native American
party movements in Maine, with which Mr..
Blaine, although born a Catholic, coop
Grated. When the war came on Mr. Blaine
and his substitute looked on complacently
as the foreign-born citizens marched to the
field of battle to give their lives for the
country. Mr.. Blaine, he said, will take
any side or do anything that will in his be-
lief promote his personal ambition.