The record-union., 1897-02-06

sembly who voted for the adoption of
the report Of that committee are CEN
Surable for their negligence. Had they
given the natter the proper attention
they would have learned that the re-
port was wrong, and that the payments
| recommended We're without any justi
| fication whatever in SO far as the eX-
cessive appointments were concerned.
| 1t is apparent that those who had pre-
viously served in the Legislature are
more to blame than those who were
! just entering upon their first expert
ence.
MEMBERS TO BLAME
The testimony shows that portion
of the attaches were appointed with the
knowledge and at the request of the
members as follows: Frank Barnett by
Mr.. Leavitt; J. L. Oliver by Mr.. Wright;
H. A. Jackson and l. Erb by Mr. Kelly:
Ben Martin by Mr.. Canninetti; James
Dewitt M. Aronson, ]. Wintringer and
c. Ewing by Mr.. Henry; J. c. Cross cat
request Of Mr.. Cross by Mr. Vosburg
James Bowen and S. II. Wilson by Mr..
Breiling; Donald Bruce by Mr. Dibble;
W. j. Heating by II. H. North; John
Wise by j. w. Power: r. M. Richard
son and Mrs. w, Sampson by Mr.. Val
entine; w II. Rice (at request of Mr..
| Bettman) by Mr.. Harris; T. Smith by
| Mr.. Dolan; w. S. Kingsbury by Mr..
Kenyon; F. c.. Snyth by Mr.. Chyno-
weth; A H. Smith by Mr.. Belshaw; A
S. Visher by Mr.. Jones' n. G. Duck
worth by Mr.. Treacy: George North by
A. w. North; w. Levison and e. Sheri ..
dan by Mr. Dennery; w. Bullock. W.
/ Hopkins and W. s. Staley by Mr. Price:
J. Brooks by Mr.. Bettman; Charles
Forbes by Senator VOORHEES,; Ray By
ron by Mr. Arnerich
Mr. Jones admitted that in the case of
J. P. Devine, A A. Friedlander SVoor-
sanger and B. Blakeston he authorized
them to use his name.
| We think the members who requested
! appointments or lent their names to
| justify them as specially deserving of
censure. Yet it is to be said in their
defense that they had a right to make
| requests for appointments, knowing
| that some should be made, and that
they had a right TO presume the Chief
| Clerk would do his duty and make no
! more appointments than were actually
necessary for the public service With
much more force it may be said in de-
! fense of all the members that they
were occupied largely in the cOnsidera-
| tion of the Senatorial contest and in the
examination of the numerous and VOL
luminous printed reports of public Off
GERS preparatory to the commencement
of their legislative labors. While thus
occupied they had a right to trust the
Chief ~lerk to attend to the details of
/ hta m oiyot ba1 70
do but to organize the House His mind
was free from other cares. He had been
a member Of the Legislature and served
as Chief Clerk at the last session. 1t
was fair TO presume that he was ia
miliar with the duties Of his office and
would honestly perform them.
BETRAYED THE TRUST.
! We are of the opinion, and so find
| that the Chief Clerk deliberately and
| Intentionally appointed the aforesaid
unnecessary attaches He offers no ex-
CuSe for his conduct except the desire
| to reward the persons appointed for
| their political services He has even
declared to representatives of the press
| that if the law is not changed he will
| at the next session of the Legislature
| pursue the same course, even to the
extent of exhausting the contingent
fund of the Assembly by appointing, if
requisite for that purpose, a thousand
attaches.
| This is the unfortunate elimination
of bad practice which has increased
| session after session in consequence of
| the opportunities of people who come
| to look upon pOlitices as a trade-a
| means of gaining a living. They seem
/ to forget that the members of the Leg
| islature are but the people themselves,
| assembled in their representative ca
| pacity-assembled for the purpose sole
| ly of legislating for the common good
of the whole State. They disregard
the fact that representatives are trus-
tees. and have no right to expend one
dollar of the public funds without a
fair equivalent in service or material:
that every dollar paid out from the
public treasury for an unnecessary ser
want is money deliberately perverted
in violation Of a sacred trust They
work for their party, it is true, but
should, if they are good citizens, do 50
! because they believe the success of
| their party Is necessary to good gov
ernment, in which they as well as 9th
ers are concerned. In other words,
they work for themselves when they
| work for their party.
NOT FINANCIALLY GUILTY.
The Chief Clerk is a man of unusual
! intelligence, and no one understands
better than he how indefensible is his
conduct. We are happy to say that
the evidence does not disclose any at
| tempt on his part 10 profit financially
by his appointments; but this fact by
| no means tustifies his conduct. BY the
Unnecessary appointments he has made
ne mas enabled others to abstract from
the pubic treasury a large sum of
| money which it will be difficult, if not
Impossible, to recover His example,
ii unrebuked would be initiated by 9TH
erS in the future. and this disgraceful
abuse, instead Of being stopped at once
| and forever, as it should be, Will go
on increasing until it's evil effects are
felt in other departments of the pub
lie service. 1t is not necessary to null
tiply words in condemnation of his
| action.
FINAL FINDINGS.
While we believe a complete remedy
| will require legislation. either in
amendment to the statute or Of the
| Constitution, or both, we think also
| that it is necessary that the one who
| by showing himself unworthy of the
trust reposed in him has brought about
this unfortunate state of affairs should
| be made to suffer. AS we have already
| stated, we find no authority in the
| resolution under which we are acting
to authorize us to recommend any spe-