New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-21
HYPOCRISY AT FULL LENGT


reply to The TRIBUNEs criticisms upon book
in which misguided friend attempted to give
him certificate of character. The letter Is
worthy of Pecksniff himself from the outset,
in which he tells us, with uplifted eyebrows
how many days it took him to discover that
such an article had appeared at ALL to the
learned quotations with which it closes, leav-
ing the impression on the mind Of the reader
that so dgnified and cultivated a gentleman
could not possibly have been rogue The
Ex-Governor calls the article " an attack" pro-
fesses to be greatly perplexed to discover its
motive and is not restrained, even by modesty
from the conclusion that the intent was to i'm
pair his influence in public affairs Here he
makes serious mistake, inasmuch as he has
not been able, since he removed to this city, to
gain any such influence, even by asslduous
effort He occasionally "revolts" against an
improper nomination. with the suspicious over
zeal of one who wishes to have it understood
that he and virtue are on extra good terms, or
what is more characteristic still, displays great
readiness to suspect others Of wrong, hoping,
apparently, to give the impression that he must
be a very exemplary person indeed. But every
one who knows anything Of the life OF this
town, knows that Mr.. Chamberlain has made
little progress in dispeiing the cloud of sus-
picion which has steadily hung about him.
We may as well explain frankly why we re-
yived a few chapters Of Mr.. Chamberain's
record, thereby causing him, evidently great
annoyance. We looked to his authorized ho-
graphy for a full explanation, if one were pos
sible of the anomalies in his career which had
for so many years perpleXed and mystihed his
friends. How was it that he, man of ac-
knowledged ability, was able to participate for
four years in the most important official trans
actions Of the worst gang of rogues that ever
plundered a State, against which he made no
protest, and still remain honest? This was
question which most of us gave up some time
ago in despair, but there were still some friends
who took him on trust. When we turned to
this book, however, what did we find? Any
explanation of the fact that two State officers,
Parker and Neagle, swore that he prepared
every law under which the bonded debt OF
South Carolina was swollen so enormously
OF the fact that both these men swore that he
received n large sum from kimpton his class
mate, the financial agent in commissions, on
the bonds issued under the laws he prepared
OF the fact that Moses confessed that these
bills were bought through the Legislature with
heavy bribes Chamberlain being cOgnizant Of II ?
OF the fact that member of the Legislature
Everidge Cain, testified that Chamberlain had
talked with him about pay for his work for
helping these bills through? OF the fact that
Parker and Neagc swore that he chamberlain
prepared false statement of the State debt
and exhibited it to committee of the Tax
payers Convention OF the fact that Neagle
swore that the Greenville and Columbia Rail-
road bill, under which Chamberlain and others
as commissioners sold to Chamberlain and
others as spectators the States share in that
road was prepared by Chamberlain himself?
Or of the fact that when they bought from the
State in this way, without advertisement, for
$50, 800 80 property which had cost the State
$433, $50, even the trifling sum they pretended
to pay was the States own money, charged over
on the books for their benefit by kimpton
Or of the fact that this statement does not rest
entirely upon the declarations Of " the sell-con-
fessed perjurers and robbers to whom Mr..
Chamberlain alludes, but is the deliberate
summing-up by committee Of the South
Carolina Legislature? Or of the fact
that Woodruff, who had the public
printing with Jones, testified that d" the com
pany was severely blackmailed for The Co
lumbia UniOn-H Herald while that paper was
owned by Governor Chamberlain and Treas
urer Cardozor? Or of the fact that Jones,
Woodusf's partner testified that, Gin order
to obtain money on our claims, we were forced
by Governor Chamberlain and Treasurer Car
dozo to support The Union-llerald' while it
existedn? Or Of the fact that Woodruff testi
fed, " concerning the fee paid to Chamberlain
and Elliott, we would not have paid it if we
could avoid it. We felt we were obliged to
pay them in order to carry on the printing bust
ness? Or of tho thousand and one declara-
tons Of Che rogues of the South Carolina Ring,
going to show that even while they were quar-
reling bitterly, in the clutch Of the law, they
were agreed on one thing-that Chamberlain
had been with them and Of them?
No. All this was passed by. Mr.. Chamber
lains record was TO begin with his adminiStra-
ton as Governor All that had gone before
was sponged out, and with it even the sworn
testimony Of the public printers that he black
mailed them after his election as Reform
Governor Upon this fair foundation was
erected heroic statue, representing him in
the act Of defying corruption, and putting to
fight a band Of robbers with his single hand.
This book was to 90 into the Libraries for per-
manent reference, while the newspapers con-
tanning the story of the South Carolina Ring
drifted out of sight. This display of hypocrisy
was too much to be endured, and we confess
that we lost our patience to the extent OF print
ing three columns Of testimony concerning Mr.
Chamberlain, where we might have printed
thirty and still have had surplus. To this
he makes his classical rejoinder in 1.-THE
Timesn in which he declines to avail himself
Of "ths or any other opportunity to discuss
what he calls his personal matters" This is