New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-31
TEMPLE THE LAW-BREAKER.

There cannot be two opinions among rep
utable citizens in regard to the significance OF
the facts relating to Controller Wemplc which
THE TRIBUNE printed yesterday and supple
ments to-day. The Assembly ceiling lnveSti-
cation left him deep in the mire; his lateS'
exposure plunges him to the bottom OF II. When
Hill forced his denomination at Syracuse IL was
generally known that Wemple had played INTO
the hands of thieving ceiling contractor over
raying him thousands Of dollars. Now the
light is turned upon still more disgraceful
cbapter of his public record 1t is shown that
in wantOn defiance. alike Of the law and OF the
obvious dictates of official propnety Wemple
had a personal cash interest in the construction
Of canal bridges. The Controller is member
of the Canal Board and as such is expressly
prohibited by statute from having pecunlaiy
interest in any contract on the canals, or from
directly or indirectly deriving any benefit from
the ordinary or extraordinary expenditures upon
the canal bevond his established compensation
The language of the statute is plain and eX-
plicit and. nevertheless, the firm of contractors
Of which Controller Wemple is member did
have a direct pecuniary interest last year III
the work of building canal bridges at Rochester
and other points. Confronted with the PROOF
of his lawlessness, Mr.. Wemple attempts an
explanation, but simply achieves confession
He makes some rash denials, but he admits the
gravamen of the charge when he owns up 10
furnis hing one Of the contractors employed on
the Rochester Bridge with a portion OF the
iron-syork which went into the structure In
view of that fatal admission 1t is idle to set up
that he was not either directly or indirectly In
terested in the contract.
Since the Tweed gang had full swing here
and at Albany there has been no exposure OF
official delinquency in this State more dam
aging than this 1t cOnvicts the chief fiscal
official of the Commonwealth OF an offence
deemed by the people so heinOus that they have
decreed that it shall be punishable by dismissal
from their service. Wemple as a member OF
the Canal Board was called upon to sit in 1udg-
ment upon the plans submitted for the canal
bridges; the bridges were paid for upon war
rants which he himself issued; and yet neither
these weighty considerations nor the mandates
of the law were sufficient to keep him in the
path Of duty. He yearned for share OF the
bridge contract pork, and gratiiied his taste at
the expense of his honor and of the common
welfare 1t is clear that Wemple looks upon
public office as legitimate opportunity for
private gain.
And yet this wretched apology for Con-
troller is the Democracy's candidate for an
other term in the trust which he has betrayed
in so bareiaced manner Surely if the party
managers have any just conception OF what
they owe to the people, to the cause OF good
government to violated law they will force him
to resign from the ticket And unless Gov
ernor Hill desires to share in the odium which
now attaches to Wemple, he will promptly
suspend him from Office pending his|removaI'
No honest man, be he Democrat or Republican,
will condone the outrages of which the Con-
troller has been guilty. Tweedsm cannot be
revived in this State at least in this generation.