New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-05
HILL AND THE CEILING SCANDAL.


The Democrats of this State, by renominat-
ing two officials who have proved unialthiul
to their trusts. have committed themselves to
a campaign of explanation and apology Ac-
! cordinely. il is not strange that Nhlskey s
Governor in his recent stump speech at hlngs-
ton did his best 10 whitewash rehomnee
Wemple and renominee Tabor. The Governor
asserted that the Republican criticisms upon
those pubIic servants were " baSeleSS." Base
less. Ell Let us see.
The committee appointed by the Assembly
TO investigate the charges in relation to the
construction of the ceiling presented man-
imous report. 1t was signed not only by all
the Republican members, but by the following
Democrats: George O'Neil, Of Rensselaer,; ;
John Martin. of New York George W. Gfeene,
of Orange; Charles w. Larman. of Washing
ton. Now these Democrats united with the
Republicans in passing this condemnation upon
Controller Wemple-we quote from the report {:
We are Of lc opinion that the Controller of the
state IS guilty OF negligence in paying 10 the contractor
amounts largely I'm Of that to which he was en-
titled by the terms Of his contract until the work
should be finally accepted the part OF the state
And while under the method under which his work was
done he was not required accurately to determine tho
value of the wor, performed materials furnished. he
was clearly under obligations. as discussing OlceF OF
the state 10 know the amount of money pald under
the contract and Is clearly charged with the duty of
retaining in his hands. until its final accounting per
cent of the contract price. THIS HE FAILED TO Do
as there remains in his hands but SiO42o instead oil
s54 O3O as required by the contract
This it will be seen, is neither more nor
less than a crushing Indictment of Mr. Wem-
pies official tmStworthineSS and efficiency. He
was placed in the Controllers Office to protect
the peoples money. lie grossly neglected his
duty, suffering a contractor to take some
SI4 600 more out Of the Treasury than he was
entitled to. That is the kind of Controller
Wemple has proved himself to he, and over
their own signature his fellow-Democrats Of
the Assembly have thus written him down.
And yet WhiskeyS Governor had the bIazen as
srrance to assert from that Kingston stump
that the Republican attacks upon Wemple were
" baseleSS.'
Are the Republican attacks on Tabor " base
less? Let us see. The first Of the legiS-
lative reports upon the ceiling was made in
February. II proved concluSively that the
State had been plmdered. Tabor as Attorney
General owed it TO the people and to his own
reputation to employ all the vast powers of his
office to bring the thieves to justice. But he
did nothing. In May another legislative re-
port upon the ceiling was presented. The
committee informed the Assembly that "the
facts thus far reported are by no means the
only ones iuStifying the finding that Andrews,
Sullivan and Snaith combined to defIaud the
people of this State.r The committee recon-
mended that the Attorney General should in
stitute proceedings against those three per-
sons and against SnaithS bOndSmen " to re-
cover the moneys of which they have deSpolled
the State" But Tabor treated this report as
he had treated the first one-he paid no atten-
ton TO it. He did not so much as lift a finger
against the scOundl els in question until-when?
Why, until it was time for him to begin his
canvass for a denomination. Then with the
belated zeal Of a death-bed penitent after the
journals of the State had thoroughly exposed
his infdelity to duty, then, and not until then,
Tabor began to do something in the premises
He would have brought suit against the con-
tractor Snaith months ago in case he was lit
and competent to hold the Attorney-General-
ship. When did he bring it? Why, just be-
fore the Democratic Convention assembled.
Whiskey'S Governor cannot dispose of these
facts. They prove concluSively that both
Wemple and Tabor have lost whatever claim
they may have once possessed upon the con-
iidence of the people They have been tried
and found wanting. and must stand aside. In
stead of rushing to the stump and esSaying the
hopeless task of vindicating them, Hill would
do far better if he compelled them TO resign
from the Democratic State ticket.