The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-10-08
CARL scHuRz,s HONEST MAN.
Probably Guilty of the Meanest Acts of
Dishonesty Ever Performed by an
Ofiicial In This Country.

| From the Chicago Tribune
In recent speech Carl SchuIz vouched
for Grover Cleveland rs Tan able man,
an honest man, n strikingly honest man,
and q ciyil-seryice reformer, and called
on his hearers to vote for him because of
his personal honesty and pure character
In this connection VIC would like to ask
Mr.. Carl Schurz few plain questions.
A mans personal honesty can only be
judged by his actions: and the test is just
as infallible in little matters as in grea t.
If he is dishonest in small things he will
dishonest in great things. When Cleve-
land abandoned learned profession to be
Sheriff of Buffalo, the newsboys visited
him New Years morning and left copies
of the annual addresses of their papers.
He patted them on the head and gave
them quarter each, and then charged
the donations to the taxpayers of the
county, as appears by tho following entry
IN his accounts with the county of Erie i:
"Jan. 1, lS72-Paid carrior-boys of the
Courier, Commercial and Post 90 cents
each, 70 cents.''
This is little matter, but its very lit
tlcness is what makes it significant. PROT
ably meancr act of dishonesty was
never performed by an official in this
country. Is this what Carl Schurz calls
a "strjkingly honest" act?
The New York law says that the sher-
ifs shall have for attendance upon any
court SO per day. AS tho easiest way of
making out his bill, Cleveland took the
court calendars, counted all the days that
the three courts were in session, and
charged them up at 30 per day for each
court In this way, notw outstanding
vacations, iR one year he got an 1858 days
attendance, for sohicA he ftched ~, $50 out
Of tie taxpayers.
Nearly every charge which he made
while sheriff had to be cut down by the
supervisors because it was either extrava-
CANT or unlawful, and therefore dishon-
est. In the first year of his term, instead
of turning the fines which he collected
into the treasury, he put them into his
own pocket. Is this what Mr.. Carl
Schurz calls "honesty?"
Sheriff Davidson, of Now York city,
and Commissioner Thompson were pre-
sented and their removal demanded by
the Legislature as guilty of malfeasance
in ofiice-the one for Incorporating
fees In notorious manner, and the other
for systematically violating the laws rela-
tive to contracts, so that the city has been
robbed of thousands of dollars. Yet both
of these rascals have been kept in Office
by honest Cleveland in disregard of
the indictment. Davidson was an active
delegate in Clevelan6's behalf in the
Chicago convention, and Thompson is the
chief manager in his campaign. Is this
what Carl Schurz calls honesty" and
cleanness?
While Cleveland was sheriff of Erie
county he hanged two men. We have
nothing to say as to the t1ste of Cleve-
land in voluntarily playing a role which
is repugnant to any man OF ordinary sus-
capabilities. IL was not necessary for
him personally to have hanged them, as
the laws of Now York merely provides
that he shall, see that malefactors are
hanged. Either, therefore, he choked
them to death himself because he enjoyed
1t, in which case he is brute, or he
hanged them to get the large fees for that
service, in which case he is no less a
brute. But, not content with perform
ing such a revolving act for tho sake of
the fees, he oyercharged the county $3.50.
Is this what Mr.. Carl Schurz calls hon
esty?
During Cleveland's term as Governor
| two Democratic contractors, members of
tuc AipduJ uaidhA, pun III u ciaiuh tot
extra compensation for work upon the
State Capitol which had meoer been per-
formed. It was an old swindling claim,
and its payment was clearly unconstitu-
tional and dishonest. 1t had been Det0ed
byh is two predecessors, one of them a
Democrat and the other Republican. -
Gov. Cleveland approved it Is this what
Carl Schurz calls honesty?
Cleveland signed tho General Railroad
act, which put the taxpayers of New
York completely at the mercy of the ring
which Is now seeking to obtain the
Broadway railway franchise, and which
gives the aldermen unlimited power 80
far as the valuable railway franchises OF
the city are concerned. Is this what Mr..
Carl Schurz calls honesty?
We might go on enumerating instances
and increasing the list Of our questions,
| but these are sufficient for our purpose.
Ii Mr.. Cleveland is dishonest in all these
local matters he will be dishonest in ma
tiOnal affairs