The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-27
A STRICTLY HONEST DEFkULTER.

AS matter of courtesy, perhaps of
justice, the Journal yesterday published
a communication from County Attorney
McAdams, of Williamsport. putting as
good face as possible on the defalca-
ton of Augustus Cronkhite, the fugl-
tive treasurer of Warren county. The
substance of the statement was that
Cronkhite was not at heart dishonest,
that he had no bad habits, and that
eventually he would make all right
with his bondsmen. "He did not gam
ble," said Mr.. McAdams; she mad MOTH
ing to do with the Chicago Board of
Trade, neither did he mix with fast
women. Mr.. Cronkhite is a man of
sterling integrity and of strict morals"
The Journal cannot permit the latter
part of this statement to pass unchal-
lenged, thereby giving it even quasi
approval. Mr.. Cronkhite may have been
a man of strict morals in the common
meaning of the words. but it is going
too far to say that he is man of ster-
ling integrity. No man of sterling in
tegrity, with proper sense Ofright and
wrong, would take advantage of his po-
sition as o public official to misapprO-
pirate public funds for private pur-
poses. No matter what his intentions
may be, such use of public funds is en-
tirely indefensible, and, if not crime
under the law, should be made
so. Ali officials of the United
States government, from the highest
to the lowest. are forbidden by law from
mingling public and private accounts in
any way whatever, and the appropria-
tion of single dollar of public money
to private uses is made felony. 1t
should be so in all Offices. Mr.. CrOnk-
hite may have been more weak than dis
honest, but the fact remains that lie did
inappropriate 100000 of public funds.
To prove that he is cautious man and
not speculator Mr.. McAdams says:
Mr.. Cronkhite has invested the public
funds In real estate, farms and improve
ments. He has the Same we'll stocked and
MP his term of service with the cash. but
the drafts on the office were some greater
than be had anticipated at this time, and
came so suddenly that he could not make
temporary Arrangements IOT INC uemAnCo
and consequently his paper went to pro-
test. IL be had had notice of the demands
coming he could have raised the funds and
met them. and then turned his property
into cash and paid up eli right.
1t is much better for Mr.. Cronkhite's
bondsmen that the funds which he mis-
appropriated were invested in real es-
tate, farms and improvements, than if
they had been lost in grain gambling,
but the moral quality of the act is not
different. 1t is said Unexpected to real
ize on his investments and square his
accounts with the county before he
went out of Office. and W ould have done so
had he been given time. Thousands of
defaulters have made the same plea.
Probably majority of persons who
commit breach of trust or embezzlement
intend and expect to make matters all
right in the end, and there are too many
people who are willing to let that pass
as sterling integrity. 1t is nothing of
the kind; it is sneaking dishonesty. The
public conscience needs toning up on
this subject. The Journal sympathizes
with Cronkhite's family and bondsmen,
but the truth is he ought to GO to the
penitentiary, and he will not get his
deserts unless he is sent there.