Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-10-23
NO. 6.

thereby secured continued deposit
of some $4,000, II per cent. Oh
which was $500 There is no pos
sible room for escape or for pallia
ton. BurdettIwas entrusted with q
certain duty which he was sworn to
perform he betrayed his trust, he
violated his duty, because Mr.. Cam
den paid him money.
Of course this most corrupt ar.
rangement between Camden and
Burdett was kept as silent as death
They used every precaution to es.
cape detection and Burdett drew his
draft OH this bank president for the
thirty pieces of silver in a cabalistiC
phrase. 1--WE copy the draft }
CHARLESTON, July 18th, 1873.
At sight, pay to order Of self,
s175, rent due on farm, and charge
the same to account of
w. T. BURDETT.
To Hon. j. N. Camden, Parkersburg.
The occult meaning of the cabal.
istic words "rent due ON farm" was
this: That Camden had bribed
Burdett to rent him the accumulated
taxes like one rents q farm.
Mr.. Camden directed his cashier
to pay this draft. Here was con-
spiracy to plumber the unsuspecting
people. We thought we were pay
ing taxes to meet the demands upon
the treasury, whereas they were be-
ing used as banking fund to en-
rich Mr.. Camden and his co-stock.
holders. There can be no dispute
about the facts; they are all admit
ted and published, and anyone may
obtain copy of Burdett's trial by
writing to the Secretary of State.
Never before in all history was
there parallel to this most infa.
nous bargain; it involved q moral
turpitude without. precedent and
without palliation. But Burdett
was less guilty than the millionaire
banker who paid the bonus which
seduced the treasurer to violate his
duty. Burdett may have been a
victim to poverty but Camden has
nothing to extenuate his guilt, ex.
cept inordinate rapacity.
The representatives of the people,
as a court of impeachment, by a
vote of nineteen to four, declared
that Burdett was unfit to be trusted
with public affairs, because he made
such bargain as we have describ-
ed, and he was ANONYMOUSLY ex-
PEELED from office. This Judgment
was universally approved through
out the state. Ten short years roll
by. Burdett remains in obscurity
and isgrace while his partner in
crime is about to be selected for the
Senate, the very highest position of
honor, trust and responsibility
known to our laws. If the Judgment
against Burdett was right, then
Camden is not a proper man for
Senator. If the people approve
Burdett's impeachment; if the peo-
pie approve the bribery Of a public
officer, then they should vote for leg.
islative candidates who will support
Mr.. Camden but il he is to be sent
to Washington for the next six
years, as the representative of this
State, then it is the duty of the Leg
islature to pass resolutions Iemov-
ing the disgrace from Burdett. 1t
is beyond the power of ingenuity to
distinguish between the guilt of
these two men; we must condemn
both or neither.
1t is fashionable to inveigh
against the corrupt conduct OF
Blaine, but the defeated candidate for
PresidenG has committed no act,
that was made public, which is not
a heightened and moral transaction
as compared with the secret bride
given by Camden to seduce our
State Treasurer to violate his trust,
and if Mr.. Camden is to be our
Senator, then we should stop talk
ing about Blaine's moral character,
because hypocrisy is the most
despicable of vices.
We well know that those news
papers which invariably champion
the personal aspirations of a mil.
lionaire politician win cry out that
the DEMOCRAT sows dissention in
the ranks of the party, but we sub
NIT to the unbiased Judgment OF
an intelligent people whether the
time has yet come in this State
when to publish the truth is evi.
dence of treason. 1t seems to us
that loyalty to the party requires
the publication Of such facts as will
enable voters to cast an intelligent
ballot. There is still time before
November for thoughtful men to
agItate this subject and thereby
create q public opinion which is
sufficiently healthy and conservative
to compel legislative candidates to
respect and fairly reflect the